
ACTOR
Leilah Nakabira
the time is NOW

AWARDS AND FILM NOMINATIONS
ACHIEVEMENTS
![]() Leilah Best Actress at Pearl international film festival 2018Leilah Nakabira holding her Best Actress award at Pearl international film festival for her role in the movies the forbidden | ![]() Leilah Nakabira wins best actress award at viewer's choice movie awards 2018Leilah wins Best actress award at viewer's choice Movie award in 2018 for her role as Diane in the movie "The Forbidden" | ![]() Leilah holding her best Actress award from UDADA international women film festivalLeilah bags Best Actress award at UDADA international women film festival in Kenya 2018 after being nominated twice for Best Actress award for her role in the movie "The Forbidden" and Best story for a short movie she wrote and produced "Aprilbaby" | ![]() Leilah Nakabira |
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About Leilah Nakabira
Leilah Nakabira is a passionate Actor born and raised in Uganda by a single mother the Late Asiat Nakibuuka Bakungu and currently lives in California USA, I have many sisters and brothers some of whom i have never met but i feel proud to mention Sarah, Milly, Catherine and Christine as my sisters and Ramathan as my brother, she said, i am a proud mother too to a handsome six-year-old Moses.
professional journey
Leilah started professional acting in 2014 when she joined a drama group "The Ebonies" she did theatre with the group until she landed her first speaking role in film in 2016 in the Movie "Dream America" about three boys who were so passionate about living in the USA where she acted as "linnet" a girlfriend to the lead, this movie got nominated for different awards and was seen by many, she then acted more theatre productions including " Paul kilimuttu" ," Engalabi ya Nadduli", and Ekyombo ky'obulamu between 2016 and 2017, still in 2017 she got a change to audition and land her first leading role in the movie "the Forbidden" this gave her 11 Best actress nominations and 3 awards around the world, she then featured in several tv commercials, movies like "Slay Queens" and made an appearance in "Mistakes Gals Do" a popular 2019 tv series that aired on a Ugandan local channel "pearl magic" . Leilah wrote and produced a short film "April Baby" about A woman who accidentally kills her boyfriend trying to save her son, this got her nominated for best story at Udada international women film festival in 2018.
Leilah moved to the USA in early 2020 and first stayed in Boston Massachussets , she has so far done background work on projects like "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" a Whitney Houston biopic by Sony pictures that just came out in December 2022, a tv series "Julia child" on HBO about an American cook Julia
child a SAG movie ANY DAY NOW and more.
Leilah is currently continuing to perfect her craft through works and acting classing and going for more and more auditions.
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Education
2011-2018
Bachelor of science in quantitative analytics
Makerere university Kampala
Leilah Nakabira joined Makerere university in August of 2011 to pursue a "Bachelor of science in quantitative economics" after excelling in math and Economics at high school, she put her education on hold in 2014 just before graduation to shoot a movie at a time, she went back in 2017 after shooting her movie "The Forbidden" to finish her degree hence graduating in February 2018, she says she wanted to pursue a degree in "fine Art" but her mom and everyone she had ever known didn't think one needed a degree to have a successful acting career but having a science degree was a great backup just in case things don't go as planned. I don't regret having done that degree, she says, that was the only way I got to know I was made to be an actor because I was offered a job just immediately after my graduation and I declined it so that I can shoot a movie for free, that movie never even made it to the screens, but I still do not regret it. i had enough time to attend free acting workshops at Bat valley Theater by Ms Mariam Ndagire and "The Uganda National Theatre".
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2005-2010
O and A level
Leilah Nakabira joined Mityana Modern Secondary School in Mityana district Uganda in 2005, she had six years of her O and A level education, what i remember most of Mityana modern was my leadership, school choir and how loving and naturing teachers were, she said, every year I was either a class monitor, sanitary
prefect, Health prefect, Interact club president, or a Head girl. leadership was part of my entire education life, she said. I had to read hard and excel in my studies too because I always wanted to be the best example i could be to other students I led and also to secure my bursary. Teachers liked me for that she
said, every staff member at school knew who i was including the non-teaching staff, some just liked me charismatic leadership and others loved my expressive movements in the school choir, we did not have dramma clubs at
my school.
2000-2004
Primary school
Gombe Standard primary school
A school I did my first acting, it was a local song "Enjawulo Y'abafumbo" from one of the most prominent Ugandan musicians of all time the Late Fred Sebatta, we performed, it required more drama than singing, it was fun. I was a leader at least from year three to six, I was a time keeper it was a thing I had to have a wristwatch, haha.., so that I could ring the bell when it was time to change lessons, break or lunch time , I was also a class monitor at times, i used to sing in the school choir, play Net ball and volley ball , this was the only school i participated in sports, she said. i didnt know much about acting, we never watched any movies at least until year 5
MOVIES
