Fankeenna Film Fest Guns For Its Sophomore Edition in Somaliland 

Africa is replete with diverse artistic expressions, including films that are usually shown through cinema screenings and festivals. With the aid of both local and international film festivals, our films are constantly exposed to a growing base of heterogenous audiences on the continent and in the diaspora. One of such festivals is Fankeenna Film Fest, which will be returning for the second time in Hargeisa, Somaliland. This year’s edition will be held from 4th-12th September, 2025. At the moment, the call for submissions is open to filmmakers globally, as part of efforts to celebrate storytelling in this part of the world. 

Fankeenna Film Fest is committed to using the mediums of short film and documentary to project stories for educative, entertaining and empowerment purposes. The latest edition introduces diverse perspectives on social justice, human rights, and other inspiring narratives geared towards positive change. For this year’s edition, the call for submissions welcomes stories that focus on issues related to human rights, which may include, but is not necessarily limited to, cultural rights, social justice, freedom of expression, equality and environmental concerns affecting communities. The festival is open to filmmakers worldwide with eligibility also granted to films available to on-paid streaming platforms or limited digital release. 

Fankeenna Film Fest is an initiative of Fankeenna. The first edition of the festival, which spanned six months last year, brought together a gathering of common interests, which included producers, artists, filmmakers, workshop instructors, key speakers and attendees both in person and virtually. The screenings spotlighted international short films and documentaries on “Voices on empowerment and inclusion”, such as A Ticket To Paradise (Pakistan), BOUMLA (Algeria), Shirkii Burco 1991 (Somaliland), Watu wote: All of us (Kenya/Germany); youth themes such as Faya Dayi by Jessica Beshir, (Ethiopia) Journey of Youth by Ibrahim Abdullah (Somaliland), Merlich Merlich by Hannil Ghilas (France), Blue Peter by Marko Santic (Croatia), Dhaanto by Yasmin Yassin (United States), The Nice Guy Who Went Bad But Who Used To Be Nice by Jauffrey Galle (France), Will My Parents Come To See Me by Mo Harawe (Somalia); migration themes such as Saddari by Timeaa Mohamed (Sudan), Gifts from Babylon by Bas Ackermann (Gambia), Moon Under My Feet by Richard Legaspi (Philippines), Three Nights In Haifa by Hadil Alraml (Palestine/Belgium), Monte Clérigo by Luis Campos (Portugal), BULAK (FOUNT) by Evrim İnci (Turkey); among others.

Officially founded in 2020 by a group of Hargeisa-based creatives, Fankeenna  is created to cater to the interest of local artists and creative professionals. The outfit encourages and promotes arts and creativity in Somali. It includes a studio, gallery and workshop for artistes in Hargeisa, the capital of and largest city in Somaliland. The word “fankeenna”, which, in Somali, translates as “Our Art”, captures the passion and willingness to cultivate local arts and creativity. Through the promotion of Somalia creativity, the outfit hopes to entertain, educate and engage meaningfully with local communities. 

“We believe that art and creative expression can be used to encourage meaningful dialogue, reconciliation and collaboration, while also diversifying the economy, ultimately leading to a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous society,” says Fankeenna via their website.