Jessica Ahimbisibwe is a PhD-holding business scholar, software engineer, and groundbreaking filmmaker who redefines what it means to be a modern polymath. PHOTO/EDGAR R. BATTE
Jessica Ahimbisibwe does not just wear many hats; she redefines what it means to juggle them. A holder of a PhD in Business Administration with a focus on community business and social entrepreneurship, she is also a software engineer and pioneering filmmaker. And at the heart of it all, she is a visionary woman on a mission to transform Uganda’s film industry and amplify its stories for the world to see. Her cinematic journey began not in a film school, but in a university lecture hall in 2013, where she was studying software engineering. What sparked the shift was a simple question from her father, himself a co-founder of Cinema Ug and a devout cinema enthusiast: “How about we develop a mobile application for ticketing so people do not have to queue?”
It was a digital solution to a very analogue inconvenience, one that birthed what would later become Cinema Ug, a tech-driven platform that started with e-ticketing but has since evolved into a full-fledged film branding, marketing, and soon-to-be distribution hub. “Cinema was a culture in our home. My dad made it a ritual. So, when the app came up, it was not just about tickets, it was about preserving that shared experience, that story,” Ahimbisibwe says. That ignited a journey of a university student to partly shift her focus from the day-time academic course of coding to also interest herself with technical work of a digital application.
A novel invention
Launched in 2014, Cinema Ug’s mobile ticketing application was the first of its kind in Uganda. Within two years, it had attracted more than 10,000 users. But what set Cinema Ug apart was not just the technology; it was the cultural foresight. As Ugandan filmmakers grappled with how to get their work seen and monetised, Cinema Ug stepped in, not just to offer ticketing solutions but to help these creators become visible and viable. Today, the platform provides full 360-degrees film marketing services including poster and website design, press kit creation and strategic media outreach. “Filmmakers would come with a great story but no poster, no press kit, no distribution plan. So, we told ourselves, we can solve that too,” she explains.
Ahimbisibwe sees film as a bridge between creators and their audiences, between local stories and global relevance. Her team of five is lean but dynamic, each person wearing multiple hats. There is Lenon Mutyaba heading marketing, Asha Godwin handling Information Technology (IT) and the Cinema Ug website, Jacqueline Namakula managing the accounts, Kenan Arinda leading production logistics, and Mugyema Mutesi overseeing women in film. They have marketed standout films such as Kafa Coh, using highly targeted strategies such as customised social media campaigns, regional influencer collaborations, and cinema run planning. For that project, a single hashtag, #KafaCoh, reached more than 15 million people. “It was not just about selling tickets. It was about creating a movement,” she says with a smile. “People did not even know what the film was yet, but they were already asking questions.”
Dreams
Her dream is bigger than a business. She envisions a production hub- a physical space where filmmakers can train, access equipment, produce content, and, most importantly, find their audience. She believes that with the right infrastructure, Ugandan stories can travel far. “We have the talent. What we lack is a reliable distribution model. If a filmmaker spends Shs50m, they should know they can make it back and more through a solid release plan,” she argues. To that end, Cinema Ug is now piloting film distribution. They are building partnerships with content aggregators across Africa to open international markets to Ugandan filmmakers. Ahimbisibwe wants to make sure stories made in Kampala or Gulu can be watched in Nairobi, Johannesburg, or Lagos.
Gender inclusivity
One of her key aspirations and efforts are driven towards empowering women, one film at a time by training them through the Women in Film initiative she launched three years ago. It is a programme that teaches women creative and technical film skills like cinematography and sound and also equips them with startup kits to launch their careers. “Women used to think they could only act. We tell them they can be directors, producers, cinematographers.
In Gulu, two of our trainees even got nominated for national film awards,” she shares proudly. She sees this as part of a bigger movement to challenge gender stereotypes in the arts and push women into positions of power in storytelling. She is passionate about the stories Uganda has yet to tell- about food, culture, tradition, and identity. She speaks about the richness of local dishes and delicacies, like groundnut sauce, fish and pumpkin, the respect embedded in cultural practices like kneeling, and the diversity in Uganda’s clans and customs.
Putting her skills to work
Despite her passion for film, she the science graduate has not completely abandoned her roots in software engineering. Her tech skills continue to power the infrastructure of Cinema Ug, from its website to its e-ticketing systems. She might not sit down to code every day, but she still lives and breathes the engineer’s problem-solving mindset. “Do I miss coding? Sometimes. But in film, I have found my anchor,” she reflects. She is looking ahead. As Uganda’s film sector gains momentum, she is convinced that marketing and distribution- not just production- will determine its success. She wants filmmakers to think like entrepreneurs: to know their audience, develop clear strategies, and aim for global standards without losing their local essence.
And to fellow women creatives, she has a simple message: “You do not have to compromise to be seen. You can be skilled. You can be great. And you can lead.” Through Cinema UG, Ahimbisibwe is not just changing the film landscape but nurturing a new generation of Ugandan storytellers, equipped with the tools, the strategies, and the belief that their stories matter. [email protected]
