Making waves
that change the world.
Mawimbi turns East African stories into cinema people remember — distributed with intention, produced with community.
Mawimbi means waves in Swahili. Our mission is to distribute and produce the new wave of East African cinema and serve as cultural stewards to the world.
We bring East African cinema to audiences who deserve to see themselves on the big screen, and to those hungry to understand the world beyond their own horizon.
What we do
Two pillars. One philosophy: stories belong to the communities they travel through.
The founders
More about us →Mahamed Sharif
Built Mawimbi to bring cinema rooted in the Somali and East African experience to audiences who've never seen themselves on screen.
Abdirahman Mohamed
Journalist and producer — worked on Apple TV's Little America. Passionate about bridging the gap between people and their communities.
East African or diaspora? We want your work.
Filmmakers, venues, community organizers — reach out and let's build the next wave together.
Get in touch →