Loukman Ali on why his movie is no longer on Netflix

Ugandan filmmaker Loukman Ali has explained why his film The Girl in the Yellow Jumper is no longer available on Netflix.

“It was only acquired for 4 years, now it’s on canal plus in French 😅,” Ali posted on X while replying to NBS TV news anchor Canary Mugume, who asked: “Hey,@LoukmanAli 🥲 Can’t find your film.”

Released in 2020, The Girl in the Yellow Jumper is a Ugandan mystery thriller produced and directed by Ali. It stars Rehema Nanfuka, Philip Luswata, Michael Wawuyo Jr., Michael Wawuyo, Oyenbot and Maurice Kirya. After touring film festivals in 2021, it debuted on Netflix on December 26, 2021, becoming the first Ugandan film on the platform.

Ali, born June 1, 1990, is known for his work as a filmmaker, cinematographer, writer, director and producer. He shot his first short film, Monday (2013), while living in Norway. He later released the comedy short The Bad Mexican in 2017, which screened at the Zanzibar International Film Festival and the Amakula International Film Festival.

His major breakthrough came with The Girl in the Yellow Jumper. Although completed in 2020, the film’s release was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It later premiered at the UrbanWorld Film Festival in New York and won Best African Film at the 2022 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, as well as Best Director at the 2021 Realtime International Film Festival.

In 2021, Ali also released two short films, The Blind Date and Sixteen Rounds, both starring Michael Wawuyo Jr. Sixteen Rounds won Best African Short Film at the 2022 Durban Film Festival.

He went on to direct and shoot the Nigerian crime thriller Brotherhood in 2022. The film won Best West African Film at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and earned Ali the Best Director and Best Cinematographer honours.

In 2023, he released the martial arts short Ubuntu Uppercut and wrote and directed Katera of the Punishment Island, part of the Netflix/UNESCO anthology African Folktales Reimagined. The story drew from a historic practice in which pregnant girls were abandoned on Akampene Island, also known as Punishment Island.

In June 2024, Ali secured a funding deal with French production firms Black Mic Mac and Logical Pictures for his next project. He has often cited his childhood love for action films and the influence of directors Quentin Tarantino, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and Edgar Wright as shaping his style.