Following a bloodless military coup d'état in 1969, the production, distribution and importation of films in the country were nationalized by the new-established Supreme Revolutionary Council.
[2] The Somali Film Agency (SFA) was established in 1975 as an adjunct to the federal Ministry of Information and National Guidance,[3] growing out of the Ministry's visual aids arm.
[4] The SFA's duties included overseeing the importation, distribution and censorship of movies in the country.
[2][5][6] Most of the imported films were brought in from Egypt, Italy, the Soviet Union and East Germany.
The film festival brought together an array of prominent filmmakers and movie experts from across the globe, including other parts of Northeast Africa and the Arab world, as well as Asia and Europe.