124 films from 31 nations to be screened at SICFF
sharjah — The fifth edition of the Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival (SICFF) will be held from October 8 to 13, with an unprecedented participation of 124 films from 31 countries.
The US, the UAE and France have submitted the highest number of entries with 45, 33 and 29 films respectively, most of which will be screened for the first time in the region. The films will be screened in the presence of 70 international film directors, organisors said on Tuesday.
Addressing a Press conference, Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, director of SICFF, said some of the world’s most renowned directors are participating in the event, many of them showcasing film premieres.
Sheikha Jawaher announced that the movies to premiere at the festival include Albion: The Enchanted Stallion, The Little Vampire, Window Horses and The Big and Little.
She said each of the seven categories of the festival will have a dedicated jury, summing up to 19 members of renowned artists, directors, producers, critics and other film specialists.
She added the participating films will be screened at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre (JRCC) and Novo Cinema at Sahara Mall. The SICFF training workshops will also be held at JRCC, and once the festival concludes, the workshops will continue in Kalba, Dibba Al Hisn and Khor Fakkan from October 1531, and in Al Dhaid, Al Madam, Al Hamyria and Al Bataeh from November 5-16.
“The film festival aligns with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs,” said Sheikha Jawaher.
Dr Habib Ghuloom, Emirati actor and director, said:“The progress of film in recent decades has helped us to look at media in a new light, enhancing the realities of cinema and the film industry.”
The festival will host 50 workshops featuring a number of topics on cinema and visual arts. The Game of Thrones workshop will address how to create and develop 3D characters. It will be conducted by Thomas Kotchera, a visual effect artist at Pixomondo. Another workshop themed ‘Storyboarding and Basic Character Drawing’ will be conducted by Josh Staub, visual effects departmental supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Dan Benett from Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival.
Another workshop themed ‘Special Effects and Poster Design for Differently-abled People’ will be organised under the sponsorship of the Sharjah Art Foundation.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com