Uganda’s film industry is growing fast, but according to Sylver Kyagulanyi, too many of its storytellers are leaving value on the table.
Speaking at the latest Ikonversations session hosted by Reach A Hand Uganda in Lungujja on Thursday, the celebrated singer, songwriter, and lawyer delivered a message that creativity alone is no longer enough.
Under the theme “The Future of Cinema,” the conversation turned from inspiration to strategy as Kyagulanyi unpacked the often-overlooked mechanics of intellectual property (IP).
He broke IP down to its core pillars with clarity and urgency. Patents, he explained, are largely reserved for scientific innovation, ideas that are entirely new. Trademarks protect identity, the visual and symbolic language that makes a brand recognizable. But it was copyright that sparked the most interest: the legal shield around original expression, the very lifeblood of filmmakers.
The room calmed down as conversations turned practical. What happens when your idea is stolen before it’s registered? How do you prove ownership in a system that often feels reactive rather than protective? These weren’t abstract questions, but they reflected real anxieties within Uganda’s creative space.
Kyagulanyi didn’t stop at theory. He pushed into the business side of art, an area where many creatives stumble. Licensing, he argued, is not just legal jargon; it’s a revenue engine. Mechanical licenses can open doors to merchandising and adaptations, while derivative licenses allow filmmakers to legally extend their work into advertising and other commercial uses.
But perhaps his most striking advice centered on power, specifically, how not to lose it.
“Even when you accept money, you can make the agreement non-exclusive,” he noted, challenging a common trap where creatives trade long-term ownership for short-term survival. Not every deal, he emphasized, should cost you your future.
In an industry where funding is scarce and opportunities can feel fleeting, that mindset shift is critical. Kyagulanyi urged filmmakers to think beyond a single project. Losing money on one production, he argued, is not failure, but losing your rights is.