Amakula film festival has returned for the sixth year, but this time you will have to part with some money, if you want to watch the movies. From the festival headquarters in Rubaga, the organisers have said that paying for the festival has been long overdue.

"We want people to start appreciating that film making requires a lot of money, and they should learn to appreciate that film comes with a price," Moses Serugo the festival PRO says. The public will pay Shs2,000 for one movie, Shs5,000 for a whole day and Shs25,000 for the entire festival.

The festival will be from November 6 - 14 at the National Theatre and will revolve around the theme, Visionary Histories. The theme stresses that we look back into history to understand a meaningful future. And to help throw some light on the theme, storytelling performances will be done by Ashraf Ssemwogerere and Wasanyi Serukenya of the Nyonza Choir among others.

Unlike the previous years where a number of African movies and short films have been screened, the festival has added classical films to their menu. Serugo says a number of people have only heard about these films and now is the time to watch them.

Besides the classical films, the festival programme has been split into a number of film categories for broader perspectives. The African Panorama, will provide an overview of film productions from the continent previously unseen in Uganda with special tribute to Africans and their works.

The Eastern African views will showcase new productions from the region with special focus programmes on Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and with an expanded view on the area in order to connect an Eastern region in Africa that still seeks to raise its cinematic voice.

Meanwhile, the Contemporary World Cinema will offer films from many regions in the world, while the Cinema Landmarks will focus on selected classics in the history of cinema which are chosen in relation to the festival's theme.

Serugo says that the 6th Annual East African Film Congress which will take place on November 11, 12 and 13 is meant to bring film professionals from the region to compare experiences and discuss the development of film production, exhibition, distribution and support systems in the area. And, with video halls being places where the largest population go to watch movies, the festival has involved 30 video halls around town where the films have been translated into Luganda by local VJs.

It is these VJs, who will compete for the annual Amakula VJ Slam which will take place at Clock Tower on the November 8. The festival will finally culminate into the 5th Golden Impala Award for the best Eastern African Short Film.