A new international film festival aimed at teaching children media literacy and promoting filmmaking for, by and about young people was launched yesterday.
The Sharjah International Children's Film Festival (SICFF), the first of its kind in the region, opened at the Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre.
Seventy-eight films, including short movies, animations, silent movies and feature-length films from 32 countries, are to be screened at various venues throughout the emirate.
"SICFF is about entertainment, enrichment and education," said Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi, the festival director and assistant manager of Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children (FUNN).
"It is designed to be a celebration of cultures from around the world, respecting all traditions and ethics of everybody involved."
The films are aimed at three age groups: under age 7, eight to 13, and 14 to 18. They will be shown to public schools at the centre and to private schools at the Grand Cinemas in the Sahara Centre in the mornings.
The venues are to open to the public in the afternoon and the Al Qasba venue is to have weekend shows.
The festival was set up thanks to an agreement between FUNN and the Ministry of Education.
"The festival is the building block and the first step towards producing great films," said Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah. "I hope that this festival will be the beginning of future works."
Organisers are already planning to beef up the festival for 2014.
"We're planning to launch an amateur filmmaking competition around SICFF 2014, set up plenty of workshops in and around the festival, bring in international guests, celebrities of children's films, and speakers, and a few more surprises we'll keep under wraps for now," Sheikha Jawaher said.
For more information, visit www.sicff.ae.
rpennington@thenational.ae
Film festival to children opens in Sharjah
The programme plans to entertain, enrich and educate children and has 78 films that will be screened across the emirate.
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