2nd Sharjah International Children's Film Festival Curtain Raises Next Sunday

All preparations are completed for the 2nd Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival, which will be held this coming Sunday at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre.

The six-day festival will be held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of H.H. the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs.

The festival serves as a platform for professionals in the film industry to gain a deeper insight into children’s cinematic vision, with support from FUNN - Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children, an organisation dedicated to promoting media arts for children and young people in Sharjah and the U.A.E. in general.

Speaking about the festival, Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of FUNN ­ Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children and the Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival, said, "Adults should not underestimate young talent ­ they are capable of immense creativity and great production. I am quite sure that we, in the U.A.E., have the potential and capabilities that qualify us to produce successful films. Young Emiratis have many new ideas, and the festival is the most suitable place to nurture the young talent and help them turn their ideas into successful film projects." She added, "The festival mainly aims to combine education and entertainment while enriching culture and knowledge by exposing children to other global cultures and highlighting the importance of respecting the traditions and customs of all participants in this global cultural extravaganza. The festival, the first of its kind in the region, is characterised by touching on children's issues from their own perspective. It also attracts participants from South America, Europe, and Asia, as well as the Middle East." Sheikha Jawaher said that film screenings would be arranged in two time slots, morning and evening, from the 19th to the 24th of October. The films target age groups 4-7 years, 8-13 years, and 14 and above. Films will be shown in Sharjah at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre and Novo Cinema at Sahara Centre.

Another update in this year’s festival is the Children’s Film Competition, which, according to Sheikha Jawaher, covers five categories, including the best short film, best feature film, best animated film, best documentary, and best child made film.

She went on to say that the festival’s management has decided to announce the names of winners during the opening. In addition to the festival trophy, the winners will also receive cash prizes.

Emirate:  Sharjah

Date: Oct 15, 2014

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