Coutinho wins at NBC short film festival in the US
Friday November 09 2018
Kemiyondo Coutinho, Ugandan playwright, actress, filmmaker and director based in Los Angeles. PHOTO | COURTESY
The Ugandan filmmaker and director Kemiyondo Coutinho has won the Harness Social Impact Award for her debut short film Kyenvu at the 13th Annual NBC Universal Short Film Festival in the US.
The NBC Universal Short Film Festival, which celebrates diverse stories while finding the next generation of storytellers, honoured its six finalist films and filmmakers with a screening and awards ceremony at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood on October 25.
Coutinho also received a $10,000 cash prize with the award for the film, which is about patriarchy and how it encourages the harassment of women who choose to wear miniskirts in Uganda.
The film also won the 2018 Pan African Film Festival Best Narrative Short Film in Los Angeles, US.
The Harness Social Impact Award was presented by NBC Universal’s Social Responsibility Division and Harness — an advocacy organisation founded by America Ferrera, Ryan Piers Williams and Wilmer Valderrama — that connects artists, influencers and grassroots leaders to inspire action and change.
This year marked the organisation’s second year partnering with the festival, and Harness co-founder Wilmer Valderrama presented the award to Coutinho at the ceremony.
Founded in 2006, the NBC Universal Short Film Festival was created and run by an entertainment studio solely dedicated to celebrating the importance of diversity in entertainment and discovering the next generation of storytellers.
The annual programme searches for diverse talent, both in front of and behind the camera, from ethnically diverse backgrounds, members of the LGBTQ community and female content creators.
Winners receive prizes ranging from opportunities to participate in development meetings and cutting deals with NBC Universal, to cash and equipment such as industry standard software and camera packages.