Filming in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement

Filming in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, this settlement is located in Kamwenge District in the southwestern parts of Uganda and was established in 1964 due to the high numbers of refugees by then coming in from Rwanda during the civil wars in the country and also from neighboring areas of Democratic Republic of Congo. It was later closed I 1995 when the civil war had ended and many had returned to Rwanda when peace was restored. The come was reopened in 2012 to fleeing refugees from violence and insecurity in DRC in the North and South of Kivu and also disease like Ebola and Cholera in the region. Currently, its estimated that the current population at the camp is 70000 refugees which is the capacity.  The Rwamwege refugee settlement is under the management of UNHCR and the Ugandan Office of the Prime Minister in the Department of Refugees.

Filming in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement is conducted here for those interested individuals and permissions require you to get in contact with the office of the prime minister and as well seeking for general permissions like for any other shoot. Filming areas in this IDP Camp include sanitation which its generally poor and with a high risk of spread of diseases like Ebola and Cholera among others, Education and welfare are among the other angels you can shoot. Filming here requires you to follow the procedures of general filming and as well ensure that you get all the necessary permissions and authorizations from offices that handle issues relating to filming. Among those areas below to follow to ensure that the shoot goes smooth.

Preparation. Conditions for filming vary from one refugee camp to another as such you need to have enough time to prepare well before sending through the team. Reece is important when planning to shoot in any location so that you identify that what you are planning to shoot is actually on the ground. Either send a team prior to the shoot date or our team will do the recce for you. If you can get direct contacts from there to work with then that’s fine as well. If we do the recce our charge for this service is USD300.00 per day provided you have identified the topic and what you want us to research.

Media Accreditation. Like for any other shoot in the country, all members of the crew have to acquire press accreditation by law from the Uganda Media Council. The process of accreditation requires each crew member to fill in a Form G, (PROVIDED TO YOU ON REQUEST) and provide all necessary information that is required, scan and send it back to us with a copy of his/her passport as well as one photograph to be put on his/her media card. On top of this, we will need a letter from the filming company detailing who they are, why they are filming, where they will be filming, and details of crew members on this shoot. We will attach this letter to all details provided and send them to Uganda Media Council for Media card processing. This takes 2-3 working days to have these media cards ready. The process takes between 3-5 working days once the paperwork is submitted. Eco Adventure Safaris Uganda will help you with the process. Each crew member will be given a media card which costs USD175.00 for 30 days of filming and USD225.00 for up to 60 days of filming.

IDP Camps permission. On top of the accreditation, you have to get authorization on filming in IDP camps which is got from The Office of The Prime Minister. This office is in charge of overseeing all works that are carried out in IDP Camps from both government projects and NGOs. You will be required to write a letter addressed to the office of the prime minister detailing who you are, what you do, when you plan to shoot, and the people on the project. You will send this letter to us and we will handle its submission and follow-ups on your behalf. The process takes some time so you are required to start applying at least a month in advance.

Kit customs clearing. This is a requirement for any crew coming to Uganda with filming equipment as Uganda is not a member of the Carnet Free Systems Unions, so anyone coming through has to have their equipment processed or it will be confiscated and cause delays. At Eco Adventure Safaris Uganda, we help you process the customs bond as we work with bond agents at the Airport hence upon arrival you will be met by our customs agent who will help you with the process and hands you over to your driver, even at the end of the shoot you will have to check out at the Airport through our agent.  A comprehensive list of equipment and value needs to be submitted to URA (send through with value, serial number and name of each item) – through a bonded clearing agent – for the issuance of a Temporary Import Permit (TIP). A fee – equivalent to 10% percentage of the value of the equipment – is payable. This fee is non-refundable but will guarantee you safe entry and exist with your equipment. 

Importing Drones in Uganda. Drones are increasingly becoming part and parcel of film crews coming to Uganda. At Eco Adventure Safaris Uganda, we do advise on the process you need to pass through to bring them to Uganda. A letter to the line ministry is required explaining who you are, what you want to explain, when and who will be on the shoot. Once this letter is received by the line ministry, it will be forwarded to the ministry of Defense who will in turn approve or disapprove. Once approved, the ministry of defense will inform CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) about this permission to import and use your drone to film in the chosen location.

Transportation services. Eco Adventure Safaris Uganda organizes transport for film crews depending on their interest, budget and the nature of roads in such selected locations. For rough terrains, like in National Parks, we recommend Customized 4×4 Land Cruisers which costs from USD200-250 per vehicle per day with Driver. . For us to estimate how much it will cost in terms of fuel, we will need to look at your filming schedule to establish mileage and distance to be travelled. Other alternatives to get to Bidibidi is by flight from Entebbe Airport or Kajansi Airstrip by private charter which we can as well arrange for you. Eco Adventure Safaris Uganda works with other credible service providers who are in position to hire us the services without doubt.

Accommodation. This is a very important factor for any shoot to consider, usually around IDP Camps accommodation is on high demand due to the increased number of NGOs and Government organizations that work around these places. We work closely with Hotels, Lodges and Guest House all over the whole country and we are able to offer you affordable rates depending on your budget. We comb all locations to provide you with the best available option. Normally Basic Accommodation cost USD50.00 per person on BB, Mid-Range Accommodation properties from USD150-180 and upmarket from up to USD300. These figures are for guiding you but once we have your filming schedule, we will be in position to advice on the actual price.

Security. For filming in IDP camps, Filming in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement security is very important and its advised to have either one or two armed security guards with you for the entire duration of the shoot. You may not know what the situation is around the camp and having security may come in handy if community gets hostile. With Rwamwenja settlement, it’s located close to DR Congo and security is paramount. Security personnel hire from Uganda police requires us to submit in a request and a fee is determined not exceeding USD50.00 per day per security officer.

Visa Advice. Depending on the reason for filming, we can advise on the type of visa to apply for. Many film crews prefer obtaining their visas before they come to Uganda but visa’s whether business or tourist can be obtained easily upon arrival at any entry point and in this case Entebbe International Airport upon paying either USD50.00 for Tourist Visa and USD100.00 for business. Please note that with covid-19 regulations regarding travel have changed and require you to have a covid-19 certificate before travel from a verified health organization in your country.

Fixers in Uganda. All our vehicles come with drivers who act as location fixers and most of them have been to almost all parts of Uganda and are thus conversant with the local situations and are able to provide relevant information and fix any situation on ground. These act as intermediaries between you and our office while on location in Uganda. The company further charges a fee of USD350.00 per day for the arrangement of the services.

Why use Eco Adventure Safaris Uganda to film in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement.

Eco Adventure Safaris is a local fixer company, we assist filming companies and Production agencies in Uganda and East Africa as a whole. We handle all fixer services required with our professional team of local fixers and driver guides. We work hand in hand with the Uganda Prime Minister office and this is easy for us to process all your filming permissions. We have all relevant connections with other service providers and government agencies to make sure that accreditation and filming permits are processed in the shortest time possible. Contact us for details and all relevant information you would like to know about Filming in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement.