21st Szczecin Film Festival: Crossing Borders: Festival Leopard at SFF

Szczecin Film Festival is a cross-border festival, crossing for more than two decades not only the Polish-German border with film screenings, meetings with cinema personalities, lectures or Industry Zone, but also the formal and substantive boundaries of the presented works. This time — during the 21st edition of the film festival, we go beyond the continent of Europe, taking viewers to distant Africa, establishing cooperation with the young Kenyan film festival Leopard and presenting the award-winning films to the Szczecin Audience.

It is a dynamically developing annual event held in Mombasa that focuses on promoting the short film form and supporting young filmmakers from the Kenyan coast and academia. Since its inauguration in 2023, the festival has become an important platform for the presentation of films in categories such as documentary, plot, animation and experimental forms, with a limit of up to 15 minutes.

LAMPART is co-organized by the Academy of Arts in Szczecin and the Technical University of Mombasa, in close cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nairobi, which from the beginning includes the event with honorary patronage, and from 2025 also funds prizes for laureates, including the Grand Prix. Key partners are also: Alliance Française de Mombasa, KreniArt Limited, Coastal Film Association, IdeaSync Studios, University of Silesia in Katowice and Polish Aesthetic Society.

The festival was created as a direct, long-term result of the international research project Transcultural Perspectives in Art and Art Education (TPAAE), led by Aleksandra Łukaszewicz, PhD, and the activities carried out within the framework of the Polish-Kenyan DUOS festival (2021-2024).

Currently, the festival, co-directed by Dr. Izabela Plucińska, Dr. Magdalena Szymkow, Dr. Aleksandra Lukaszewicz and Dr. Wanyenda Leonard Chilimo, is an important element of the developing film and television ecosystem on the Kenyan coast, fitting into the broader context of cultural industries.

The 4th edition of the festival, the final of which took place on April 17, 2026 at the Alliance Française de Mombasa, was the culmination of an intensive program that included workshops led by experts from Poland, screenings of competition films and presentations of student productions from the Academy of Arts in Szczecin and the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School. The event brought together a wide audience — creators, students and the local community — confirming the growing importance of the festival as a space for dialogue and cultural exchange.

LAMPART has consistently grown as a platform for bold storytelling, engaged cinema and creative education, while strengthening the region's potential as an important hub for audiovisual production in East Africa.

Films awarded at the LAMPART Festival in 2026, screened at the 21st Szczecin Film Festival:

A story of trauma and guilt: a girl who kills her father in defense, after years as a police officer meets a friend convicted of helping and through mental confusion again leads to a tragedy in the port of Mombasa.

Held in a soap opera convention, the story of a girl fighting for the right to education against the tradition of arranged marriages, which intertwines with the family drama of the current threat of lynching elders in Kenya.

Mombasa Raha, dir. Fahari Mazerah, Gabriella Jumwa (7'55”)

An animated, symbolic story about the Waata people and the mythological origins of Mombasa, built around a linguistic and cultural play of meanings.

A poetic visual film based on pictorial metaphors (including burning hands), evoking the history of Jumba la Mtwana and the memory of slavery.

Where the Lions Once Were, directed by Bonifus Mbogo, Emily Baker (13'54”)

A full-length documentary about the Chonyi community effectively opposing the threat posed by the cement industry, showing a broad social and environmental context.

The Essence of Baraza, directed by Zainab Mejja Films (7'53”)

A reflective portrait of the traditional gatherings of elders in Mombasa, disappearing under the influence of modernization.

A visually refined film about the water crisis in rural Kinagoni, combining aesthetic images with a strong social message.

A moving document with an educational accent on waste management and young activists, showing the process of personal transformation and grassroots action for the environment.

21. Szczecin Film Festival: Crossing Borders: Festival Lampart at SFF

For over two decades, the Szczecin Film Festival has been a cross-border event, transcending not only the Polish-German border—through screenings, meetings with film personalities, lectures, and the Industry Zone—but also the formal and thematic boundaries of the works presented. This time, for the festival's 21st edition, we venture beyond Europe, taking audiences to distant parts of Africa, Asia, and South America with the film “Heart Adoption: 30 Years of Hope”. Created by the Maitri Movement and the Pallottine Missionary Secretariat, the film's narrative transcends more than just geographical borders; it also breaks through human indifference towards the suffering of the destitute, offering a story of mercy and the benevolent power of the human heart. We return to Africa once more this year, this time through a collaboration with Lampart — a young Kenyan film festival — to present awarded films from that event to the Szczecin audience.

The LAMPART Short Film Festival is a rapidly growing annual event held in Mombasa, dedicated to promoting short-form filmmaking and supporting emerging filmmakers from the Kenyan coast and academic communities. Since its launch in 2023, the festival has developed into an important platform for showcasing films across a range of categories, including documentary, fiction, animation and experimental film up to 15 minutes.

LAMPART is co-organised by the Academy of Art in Szczecin and the Technical University of Mombasa, in close cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nairobi, which has supported the event under its honorary patronage since its inception. Since 2025, the Embassy has also funded awards for the festival winners, including the Grand Prix. The festival's key partners also include Alliance Française de Mombasa, KreniArt Limited, Coastal Film Association, IdeaSync Studios, the University of Silesia in Katowice, and the Polish Society for Aesthetics.

The festival emerged as a direct and long-term outcome of the international research project Transcultural Perspectives in Art and Art Education (TPAAE), led by Dr. Aleksandra Łukaszewicz, as well as activities developed within the framework of the Polish-Kenyan DUOS Festival (2021—2024).

Currently co-directed by Prof. Izabela Plucińska, Prof. Magdalena Szymkow, Prof. Aleksandra Łukaszewicz, and Prof. Wanyenda Leonard Chilimo, the festival has become an important part of the growing film and television ecosystem on the Kenyan coast, contributing to the wider development of the region's cultural and creative industries.

The 4th edition of the festival, whose final event took place on 17 April 2026 at Alliance Française de Mombasa, marked the culmination of an intensive programme featuring workshops led by experts from Poland, screenings of films selected for the competition, and presentations of student productions from the Academy of Art in Szczecin and the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School. The event attracted a wide audience of filmmakers, students and members of the local community, confirming the growing significance of the festival as a space for dialogue and cultural exchange.

LAMPART continues to develop as a platform for bold storytelling, socially engaged cinema and creative education, while strengthening the potential of the Kenyan coast as an important centre for audiovisual production in East Africa.

Films Awarded and Recognized at LAMPART festival in 2026 and shown at 21st Szczecin Film Festival

A story of trauma and guilt: a young woman kills her father in self-defense. Jahre, now working as a police officer, she met a friend who was convicted of helping her. Her psychological turmoil ultimately leads to another tragedy at the Port of Mombasa.

A telenovela-style story of a young woman fighting for her right to education against the tradition of arranged marriage. A family drama is intertwined with a continuing threat of mob violence against elders in Kenya.

Mombasa Raha — Mahari Mazera, Gabriella Jumwa (7'55”)

An animated, symbolic story exploring the Waata people and the mythological origins of Mombasa, constructed around a layered interplay of linguistic and cultural meanings.

A poetic visual film built around painterly metaphors — including the recurring image of burning hands — evoking the history of Mtwana Castle and the memory of slavery.

Where the Lions Once Were — Bonifus Mbogo, Emily Baker (13'54”)

A fully developed documentary about the Chonyi community and its successful resistance to threats posed by the cement industry, placing their struggle within a broader social and environmental context.

The Essence of Baraza — Zainab Mejja Films (7'53”)

A reflective portrait of Mombasa's traditional gatherings of elders and their gradual disappearance under the pressures of modernization.

A visually accomplished film about the water crisis in the rural Kinagoni area, combining carefully composed cinematography with a powerful social message.

A compelling documentary with a strong educational dimension, focusing on waste management and young activists. The film traces processes of personal transformation along with grassroots environmental action.