Gorilla Filming in Uganda
Gorilla filming In Uganda can be done in Bwindi Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. For any foreign media group, company or individual intending to engage in filming Gorillas in Uganda must secure all the relevant Filming permits and permissions.
First and foremost, all crew members must apply for a Press Card ( here we call it Press Accreditation or the Media card. All press Accreditation in Uganda is done by the Uganda Media council – we will take you through the process in a bit.
Secondly, a Location Filming permit has to be secured. For instance, if your intension is to Film gorillas in Bwindi Forest National Park which is a protected area, permission(s) has to be sought from the Uganda wildlife Authority – UWA the body mandated by the Uganda Government to oversee all Filming in Uganda’s National Parks.
Lets now take you through the most important process(es) of applying and successfully securing all relevant permits & permissions to engage in Gorilla filming In Uganda.
Applying for Press Accreditation or Media card in Uganda.
As earlier mentioned above, all press accreditation in Uganda is the mandate of the Uganda media council. Press Accreditation involves filling out the Mandatory Form G ( Click here to download).
This form must be accompanied with copies of scanned passport (bios Page) and a recent passport-sized photo to be used in processing your Media card (Press accreditation).
It does take us approximately 02 – 03 working days from the time we receive all the above-mentioned documents to process your media card.
To accompany all the individually filled out FORM G’S for each crew member, the team leader has got to send us a detailed writeup or synopsis of the film you intend to shoot in Uganda.
After all the above is sent through, our Uganda film Crew Fixer Services team leader will then proceed to submit these to the Uganda Media Council for approval. Upon approval, we will then contact and inform you of this achievement.
Press Accreditation fees in Uganda (Payable to Uganda Media Council)
- a fee of US$175 per person is paid for a period not exceeding 30 days of the journalist’s stay.
- a fee of US$225 per person is paid for a period beyond 30 days up to six months of stay.
- a fee of US$325 per person is paid for a period of two years.
** The fees mentioned above are set and can be amended by the Uganda Media Council without any prior consultation. we, therefore, remind you to treat these as a guide.
After securing your Media cards, we will then move to secure permission from UWA to carry out Gorilla Filming in Uganda. At this point, we will need to be very specific if we intend to film Gorillas in Bwindi Forest or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. ( See: Gorilla Filming in Bwindi Forest Vs Mgahinga).
Location filming Permits for Gorilla Filming in Uganda
Having secured Press accreditation for each individual or crew members, the next permission to worry about is a location permit. Assuming Bwindi Forest National Park is your preferred, we then have to contact Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) the governing authority for parks in Uganda. UWA charges 40% filming fee of the activity you intend to film plus a 10% monitoring fee both fees are to be paid to UWA and could change from time to time.
If all necessary requirements (mentioned below) are met, UWA will draft a filming agreement between you and them upon which you will append signatures in the agreement of the terms therein indicated. Realm Africa Safaris™ will assist you all through these processes to the very final point – its what we do best.
UWA Procedures: (**We have no influence on this but can only help you follow up the process on the ground)
Pre-application advice:
- UWA welcomes an initial conversation and/or site visit with filmmakers to discuss the logistics of your request and determine from an early stage what we may and may not be able to achieve. (Realm Africa Safaris™ can assist acting as your representative)
- You should address all your enquiries to the Communications Manager at UWA Headquarters. (Realm Africa Safaris™ can assist acting as your representative)
- After initial discussions with the filmmakers or photographers to agree on activities, a formal application and letter must be submitted.
Fill in an application form (download from the link below) and send:
- Applications should be made using the UWA official application form only. (link provided below)
- UWA will acknowledge receipt of all applications within 24 hours and no later than 48 hours.
- All film requests must be sent in at least 3 weeks prior to the start date of filming/photography.
- All film requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the various sensitivities and other commitments of the protected areas but with a flexible approach aimed at helping, filmmakers/photographers meet their objectives.
Click to download and fill out this UWA Filming & Photography Application form
Other Optional Film Crew Services offered by Realm Africa Safaris™
Dealing with the right persons (company) to assist you clear all your filming equipment will help make your shoot a success. Realm Africa Safaris™ can assist in clearing you Filming Kit at any entry point in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda & Rwanda. Among the things we do is assist in temporary importation of filming drones. However, drones being a sensitive subject, we often recommend starting this process a lot earlier. Ample time is the secret to successfully importing a drone in most destinations we fix.
Learn More from our article: Hassle-Free film Kit clearance Services by Realm Africa Safaris™
- Accommodation :
Realm Africa Safaris has a long-standing good working relationship with most hotels, lodges and inns in each of the destinations we fix. We are therefore in a better position to not only recommend but to also find the best rates and also book the accommodation for your film crew if need be.
- Transportation:
Realm Africa Safaris™ operates a fleet of very reliable and purpose suited vehicles for filming. From open-sided jeeps to very basic closed cars including well-suited equipment carriers. We can arrange both your crew and equipment transportation.
Our Filming security services are designed to secure your filming location, and protect your cast, crew, and equipment. Location shooting offers its own unique threats and risks, so we design patrol tours, standing guard placement, and post-order duties to maximize our surveillance and minimize opportunities for theft, trespassing, vandalism, disturbances, and other unwanted activity.
Learn more about Film crew security
