Private Project

Airbound: The Ugandan Quidditch Movement

In Uganda, a new sport is driving social change. On this field, women and men compete as equals. The sport is quidditch.

  • Ben Garfield
    Director
    War and Cheese
  • Kristina Budelis
    Producer
    Tall Tales with True Queens
  • Doug Baldinger
    Producer
    Gastro Obscura
  • Kyaligamba Ark Martin
    Producer
    Once Upon a Time in Uganda
  • Megan Eleanor Clark
    Director of Photography
  • Kino Musoke
    First AC & additional cinematography
  • Willis Abuto
    Sound Engineer
    Brotherhood, Ayaanle, Arday
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Sports
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 25, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    60,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Uganda
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Atlas Obscura
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: Internet
Director Biography - Ben Garfield

Director Ben Garfield is a documentary filmmaker based in London.

He is inspired by film’s power to cultivate empathy, helping us to
experience connection with people, places, and cultures. To build
bridges to the weird and wonderful, and illuminate the blind spots of
our everyday lives.

His work has been featured online by National Geographic, NOWNESS,The Atlantic, Vimeo Staff Picks, and more.

His films have collectively played at over 70 film festivals (including 10+ Academy Award and BAFTA recognized), with his documentary War and Cheese earning a longlist for the 2017 BAFTA Short Film Award.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

There are many aspects to this story which made me desperate to want to make this film: the fact that its seemingly comical and absurd premise unravels into a heartfelt humanitarian story. That it takes us into a rural community that is using ingenious methods to aid their own development. And that I immediately found a sympatico with John that sustained a friendship over the four years it took to get this film made.

But the aspect that sings loudest to me is John’s fight—with the help of the community—to ensure that children can be children and have the opportunities to spend their time focused on education and play, rather than being forced into work and exposed to harsh realities too young…something that can happen all too easily when faced with the pressures of growing up in the developing world.

It’s a universal message that I hope will resonate with audiences as they themselves go on the fun and inspiring ride that is the story of quidditch in Uganda.