Cinemas may have shut for the time being across the UAE, but that doesn’t mean entertainment needs to be limited while stuck at home. The Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF) is bringing a selection of curated films for its young audience, all of which can be streamed at home for free. Eleven international films from eight countries can be streamed until May 31 through Siff.ae. The selection will include feature-length films, shorts, as well as animation ones by filmmakers from the UAE, Kuwait, UK, USA, France, South Africa, Brazil and Iran. Here’s a list of films to watch.
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The Painting Pool: Maziar Miri’s directorial follows Maryam and Reza who work in the packaging department of a pharmaceutical company. They try to lead a regular life and care for their son Soheil, but for them everything is a challenge — even crossing the street or cooking a pizza, let alone raising a “normal” child, who soon realises his mentally challenged parents are not quite like everybody else.
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A Picture: This Kuwaiti film, directed by Dawood Shuail, tells the story of Abdullah, a 12-year-old photography enthusiast who inadvertently takes a picture of a crime in progress and has the criminals chasing him to destroy the evidence. Dramatic with some witty comic relief, the film is a great play on the adage that crime doesn’t pay.
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Nagafa: Directed by award-winning Emirati filmmaker Abdulrahman Al Madani, Nagafa (Booger) is a film that tackles the subject of bullying in schools. It tells the story of 10-year-old Ahmad, who tries to overcome peer intimidation caused by the class bully, Omar. Despite the supportive vibes around him, Ahmad can on only depend on himself to get out of a bad situation.
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Fulfilament: Helmed by British director Rhiannon Evans, the film is based on the notion that thoughts are like light bulbs — different in shapes, sizes and use. It creatively conveys the message that a thought must follow the right path to give it a chance to develop and grow, exactly as the small light bulb in the film tries to find its right space, which helps in lightning up the place.
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Overrun: Directed by Pierre, Antonin, Diane, Jeremie, Matthieu, Adrien, this eight-minute film follows an ant that is separated from the colony and plunged into a labyrinthian cavern that seems almost alive — at some moments, bursting with light, and at others, warping into a roiling, monstrous landscape. Viewers are taken on a visually rich, rollercoaster ride of a journey as he frantically navigates this strange place in an attempt to escape, hopefully finding a thread to link him back home.
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Sandarah: Directed by Kuwaiti filmmaker Yousef Al Bagshi, the animated short tells he story about a simple young photographer who is forced to join the army to invade another country. He finds himself in a weird and confusing situation that compels him to take a fast and decisive decision that may cause a big impact on his life.
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The Chocolate Soldier: Helmed by Jackson Smith, the American short is set in 1945 and although Germany is now free from the Nazis, it remains occupied by allied troops. The future feels unstable for many, including 10-year-old Maria and her family. Her parents are distrustful of the American military presence in their small town, and they lament the sparse food rations. One day, Maria notices an American soldier just outside her window, enjoying a piece of chocolate as a snack. Her parents forbid her from speaking with him, until just the right rehearsed set of English words rebuild the trust and kindness that the war had torn away.
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Belly Flop: Directors Jeremy Collins and Kelly Dillon bring this sparkling South African animation whree a spunky girl sets her sight on mastering the diving board. Nothing stops her — not indifference and certainly not a snooty perfectionist garnering all the applause. The heroine of the story might be a child, but the moral is for everyone — ignore the naysayers and do what you love.
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Charlie’s Buck Teeth: This French film follows Charlie, a little boy with big teeth, who always hides behind his scarf to avoid his bully classmates. But one day, his scarf flies away into the forest and pushes him to start on a magical journey.
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The Best Sound in the World: Directed by Brazilian director Pedro Paulo, Vinicius is as Brazilian kid, looking for the best sound in the world, so he makes a daily effort to record different sounds and documents them by taking some notes. Each time he makes a recording; he raises the question of whether this sound is the best sound in the world or not.
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Barely There: Hannah Lee’s two-minute animation follows a baby polar bear who is woken up and can’t find his mother. He bravely sets out across the ice to find her. He checks every nook and cranny — everything from the melting snow drifts to icy caverns, when suddenly he comes across her paw print in the snow. Determined and with his hopes renewed, he follows the tracks. What he doesn’t realise though, is somebody else is out there on the hunt.
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The Stained Club: When Finn finds other kids with stains, he is overjoyed. And now for the first time, he finally belongs. He soon discovers that their stains are not like his — his friends seem to be hiding theirs. Their stains stem from violence, his from neglect. Less obvious but equally deadly.
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Lost And Found: Andrew Goldsmith and Bradley Slabe direct this animated short about doing anything for love. A crocheted dinosaur and the love of his life a woolen fox is beautifully women. When she falls in trouble (literally), he willingly sacrifices himself to save her.
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