The impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on film production in Uganda

Abstract

Since the arrival of the Coronavirus in the Uganda in 2020, several people were forced to quarantine themselves at home in dramatic fashion, unlike almost any other time in the nation’s history. Moreover, the Ugandan workforce was equally impacted by virtue of state-imposed shutdowns that affected innumerable businesses, including the film industry, which is the subject of this research. I examine COVID-19 impacted film industry and how directors responded to mandatory closures for businesses that employ a human workforce upon whom they rely for their labor, and to human consumers they seek to distribute their film and television commodities to for profit. By comparing past, COVID-19 times and present situations, I assess the disease`s impact on film economic conditions, the industry’s technological adaptation and innovation. Streaming of film and entertainment pieces increased much as the preferred convection distribution mechanism of entertainment was immensely affected. This qualitative research examines the technological adaptations employed by directors, how the transition to streaming video on demand has occurred, and what the adoption of these survival strategies mean for Uganda’s film industry long-term economic future and survival