Emerging filmmakers and students from educational institutions in Rwanda and internationally were on December 29, recognised during the awarding ceremony of Rwanda International Students Film Festival first edition at Century Cinema.

Organised by Xtra Mile, the festival was launched with a commitment to bring ideas to life, creating visual experiences that inspire and most importantly convey the essence of human rights themes.

During the awarding ceremony, students who stood out in the categories of Best director, Best screenplay, Best male and female actors, Best cinematographer and Best Animation, were awarded.

The Best Cinematographer award went to Brian Van from Kampala University for his short film ‘Dearest Mama', while the Best actor was Andrew Yawe from ‘Silent Scream’. Yves Tumushimishe who directed ‘Once Upon a Time a Murder’ won the Best Director.

Wivine Uwase Uwera, East African University from the film ‘Woman is a Hero’ won the Best actress award while Benny and King Pixel from IPRC walked away with Best Animation Award.

Yves Tuyishime, the Best Director at Rwanda International Students Film Festival, a digital media production student at IPRC said that the award will open many doors in his career.

"It feels amazing for my work to be recognized, it proves that I am doing great and this will push me to go further. With this award I will knock on doors and I'm confident that my work will be recognised,” he said.

In a recent interview with The New Times, Jean Remy Mugisha said that the festival is an opportunity for students in educational institutions and aspiring filmmakers to become the best filmmakers.

He further added that the festival is set to inspire and motivate young filmmakers by supporting their best work as they grow individually.

A two-day workshop was held from December 27 to 28, in line with acquiring knowledge and connections within the film industry. Students who completed the workshop were given a certificate of completion.

The festival, which will take place annually, was open to students and emerging filmmakers from educational institutions in Rwanda and internationally with a theme that aligned with Human Rights.