SheikhaJawaher bint Andullah Al Qasimi, Director of FUNN and SICFF inaugurated the 4th edition of the Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival today at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre.

The Middle Eastern premiere of the animated comedy film ‘Trolls’, a product of DreamWorks Animation and director Mike Mitchell, opened the festival.The opening ceremony was attended by HE Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, Chairwoman of the Media Zone Authority-Abu Dhabi and twofour54.Several celebrities also attended including internationally-acclaimed singer and songwriter Sami Yusuf,Egyptian comedy actor Mohamed Henedi, a multitude of filmmakers, members of the jury, and young fans who walked down the green carpet of the festival. 

The attendees witnessed a new chapter in the success story of Sharjah,  consolidating its status as a beacon of science, culture and art.The vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and the directives and support of the festival patron,Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi has led to this contemporary haven for cultural development.

This year’s festival, which runs until October 28th, features121 films from 33 countries that were carefully selected out of 425 films from 59 different participating countries. The submissions ranged from short films, feature films, animation, documentaries, and silent films.The participating motion pictures are primarily aimed at children of different age groups, from under seven to eighteen. The films will be screened at various venues in the Emirate of Sharjah,including JRCC and NOVO Cinemas at Sahara Centre among many other convenient locations.

In her speech, Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of FUNN and Director of SICFF, stated that in a span of only four years, the festivalhas flourished into an internationally-recognised film festival demonstrated by the remarkable participation of 59 countries worldwide. 

She said, “The incredible success of this film festival could not have been achieved without the constant support and vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of Supreme Council for Family Affairs – her immeasurable support, ideas and noble goals have contributed to the preparation of a new generation of talented moviemakers in the UAE.”

“We are dedicated to developing this festival every year so that it becomes a nucleus for Arab cinema that lives up to the aspirations of our youth and supports their ability to compete globally. This can be achieved by developing the cinematic arts and producing creative films that convey authentic images and positive messages of love and peace to the entire world,” she added. 

Al Qasimiadded that the numerous collaborations at this year’s SICFF support important causes, intending to help the youth in the community. She elaborated, “In May of this year, we are proudly partnering with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support school feeding activities for Syrian refugees in Jordan’s Zaatari Camp. The FUNN team screened2015 SICFF films in the camp and also helped camp residents and the UNWFP in preparing snacks for 800 children attendees. Through this effort, we facilitatedaccess to food for children in the Zaatari camp and look forward to repeating this model of partnership with WFP to benefit children worldwide in the future.”

In this year’s festival, there will also be a special focus on films that depict the lives of Syrian refugees in Lebanon with 11 filmsmade by refugee childrenscheduled to be screened. “The screening of these refugee films aims to help disenfranchised children that produced films by providing constructive feedback from critics and established professionals in the field. This will encourage them to blossom into stellar filmmakers who show the true reality of their experiences through a film’s lens,” she remarked.

Jawaher Al Qasimirevealedanewconcept for the fifth edition of next year’s SICFF. To allow forunique perspectivesof the judgment of the films, the Festival is looking to create a jury composed solely of children and youth. This responsibility gives importance to the opinions of the young generation by granting them a crucialrolein the festival.

At the end of her speech, Jawaher Al Qasimi thanked the festival’s gold sponsor, Capital Marketing; silver sponsors, Gulftainer and Crescent Enterprises; government partner, Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development; support sponsor, Al Shuala Media; hospitality partner, CENTRO Sharjah and Emirates, the official airline for SICFF.

Before the opening film was screened, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Corporation, honoured HE Noura Al Kaabi,international singer Mohammed Yusuf and Egyptian star Mohamed Henedi. 

Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, said, “The Arab world has a long-standing history of innovation and growth that is propelled by the arts and sciences. Today, as we equip our children with new technologies, we must also recognise the transformative power of art in their lives, to mould a more inclusive view of the world. The Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival provides this essential link to our young people, while also serving as an important platform for an international exchange of ideas and cultural understanding. Crescent Enterprises is proud to return as a partner in this endeavour, and especially commend the budding artists from the Gulf region for their contributions to the event.”

The Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival is an ambitious initiative launched by FUNN, a Sharjah-based foundation that seeks to promote media arts and creative talent among youth in the UAE. The festival is attended by a large number of officials, VIPs, critics, filmmakers and directors. It is also attendedby families, who are UAE citizens, residentsand visitors.