Kampala, Uganda | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Ugandan artist and politician Bobi Wine’s documentary, “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” has earned a nomination for the 2024 Oscars in the best documentary feature film category, alongside four other films, including Tunisian biopic “Four Daughters.”
Reacting to the news, Bobi Wine expressed humility, acknowledging the global significance of the Academy Awards and emphasizing the ongoing fight for democracy in Uganda and worldwide. He thanked for the recognition.
Bobi Wine, a vocal critic of President Museveni, lost the 2021 presidential election amid allegations of rigging, triggering nationwide opposition protests and security force violence.
The documentary, directed by Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp, received an Audience Choice Award at the Cinema Eye Honors 2024 and won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2022 Hamptons International Film Festival.
Addressing the nomination’s potential impact, Bobi Wine hopes it will raise awareness about Uganda’s struggle for freedom, human rights, and democracy. He aims to leverage the global platform to influence those supporting the Ugandan regime.
Despite the documentary’s success, Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Henry Okello Oryem, dismissed the nomination, attributing it to Western countries’ gullibility towards anti-government narratives.
Big News: Our film #BobiWineThePeoplesPresident which showcases General @KagutaMuseveni’s brutal regime and the resilient citizens pushing back, has been nominated for Best Documentary in the Oscars. It is such a humbling moment to see the Ugandan story make it to the Academy… pic.twitter.com/xrw9rwfiPN
— BOBI WINE (@HEBobiwine) January 23, 2024