According to NTV Uganda, Olita did not know much about Amin, so he "read a lot about him through books, through newspapers and the clips." He missed the chance to act as him when he was approached to portray the role in the 1976 film, "Victory at Entebbe". When it came time to portray him in "Rise and Fall", "I really had to master his mannerisms." "Rise and Fall of Idi Amin" won five awards, including Best Actor, at the Las Vegas International Film Festival. Olita not receiving an Oscar nomination for his performance has been considered one of the worst acting snubs in the history of the Academy Awards. "You see these wazungu are so selfish. They just wanted to make one of their own a star. (Forest) Whitaker’s performance and role in "The Last King of Scotland" is nowhere close to what I did and still able to do," says Olita.