2nd edition, 4–12 September 2025

The festival grew from six evenings over many months to nine nights in a row. Each night mixed several themes, so the mood moved between serious and hopeful and people stayed to the end.

Guests and volunteers together on the red carpet
40films
12Somali films
1,600visitors
400on the closing night
5partner workshops
10new volunteers

What was new

A juryFour filmmakers and curators chose the winners. Their feedback showed young filmmakers how the work looks through a professional eye. The Audience AwardVisitors voted every night. The film with the most votes won on the closing night.
Mixed nightsInstead of one theme per night, every night mixed several, with a talk in the middle and a strong closing film.
Partner workshopsYEEL, Siraad Initiative and Sirta Maanka ran five workshops on youth empowerment, art therapy and women's leadership.
A woman in the audience speaks into the microphone while others listen

The themes

People linked the films to life in Somaliland: the silence around mental health, young people without work, families split by tahriib. Because of recent conflict and division in Somaliland, we gave extra room to peace and unity.

  • Democracy and inclusion
  • Mental health
  • Youth unemployment
  • Women's rights
  • Migration (tahriib)
  • Climate change
  • Peace and unity
See the 40 films
Three guests smile on the red carpet in front of the festival wall
The red carpet, 2025.
1st edition, 2023–24
Where it started