Kampala, Uganda /Cologne, Germany; HiPipo (U) Limited, a leading Ugandan digital innovation, financial inclusion & entertainment company, has announced a landmark collaboration with Germany’s Rushlake Media GmbH to distribute the award-winning film Third Floor Pigu worldwide. This deal grants Rushlake Media global rights to bring the Ugandan-Tanzanian co-produced romantic thriller to viewers across all major platforms, marking a historic moment for African cinema on the international stage.
Third Floor Pigu, the most selected and awarded African film in history, will now reach audiences on every continent.
Key Highlights of Third Floor Pigu: Unprecedented Festival Success: Official selection at 82 international film festivals (a record for any African film) with 15 major awards won to date.
Honours include Best Feature (Action) at the San Diego Movie Awards and a Best Feature Film at the New York Movie Awards, alongside accolades in Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Pan-African Storytelling: Filmed in Tanzania and Uganda, the movie features an East African cast led by Innocent Kawooya, NIM (Uganda), and Tanzania’s Nasra Mohamed Bawazir and Aziz Mape, among others, under the direction of five multi-award-winning filmmakers from Uganda and Germany (including Niklas Inderst of Germany, Innocent Kawooya, NIM, Richard Nolton Ssekiwunga, George William Ssevubya, and George Kasakya from Uganda). This unique collaboration lends the film a rich cross-cultural perspective.
Genre & Synopsis: A 72-minute romantic thriller blending horror and drama. Third Floor Pigu follows Dalima and Nana, a Ugandan man and his Tanzanian fiancée, who become trapped on a hotel’s mysterious third floor, with a malevolent force threatening to tear them apart. As love and terror intertwine, the couple must fight for survival, testing the strength of their bond against overwhelming darkness.
Critical Acclaim: Celebrated for its innovative sound design and gripping narrative, the film has earned praise for pushing genre boundaries while reflecting authentic African experiences. It has been lauded as “a film that blends psychological depth with the thrill of horror”, delivering both chills and a poignant message about love and resilience.
Poster for Third Floor Pigu, featuring Innocent Kawooya and Nasra “Nana” Mohamed Nasra Bawazir as the lead characters. The film’s gripping narrative and record-breaking festival run have paved the way for its global distribution.
Under the new partnership, Rushlake Media will leverage its extensive multi-platform distribution network to ensure Third Floor Pigu is available wherever audiences watch movies. This includes potential placement on major streaming services, from subscription-based platforms (SVOD) to transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) – as well as free ad-supported streaming channels (AVOD/FAST), traditional pay-TV and free-to-air broadcasters, and even in-flight entertainment and hotel on-demand systems.
“Our goal is to leave no stone unturned, whether it’s Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, regional TV networks, or airline screens, we want this film accessible to audiences everywhere,” said the HiPipo content team.
The worldwide rights deal covers a five-year term (with extensions possible) during which Rushlake Media will sub-license and directly stream the film across all official languages in all territories as needed, truly amplifying its global reach.
Innocent Kawooya, NIM, Co-Founder/CEO of HiPipo and producer/lead actor of Third Floor Pigu, expressed his excitement about the collaboration in a heartfelt statement: “This partnership is more than a distribution deal; it’s the fulfilment of a dream to share our story with the world. Third Floor Pigu’s record-breaking success on the festival circuit proves that authentic African stories can captivate global audiences. Now, thanks to Rushlake Media, viewers everywhere will get the chance to experience the passion, creativity, and innovation our team put into this film. For our talented directors and cast, who poured their hearts into the project, seeing it go global is incredibly rewarding. We are proud to break new ground for Ugandan and Tanzanian cinema, and we hope Third Floor Pigu inspires and entertains everyone who watches it. We thank GOD for bringing us this far”.
Third Floor Pigu showcases African creative excellence and the power of cross-border collaboration. The film was co-directed by a team of five, including Uganda’s Innocent Kawooya, Richard Nolton Ssekiwunga, George William Ssevubya, and George Kasakya, as well as Germany’s Niklas Inderst, demonstrating a fusion of talents and perspectives. Innocent Kawooya, NIM, 38, is already well known beyond film circles. He holds the distinction of being the first Ugandan under 40 to receive the National Independence Medal (NIM) from His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda, in recognition of his contributions to the nation. He was also honoured as FinTech CEO of the Year (Middle East & Africa) in both 2024 and 2025 for his leadership in digital financial inclusion.
Third Floor Pigu is proof of his and the team’s multi-faceted vision: merging technology, innovation, and art to empower and uplift African narratives. The film’s lead actress, Nana Mohamed (Nasra Mohamed Bawazi), and co-star Aziz Mape bring Tanzanian talent to the forefront, highlighting East Africa’s growing influence in cinema.
Together, the cast and crew have created a film that transcends borders; an actual Ugandan-Tanzanian achievement poised to make waves internationally. With this global distribution deal in place, Third Floor Pigu is expected to premiere for worldwide audiences in the first quarter of 2026. Both HiPipo and Rushlake Media are confident that the film’s universal themes of love, fear, and survival will resonate broadly. As the partnership kicks off, plans are underway for promotional tours and online campaigns to build buzz in key markets. Third Floor Pigu’s journey from Kampala to the world is a proud milestone, and both partners hope it opens doors for more African stories on the global stage.
