It started with a simple idea: Africans should be the ones telling African stories on screen. Thirteen years later, that idea is still driving the Kinshasa International Film Festival (FICKIN), which opened its 13th edition in the Congolese capital this week.
This year’s lineup features around 50 feature-length, medium-length, and short films from roughly ten countries, all screening over five days.
“This 13th edition offers us what previous editions have offered: a gathering of filmmakers and film lovers,” said Tshoper Kabambi, the festival’s director and founder. “It brings us films from all over the world, along with workshops, master classes, discussions, and, above all, unique moments of sharing. The festival’s main objective since its inception has always been to create opportunities for filmmakers and film lovers to come together.”
Among the films screening this year is “Simon and Amos,” a feature directed by young Congolese filmmaker Riphin Kalala. The film digs into slavery, forgiveness, and what it means to live alongside one another.
For Kalala, watching the audience’s reaction was an emotional moment. “I feel like a mother, you know, when a mother conceives a child, and nine months later the child grows up and is admired by everyone. That’s what happened to me when I saw how satisfied the audience was while watching the film,” he said. “For me, it’s a feeling of joy. It’s like a child we brought into the world; it has grown up and is appreciated by everyone.”
But FICKIN isn’t just about what’s on screen.
The festival has built a reputation as a place for filmmakers to connect, reflect, and learn from each other, largely through the experience-sharing sessions woven into the programme alongside the screenings.
