Where it started

The first Fankeenna Film Fest ran as 6 evenings spread over 9 months. Each evening had one theme, a set of films and a workshop or panel right after the screening.

The audience sits in the dark in front of the big screen during a screening
6themed evenings
30films screened
1,000+visitors
25average age of the audience

6 EVENINGS, 6 THEMES

  1. 01

    Democracy and political inclusion

    What keeps young people and women out of politics, and how to get in.

  2. 02

    Mental health

    The stigma, and how few places there are to get help in Somaliland.

  3. 03

    Unemployment

    The gap between what schools teach and what jobs need.

  4. 04

    Women's rights

    Cultural and legal barriers, and knowing your rights.

  5. 05

    Irregular migration

    Why young people take the dangerous road, and why true information matters.

  6. 06

    Climate change

    Drought, damage to the land and what communities can do about it.

The films people talked about

See all 30 films
Poster for Watu Wote: All of Us
Watu Wote: All of UsShort film · Kenya, Germany
Poster for Gifts from Babylon
Gifts from BabylonShort film · Gambia
Poster for Faya Dayi
Faya DayiDocumentary · Ethiopia
A man in the audience stands to speak during the talk Three guests pose in front of the festival wall A guest watches the screening with his arms crossed

A cinema for the first time

Many guests told us it was the first time in their lives they sat in a cinema-like setting. Several filmmakers came without notice and joined the talks after their films.

We first planned the workshops for the day after each screening. The audience asked to talk while the film was fresh, so we moved them to the same evening.

After the festival a group of documentary filmmakers started to meet and support each other.

2nd edition, 2025
2nd edition, 2025