‘Memory of Princess Mumbi’ returns to Kampala in citywide screening run

Acclaimed sci-fi romance Memory of Princess Mumbi is returning to Kampala for a second screening run, with organisers taking the film beyond conventional cinemas into restaurants, cafés and cultural spaces.

Kampala-based distributor Dabbo D Films will stage the screenings from October 23 to October 30, 2026, following the film’s earlier theatrical run.

The new programme will include cinemas that missed the initial release as well as alternative venues where audiences already gather for food, conversation and entertainment.

Dabbo D Films says the approach is designed to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing African cinema; the limited number of screens available to filmmakers and distributors.

Rather than waiting for more cinemas to be built, the company wants to turn restaurants, cafés and cultural centres into temporary screening spaces.

“A great film should not stop at the end of its cinema run,” Dabbo D Films co-founder Daniel Semulema said.

“Memory of Princess Mumbi is a film about the small human moments we share, so it makes sense to watch it in the places where those moments happen.”

Semulema said event screenings could help African films reach audiences who live, work or socialise far from multiplex cinemas.

The screening programme will open at Century Cinemax on October 23 at 7pm, with tickets priced at Shs30,000.

The film will then move to Numax Cinema on October 24 at 7pm, where tickets will cost Shs25,000.

Yujo Izakaya will host a screening on October 25 at 7pm for Shs30,000, followed by Dancing Cup on October 27 at 7pm for Shs10,000.

The final screening will take place at Alliance Française on October 30 at 6:30pm, with tickets priced at Shs15,000.

Written and directed by Swiss-Kenyan filmmaker Damien Hauser, Memory of Princess Mumbi is set in 2093.

The story follows Kuve, a young filmmaker who travels to the fictional kingdom of Umata to document the aftermath of a major war that has revived ancient kingdoms.

There, he meets Mumbi, a free-spirited actress who is expected to marry a prince on her 21st birthday.

Mumbi challenges Kuve to make his film without artificial intelligence, setting him on a journey that explores creativity, romance and what remains distinctly human in an increasingly technological world.

The 79-minute film mixes science fiction, romance and mockumentary elements.

It was filmed entirely in Kenya with a Kenyan cast and crew. Hauser used artificial intelligence mainly for set extension, transforming real Kenyan locations into the imagined future world of Umata.

The cast includes Abraham Joseph, Shandra Apondi, Samson Waithaka, Michael Garama, Damien Hauser and Newton Ronnoh.

Hauser produced the film alongside Kaleem Aftab and Shandra Apondi.

The film was selected for Giornate degli Autori in Venice and the 50th Toronto International Film Festival in 2025.

Hauserfilm GmbH and Out of My Mind Films Limited produced the project with support from the Red Sea Fund and Swiss Films.

Dabbo D Films and Bigger Motion are handling its African distribution.

The Kampala screenings are also part of Dabbo D Films’ wider push to build pop-up cinemas and event screenings across markets where permanent cinema infrastructure remains limited.

The company says the model could help African films reach larger audiences while making movie-going a more social and accessible experience.