The Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival will return for its sixth edition on October 14 at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre.
The event promises 138 films by, for, or about children, from local, regional and international directors. This year’s programme includes 12 international, 34 Middle Eastern, seven UAE and one Gulf premiere, a mixture of features and shorts, fiction, documentary and educational films.
The event will also feature over 40 specialised workshops, interactive sessions, and appearances by industry professionals, including filmmakers, directors, cinematographers and artists.
In a first for the event, this year's SICFF will also feature panel discussions with industry experts and professionals including Walt Disney animator, Brian Ferguson, who will speak at a session titled Disney World between the Past and the Present.
Another session, Filmmaking with Refugees will bring together animator Simon Medard from Belgian animation house Camera-etc, and Lebanese filmmaker, Diaa Mulaeb, who will highlight the vital role of films in documenting the plight of refugees.
Workshops this year include one from Star Trek Beyond FX director Sebastian Reichhold, who will present a 3D films workshop and talk about the specialised techniques that went into making recent project, Disney's A Wrinkle in Time.
Emirates Falcons Photography Society member Mahmoud Al Hassan, meanwhile will present an Introduction to Photoshop workshop, alongside photographer and videographer Ryan Palis, who will be teaching photography tricks to the young audience.
Movie highlights this year include Andaç Haznederoglu's feature The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul, the moving tale of a 10-year old girl and her baby sister's escape from Syria to Turkey, and Barbara Bredero's Dutch tale of a five-year-old boy and his best friend – a giraffe in the local zoo - My Giraffe.
Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, director of SICFF, said: “The festival will bring together an impressive galaxy of promising talents from around the world who have chosen SICFF as a platform to showcase their work and introduce their countries cultures to a global audience. 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.”
For full line up and latest details visit the SICFF website.
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Read more:
What to expect from Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival 2017
Touching films by young Syrian refugees shown at The Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival
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