Sharjah: The third edition of the Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival (SICFF) kicked off on Sunday, held under the theme of powering the imagination.
The festival, which was organised by FUNN, a foundation specialised in enhancing children and adolescents’ access to arts and media, was held under the patronage of Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. Shaikha Jawaher is also chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family affairs.
The festival runs from October 18 to 23.
Speaking at the opening ceremony yesterday, Shaikha Jawaher Bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, manager of FUNN and SICFF, announced that 175 films from over 20 countries have been chosen this year and many of the films submitted come from a number of internationally renowned filmmakers, in addition to various films from Latin America, Africa, Europe, and the Far East.
“This year the films will be screened publicly in seven cities, as opposed to last year’s five, and will feature in Al Dhaid, Khor Fakkan, Kalba, as well as around the city in Sahara Centre and Al Qasba,” she said.
The six-day festival was launched to focus on educating children and adults in the UAE about the art of filmmaking and promoting interest in media and the arts.
The SCIFF will also give out awards this year based on six categories: best short movie, best epic, best animated movie, best fictional film, best documentary, and the best children-produced movie. Top winners will receive monetary awards worth a total of Dh50,000.
Three films that received critical acclaim by this year’s SICFF committee include the children’s film, Freij Thani (The Other Neighbourhood) by Emiratis Aisha Al Sharfa and Fatima Al Mazmi, short fictional film Sureej by Hashem Sharaf from Bahrain, in addition to the animated film Awraq Al Kareef (Papers of the Fall), by French director Carlos de Carvalho.
This year the festival will incorporate more interactive sessions and workshops where children will learn scriptwriting, photography, filmmaking, and other media-related arts, according to Shaikha Jawaher Bint Abdullah.
