Sultan to attend kids’ film festival opening

‘Jungle Book’ star among celebrity guests as festival’s 6th edition kicks off tomorrow

His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, will attend the opening of the sixth edition of the Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival (SICFF 2018), which will be held at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre (JRCC) in Sharjah tomorrow.

The six-day event is organised by FUNN, the Sharjahbased organisation dedicated to igniting interest for cinema and media arts among the youth in the UAE.

During the ceremony, the ruler of Sharjah will honour three innovators hosted by the event as keynote speakers, in recognition of their contributions to the promotion of local and international cinema. They are: Emirati director Abdullah Al Kaabi, Bahraini actress Haifa Hussain and the famous Jungle Book actor who played the role of Mowgli, the Indian-American Neel Sethi.

The event will see the presence of high-profile guests including Menna Arafah who had made her debut in the television series Cinderella where she worked with producer Sameer Saif. She took part in a number of works that honed her artistic personality and skill. Indian film actress Karisma Kapoor will also be among the celebrities.

In this context, Shaikha Jawaher Bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of FUNN and SICFF, said: “With the support of Dr Shaikh Sultan and his wife, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, the Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival has achieved great success, over the past five years, as one of the most important platforms which presents to the children and the adolescents the latest works the world cinema.”

Fifty-four films from 17 countries will premiere at SICFF 2018. The participating films cover several categories, including the Best Feature Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Animation Film, Best International Short Film, Best Student-Made Film, Best Short Arab Film, and the Best ChildMade Film.

The SICFF 2018 will also organise six dialogue sessions with the participation of experts, stars and specialists in the field of the cinema.