The Girl in the Yellow Jumper | |
---|---|
Directed by | Loukman Ali |
Screenplay by | Loukman Ali |
Story by | Loukman Ali |
Produced by | Suubi Elvis Connie Ernest Loukman Ali Morocco Omari |
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Naizi Nasser |
Edited by | Loukman Ali |
Music by | Andrew Ahuurra |
Production companies | Loukout Films (Film Production) Quad-A Records (Audio Post Production) |
Distributed by | Ninja Studios (Presents) Victoria Films [1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 125 minutes |
Country | Uganda |
The Girl in the Yellow Jumper is a 2020 Ugandan mystery-thriller produced and directed by Loukman Ali and starring Rehema Nanfuka, Philip Luswata, Michael Wawuyo Jr., Michael Wawuyo, Oyenbot and Maurice Kirya. [3] [4] [5] After a festival run throughout 2021 it was released on Netflix on December 26th of that year, becoming the first Ugandan film to be made available on the streamer. [6] [7] [8]
A man is watching a television report on the "Cigarette Butt serial Killer" when he is taken hostage by a mysterious figure wearing a yellow jumper.
Later, he is found by a highway, disheveled and wearing a yellow jumper, and is rescued by an off-duty cop, who is driving an elderly crime witness (who is implied to be connected with the Cigarette Butt Serial Killer case) to a police station back in the city. The man tells his story: he was captured and tortured by two female religious extremists for a political cartoon, but managed to escape after stealing their shotgun and killing one of his captors.
The cop does not fully believe in the story, but offers to drive the man to the police station, as he is already headed in that direction. The cop receives a call with concerning news about his girlfriend and decides to stop home, where he would meet his girlfriend's sister, before heading to the police station.
The man gets off the car and heads to the bathroom, and recognizes the cop's girlfriend's sister as the surviving kidnapper. He panics and tries to leave, but the kidnapper has also recognized him and tells the cop, saying the man has killed his girlfriend. The cop enters the bathroom and pulls out his pistol to torture the man by "kneecapping".
The man is next seen handcuffed beside the elderly witness on the backseat of the police officer's car, who is still driving towards the police station. The passenger's seat is now occupied by the kidnapper, who is telling a different version of the events: the man is a sexual predator who has impregnated a 12-year-old girl, who later died when he tried to abort her himself. The cop's girlfriend, who was a nurse at hospital where the girl died, sought out revenge with her sister's help.
The man struggles to grab the kidnapper's shotgun that he still has on his bag, but he draws the cop's attention. There's a shootout and the only survivor is the elderly witness. He stumbles out of the vehicle, flags down a passing car and kills the driver using the cop's pistol. He escapes the scene in the stolen car, leaving a cigarette butt on the ground first.
Michael Wawuyo Jr. | Jim Akena | |
Rehema Nanfuka | Dorothy | |
Maurice Kirya | Patrick Asimwe | |
Michael Wawuyo | Old Man | |
Oyenbot | Vicky (as Gladys Oyenbot) | |
Philip Luswata | Prof. Mahmood Sali | |
Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | ||
Joan Ahhurra | Fish Lady (voice) | |
Kavuma Yahaya Ali | Burial Extra 1 / Old Lady | |
Kavumba Mustafa Ali | Sketch Artist | |
Loukman Ali | Bob | |
Muhammad Ali | Burial Extra 3 | |
Saum Ali | Old Man's Granddaughter / Blada Extra 2 | |
Aliyah | Suzan | |
Nayonga Christine | Young Patrick | |
Cleopatra | Radio Presenter #1 | |
Isaac | Burial Extra 2 | |
Dorothy Katera | Old Man's Daughter / Mama Suzan | |
Timothy Magumba | Blada Extra 3 | |
Andrew Makumby | Blada Extra 1 | |
Stella Nandudu | Fish Lady | |
Patrick Nkakalukanyi | Pump Attendant | |
Morocco Omari | Expert | |
River Dan Rugaju | Walusimbi Josh | |
Solaie Titi | News Anchor | |
Bash Luks | Pump Attendant 2 | |
Sekaayi Tucker | Little Person | |
Frank Turyatunga | Guy Watching TV | |
Shawn Wanendeya | Blada Extra 4 |
Loukman Ali wrote the script earlier, since he's also a sketch artist he storyboarded all the shots at this stage. Props testing were also done since a couple of Instagram posts show an unidentified model in a gas mask, which later turned out to be in the film.
Principal Photography began in 2018 in Northern part of Uganda, and despite all the challenges that came along the shooting, Loukman and his cinematographer Naizi Nasser managed to wrap up in August 2018.
On 21 January 2019, Loukman uploaded a first look captioned as a test footage from the girl in the yellow jumper which received a bunch of positive reviews from all around the world.
The film was shot on Red Cameras. and different gear was used as seen in different behind the scene pictures, car mounts for moving car scenes, as well as cranes and gimbals.
Since this was Loukman's first feature film, filming was at sometimes put on hold due to running out of fund as he's quoted in an interview with Kampala's THE SUN
“We had every single problem that you can have on a film set,” Ali says. “Shooting in Uganda is not easy, every single location we go to, they chase us away.” and also Loukman Ali: There were times the actors went without food because we had used up all the money. We stopped filming for more than a year as we scraped together resources. The actors would return after months having changed, having gained weight, grown hair or a beard where there was only stubble in the previous scene. [9]
The film was edited by Loukman Ali, who blended Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) created with cinema4d into his shots. [10]
The first teaser trailer released on Apr 18, 2020 which was a viral hit due to its perceived high quality, [11]
Artists at Quad A, an African audio production company, worked on the sound design and film scoring headed by Andrew Ahuurra, who had previously worked on various films, including Disneys Queen of Katwe. A number of already existing Ugandan songs like Bobiwine's Bada [12] were added alongside others originally composed for the film.
Andrew Ahuurra | ... | re-recording mixer / supervising sound editor |
Tonny Timothy Kasoma | ... | foley artist (as Tonny Kassoma) |
Paul Kazibwe | ... | dialogue editor |
Lilian Keishanyu | ... | sound effects editor |
Adnan Senkumba | ... | boom operator |
Shantos Ssekito | ... | boom operator |
The COVID-19 pandemic reached Uganda in March 2020 and affected the premiere of the film as the country was put on lockdown. There were plans for the film to premiere on paid streaming sites, but the production company's online accounts were hacked and the film was leaked on their very YouTube channel for free streaming just days before its premiere date. [13]
It would later be discovered that Loukman Ali had uploaded a combination of trailers making up to 1 hour and 22 minutes labelled as "THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW JUMPER leaked full movie" as a prank to increase hype around the movie.
The film was initially to be released locally in Ugandan theaters on 20 April 2020, but the COVID-19 Pandemic forced theaters to close down. A disappointed Loukman Ali did loose his positivity in filmmaking. [14] Later on he made a YouTube short film The blind Date followed by its prequel Sixteen Rounds .
On Friday 13th, Loukman announced that his had become the first local film to be picked up by Netflix. It was made available for streaming the following Friday. Loukman stated that after the film's release getting interrupted by the outbreak, he handed it to distributors who sold the movie streaming rights to Netflix.
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Results | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) | Best Feature film East Africa | Mariam Ndagire (on behalf of Loukman Ali) | Won | [15] |
2021 | Realtime International Film Festival | Best Director | Loukman Ali | Won | [16] |
2021 | Mostra De Cinemas Africanos [17] | Selected |
Almost Human is a 1974 Italian noir-poliziotteschi film directed by Umberto Lenzi. This film stars Tomas Milian, Henry Silva, Ray Lovelock, and Anita Strindberg.
Usama "Osam" Nyanzi Mukwaya is a Ugandan screenwriter, film director, producer, actor and former television host. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Ama Award and three Amvca Awards.
The Felistas Fable is a 2013 Ugandan film written, directed and produced by Dilman Dila. The film stars Veronica Namanda, Mike Wawuyo, Kaddzu Isaac and Mathew Nabwiso.
Maurice Kirya born in Jinja and raised in Najjanakumbi to Tonny Munobbi and Sophie Baguma.
Michael Wawuyo Jr. is a Ugandan actor that started out as Brother John in Ugandan hit television series The Hostel on NTV. His credits include also Beneath The Lies - The Series,Yat Madit, Kyenvu, Nsiwe, Girl in the yellow jumper and most recently sixteen rounds.
The Only Son is Ugandan film written and directed by Richard Mulindwa starring Bobby Tamale, Michael Wawuyo Snr., Raymond Rushabiro, and Nisha Kalema. The film was released on 22 July 2016 at the Kampala Serena Hotel. The film was nominated in six categories at the 2016 Uganda Film Festival including Best Screenplay, Best Sound, Best Editing, Film of the Year, Best lead Actor and Best Feature Film.
Situka (A Call for Action) is a Ugandan feature film about two lovers: Amanio (Hellen Lukoma), an ambitious young woman with a passion for politics, who inspires her boyfriend Muganga (Bobi Wine), an industrious young daredevil, to stand up for justice in society.
Kyenvu is a 2018 Ugandan short film written, produced and directed by Kemiyondo Coutinho and starring still Kemiyondo Coutinho, Michael Wawuyo Jr. in lead roles and supported by Rehema Nanfuka, Joel Okuyo Atiku (MAN), Alex Bwanika (Man), Bash Luks (Passenger), Andrew Kiyegga, Yusuf Boxa Kaija and others. The film is Kemiyondo Coutinho’s directorial and production début and won the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF)’s Best Narrative Short Film.
Project Power is a 2020 American science fiction action film directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, produced by Eric Newman and Bryan Unkeless, and written by Mattson Tomlin. It stars Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback, alongside Colson Baker, Rodrigo Santoro, Amy Landecker and Allen Maldonado, and follows a drug dealer, a police officer, and a former soldier who team up to stop the distribution of a pill that gives the user superpowers for five minutes.
Chopsticks is an Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film directed by Sachin Yardi and produced by Ashvini Yardi. It stars Abhay Deol and Mithila Palkar in the lead roles. The film is a story of a woman who is referred to an enigmatic con man who agrees to help recover her stolen car from a thug for free, and how it brings about change in their lives. It was released on 31 May 2019 worldwide on Netflix.
Coffee & Kareem is a 2020 American action comedy film directed by Michael Dowse and written by Shane Mack. It stars Ed Helms, Terrence Little Gardenhigh, Betty Gilpin, RonReaco Lee, Andrew Bachelor, David Alan Grier and Taraji P. Henson, and follows a bumbling Detroit cop who must rescue his girlfriend and her 12-year-old son from gangsters after the boy witnesses a murder.
Khuda Haafiz is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language direct-to-video action thriller film written-directed by Faruk Kabir and produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak under Panorama Studios. It stars Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi in the lead roles, alongside Annu Kapoor, Aahana Kumra and Shiv Panditt in supporting roles. Set during the 2007–2008 financial crisis, the film follows Sameer Chaudhary, who races against time to rescue his kidnapped wife Nargis from flesh traders.
Michael Wawuyo Sr is a Ugandan actor and special effects artist. He is notable for his big screen roles on Last King of Scotland, Kony: Order from Above, The Only Son, Sometimes in April, The Mercy of the Jungle,The Taste of our Land, and small screen roles on Uganda NTV's Yat Madit and Power of Legacy.
Outer Banks is an American action-adventure mystery teen drama television series created by Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke that premiered on Netflix on April 15, 2020. The series is set in a community in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and follows the conflict between two groups of teenagers in search of a lost treasure.
Pia Pounds, born Tracy Kirabo, is a Ugandan singer-songwriter known for electronic dance, RnB, and Afrobeat music. She is also a performer, fashion enthusiast, actress, and businesswoman.
The Blind Date is a 2021 Ugandan film written and directed by Loukman Ali starring Martha Kay, Michael Wawuyo Jr. and Raymond Rushabiro. The short film marks the second collaboration between Usama Mukwaya and Loukman Ali after Kyaddala TV Series which was released in 2019. The Blind Date is the first of the numerous episodes meant to make an anthology, with the follow-up episode already in the making. The film won Best short film at the 8th Uganda Film Festival awards. It had its African premiere at the 24th Zanzibar International Film Festival.
Two Distant Strangers is a 2020 American short film written by Travon Free and directed by Free and Martin Desmond Roe. The film examines the deaths of Black Americans during encounters with police through the eyes of a character trapped in a time loop that keeps ending in his death. Two Distant Strangers won the award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, marking distributor Netflix's first win in the category.
Loukman Ali is a Ugandan cinematographer, screenwriter, film director, producer and graphic designer. His directorial debut was Monday followed up by The Bad Mexican, released in 2017.The film was nominated in various festival including the Amakula International film festival. His other major films include The Girl in the Yellow Jumper, The Blind Date and Sixteen Rounds. He is known to frequently working with actor Michael Wawuyo Jr. and filmmaker Usama Mukwaya.
Sixteen Rounds is a 2021 Ugandan film written and directed by Loukman Ali starring Michael Wawuyo Jr. and Natasha Sinayobye. The short film premiered on YouTube on September 16, 2021, and marks the second installment to The Blind Date, an anthology of short films between Usama Mukwaya and Loukman Ali. The film's soundtrack is designed by longtime collaborator, Andrew Ahuura and features songs by Keneth Mugabi and Fred Masagazi.
Last Seen Alive is a 2022 American action thriller film directed by Brian Goodman and written by Marc Frydman. It stars Gerard Butler, who also produced the film, Jaimie Alexander and Russell Hornsby. Formerly known as Chase, the film follows a man who takes the law into his own hands in the search for his missing wife.