As the saying goes, good things take time, and so it is needed when jotting a piece about distinguished people like Loukman Ali.
Yes, the name may not sound familiar like your normal Ugandan names from the corners of the country such as Okello, Ssekajugo or Mugisha but rather Loukman Ali. The writer would rather call him “the Shorts-Man” hopefully he will not be mistaken to mean a short person that would land him into a stereotype trouble! But rather to mean his love for shorts compared to the colonial trousers.
Now back to business, not so much was previously known about Ugandan films outside Uganda’s boarder before the rise and rise of Loukman Ali’s films such as the Blind Date, The Girl in the Yellow Jumpper, The Bad Mexican, Sixteen Rounds and the latest Katera of the punishment Island. He has also directed several high-level commercial adverts with big brands that have featured on your screens.
Young with infinite ambitions, Loukman takes time while “doing his things”. Top notch on the quality of his output seems to drive him,starting from the lighting, picture quality, location, graphic design, casts among the rest.
One wouldn’t talk about this soft-spoken gentleman without mentioning his amazing casts like Micheal Wawuyo, Natasha Sinayobye, Maurice Kirya, etc
He has mastered his production to the point of giving film producers within and outside Uganda a run for their money. You would watch a snippet set in one scene and mistake it for some award winning Hollywood film by legendary directors such as Steven Spielbeg or an Austrian born film-maker Bily Wielder.
Irene Ageno Julu, one of the young script writer and film director of Fourtenn Days Lockdown film described Ali as a very creative “fellow” in the industry with exceptional thoughts.
Anthony Mwaule, an actor had no further words to describe Ali’s films but rather called on the government to provide financial and technological resources to the budding film industry.
With all these perfections, Ali was able to have produced the first Ugandan film to appear on the Carlifonia based Media company Netflix and received over 16 nominations so far this year.
To appreciate his relentless effort, he went ahead to win a number of these awards within the region and at African Magic Viewes’s Choice Awards, one of the most prestigious film awards on the African continent.
(photo credit Loukman Ali)
Bravo Loukman, Ali has just started.
