Roger Matelja Magabirwe

Roger ‘Matelja’Mugabirwe

Roger was born on 7th April 1990 in Western Uganda. He is a Lawyer turned Filmmaker, Writer and Director.  Rogers had a child hood dream of being a filmmaker and moved on to chase his dream opting not to practice Law despite graduating from Nkumba University in 2014 with a good Law Degree.

He started writing as early as Primary, where he usually wrote plays for his classmates.  In secondary, he wrote a play for his school, going on to be the best play in the District MDD competition, which gave more zeal to chase his dream.

He wrote his first movie script in 2009, under the UGANDA FILM NETWORK WRITERS’ GUILD under Mariam Ndagire. He then moved on to attend and participate in the MAISHA FILM LABS (Twice, 2011 and 2014) under the supervision of Mira Nair thus acquiring Certificates in Film making, Writing and Directing.

‘THE TEST’ was his first Short film after a failed trail to direct another short ‘3DAYS’ due to some complications. He has written 3 features, 5 Shorts and 1 TV series.

He currently worked on the production(s) of ‘SARA’S NOTEBOOK’ & ‘QUEEN OF KATWE’ as a 4th ASSISTANT DIRECTOR and CASTING ASSISTANT respectively. He has been involved in lots of films as an A.D, Casting Director and Production Manager both In and Out of Uganda.

At the moment he is working on his 5th Short film MAHR (shot in Egypt) about the role of Dowry in African Cultures and institution of Marriage(s).

FILMOGRAPHY

FEATURE FILMS

  1. 2ndD and Locations Manager, ‘BELLA’ (May – June 2017) BISH FILMS (MATT BISH)
  2. 4th Assistant Director, ‘SARA’S NOTEBOOK’ (Jan – March 2017) – IKIRU FILMS & TALKING FILMS. (NOBERTO TITO)
  3. 4th Assistant Director and Casting Assistant, ‘QUEEN OF KATWE’ (March – July 2015) – WALT DISNEY, MOONLIGHTING & TALKING FILMS (MIRA NAIR)
  4. Art Director, ‘LOVE FACES’ (Oct – Nov 2015) – OSSAM STUDIOS & TAM PRODUCTIONS (OSAMA USAMA MUKWAYA)
  5. Writer, ‘EVIDENCE’ (2014) – INNOVAGE INTERNATIONAL FILMS (TYABA CHARLES)

SHORTS

  1. Assistant Director ‘THE LAST DANCE’ (March 2017) by Ahmed Essam under the 2017 Luxor African Film Festival Workshop.(AHMED ESSAM)
  2. Wrote and Directed ‘BY OURSELVES’ and ‘FUNERAL SCENE’ (June 2016) directed Back to Back in 3 days.
  3. Wrote and Directed ‘CONFESSIONS OF A CATHOLIC GIRL’ (August 2015) – GOODENUFF / GOODEYE FILMS.
  4. Wrote and Directed ‘THE TEST’, (June 2015) – GOODENUFF / GOODEYE FILMS. http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi2981737241/
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzHqyoFpif2AZENTdjVfT3hpVDg/view?usp=sharing (trailer)
  5. Assistant Director ’80 PLUS’ (September 2015) – WHITSFLIX , F1LMS & GOODEYE FILMS
  6. Wrote and Directed ‘3 DAYS’, (2013 ) – GOODENUFF PRODUCTIONS
  7. Assistant Director ‘33 POINTS’ (2012) – COLCHESTER FILM CHALLENGE
  8. https://vimeo.com/76878304/ (VERONICA VALENCIA)
  9. Assistant Director ‘MONO SEX SALON’ (2011) – MAISHA FILM LAB
  10. https://vimeo.com/93482811/ (HANSEN)
  11. Production Manager ‘BLOODY SUNSET’ (2010) – UGANDA FILM NETWORK, TRENDS STUDIOS (MARIAM NDAGIRE)

TV SHOWS

  1. 1st AD, ‘HERE WE ARE’ ( Apr – May 2017) – NABWISO FILMS (KWEZI KAGANDA)
  2. Writer ‘EMOTIONS’ (2010) – GOODENUFF / GOODEYE FILMS (LUCKY ATWINE )
  3. .  ‘EMOTIONS’ PILOT, EP 1. MP4;  <https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5MvmE-_T6EpSnF1RVZ1Y2RjMjQ/edit?usp=drive_web>
    .  ‘EMOTIONS’ PILOT, EP 2. MP4; <https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5MvmE-_T6EpRHN1OWU3VTZQcDA/edit?usp=drive_web>
  4. Assistant Director ‘EMOTIONS’ (2010 – PILOT) GOODEYE FILMS (LUCKY ATWINE)
  5. Broadcast Manager ‘THE CHOCOLATE ROOM’ (2012 ) SHOWCASE TELEVISION
  6. http://www.thechocolateroombrooklyn.com/about/sustainability/sustainability.php/