2023 Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth will screen 81 films

In the wider landscape of international film festivals in the region, Sharjah remains an exception, especially for its unwavering dedication to children and youth.

The Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (Siff), currently gearing up for its 10th edition, will be held from October 22 to 28 at Al Zahia City Center. Details of the next event were revealed at a press conference held at the festival on Wednesday. Beeah Group headquarters in Sharjah.

A fan initiative, the festival will screen 81 films from 37 countries this year. This includes unprecedented representation from the Republics of Bhutan, Montenegro, Malta, Togo and Vietnam. The festival will feature three world premiere screenings and regional premiere screenings of 43 of his films.

Headliner films will be screened on the festival’s green carpet from October 23rd to 26th. This corner features a different film each night and provides discussion about the work with its creators.

Nezu ‘Soudade Kaadan’ ‘Soudade Kaadan’ will be the first film in the series and will be the sequel. little nicholas Co-directed by Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Masbre. she is from another planet Written by Baek So-bin. And finally, valley road Written by Khalid Fahad.

Films competing in seven categories

For films to be screened in competition, a panel of 15 filmmakers and experts, including Mohamed Haji, Ahmed Shawki, Cho Sung-Koo and Ghadir Al-Sabti, will evaluate the films across seven categories. These include student films, GCC short films, international short films, animated films, animated feature films, and feature films.

“Jurors will look at the screenplay, direction and acting of the film,” Haji says. “In the script, we consider what the film is trying to say and what its message is. On the directorial side, the evaluation is on how well the filmmaker can translate the script and present it. For actors, we look at how effective the cast was in portraying the characters. And whether the movie moved us, entertained us, moved us in some way. , think about whether you yourself enjoy the movie.

In addition, a panel of 20 junior judges will judge submissions for films produced by the Children and Youth section. Organizers also appointed 17 festival ambassadors, young people who emphasize the power of film for children.

Schiff’s growth and development

The festival has grown significantly since it was founded in 2013. In its first year, the event focused solely on film screenings, but festival director Sheikha Jawaher Abdullah Al Qasimi said the event has since grown to feature panel discussions and workshops. Ta.

“As a film festival, we’re here to teach, not just put on a show,” she says. “When a teenager comes in and says, ‘I want to make movies someday,’ we have to make sure we’re there to teach them these skills. Disney people who worked on the work, [projects such as] game of thrones. [The youth] Learn about the entire process. ”

The festival also has a strong support program for children in other parts of the UAE, from Al Dhaid and Khor Fakkan to Dubai and Ajman.

Sheikha Jawaher said the program was developed in response to interest from schools and families across the country. This year’s festival also involved contact from Dalma Island, located 42 kilometers off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

“They were calling me every day and asking if I could come over,” she says. To attend the festival, children “ride a ferry and then drive six hours.

“I panicked, not as a festival director, but as a mother. We told them, ‘We’ll come to you.’ We will introduce some films,” said Sheikha Jawaher, adding that the festival aims to expand its scope with each edition. She said: “We are committed to eventually opening operations in Abu Dhabi and other emirates.”

For this year’s screening, organizers selected participating films from over 1,710 submissions. Festival director Sheikha Jawaher said the selection process was rigorous but constructive, with a particular focus on films produced by children and young people in the UAE.

“We focus on inspiring, learning and teaching, so if we are rejecting a film made by children or young people, we will sit down with them one-on-one and find out why their film was rejected. We’ll explain why it was rejected, what we can do better, and how we can resubmit it.”

Sharjah Cinema Days

Sheikh Jawahar also revealed another upcoming film initiative by his fans, Sharjah Cinema Days.

While Shif focuses on services for children and young people, Sharjah Cinema Days, scheduled to take place next year, aims to cater to a wider audience.

“People who love anime, people who love science fiction, people who love classic movies say, ‘Why don’t you do that for a day?'” said Sheikh Jawahar, adding that this initiative aims to It added that it was developed to appeal to a variety of people. Something that interests me. “You can spend the day enjoying sci-fi fans, classic movies, and anime. We’re checking the box.”

“we [also] “We also want to incorporate artistic installation features,” she says. “We hope to collaborate with UAE artists and add installations related to film and media.” [as part of Sharjah Cinema Days]”

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Updated: October 4, 2023, 2:59 p.m.