The sixth edition of the Sharjah International Children's Film Festival (SICFF) will kick off on October 14 with 54 premiers, 138 screenings, 40 workshops, and other media activities under one roof.
Themed 'Think Cinema', the six-day extravaganza, which runs until October 19 will be held at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre (JRCC), and will bring 138 films by local, regional and international directors to the festival audience. The list of premieres includes 12 international, 34 Middle Eastern, 7 UAE, and 1 Gulf movies.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, director of SICFF and FUNN Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children, said: "The festival will bring together an impressive galaxy of promising talents from around the world who have chosen the SICFF as a platform to showcase their work and introduce their countries' cultures to a global audience."
Focus on refugee kids
She added: "The SICFF's selections this year will lay special focus on the plight of refugees. Our festival could not have seen the light of day if it weren't for the patronage and unfailing encouragement offered by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi.
"We believe that art is key to enriching the personalities and perceptions of young people, and that the ideas presented in films are strong catalysts that fire up children's imaginations and develop their ability to discover beauty."
Awards, jury
The US has the maximum number of entries competing for the SICFF Awards, followed by France and Russia.
The festival features seven award categories, including Best Short Arab Film, Best Student-made Film, Best International Short Film, Best Animation Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Feature Film, and Best Child-made Film. Submitted films will be evaluated by an independent jury featuring Arab and international film experts, critics and media personalities, renowned artists, directors and producers. Some of the names include Saudi documentary films producer Hana Makki, Bahraini actress Haifa Hussein, Palestinian filmmaker and producer Hani Abu Assad, film animator Brian Ferguson, movie critic Mansura Abdul Amir, and animator Simon Medard.
Panel discussions for the first time
The 6-day Children's Film Festival in Sharjah will have panel discussions for the first time, which will be delivered by internationally-acclaimed industry experts.
Among them are included Walt Disney Animation Studios' animator, Brian Ferguson, who will speak at a session titled 'Disney World between the Past and the Present'; animation artist Simon Medard from Studio Camera, who will present 'Filmmaking with Refugees'; and Lebanese filmmaker, Diaa Mulaeb, who will highlight the role of films in documenting the plight of refugees. The session, 'Cinema now and then' will host Hamad Al Shehabi, Emirati author and scenarist, and Mohammed Ibrahim, a Bahraini filmmaker, and Journalist and movie critic Mansura Abdul Amir.
Emirati actor, producer and director, Abdullah Al Humairi will shed the spotlight on the important topic of the impact of social media on the film industry, the challenges in filmmaking via social media platforms.
Award categories
>Best Short Arab Film
>Best Student-made Film
>Best International Short Film
>Best Animation Film
>Best Documentary Film
>Best Feature Film,
>Best Child-made Film
Notable guests
>Brian Ferguson
>Simon Medard
>Diaa Mulaeb
>Hamad Al Shehabi
>Mohammed Ibrahim
>Mansura Abdul Amir
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