Sharjah Film Festival Celebrates Growth, Introduces Palestine as Guest of Honor Country: ‘The Interest in Young Audiences in the Arab World Is Growing’

variety.com:

Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor Now in its 11th edition, the Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth continues to expand exponentially.

Running from Oct. 6 to 12 in the City Center Al Zahia in Sharjah, the festival will feature 98 stories in 18 languages, including UAE premieres in “Amakor” by Kuwaiti director Ahmed Alkhudari, “The Trainers” by Andrea Joplin, “The Teacher” by Oscar-nominated director Farah Nabulsi and Wojciech Wawszczyk’s animated film “Diplodocus.” This year’s selection was chosen from an all-time high of 1,834 submissions across 73 countries.

It marks the first time a film from Zimbabwe is in the program, as well as the festival’s inaugural Guest of Honor in Palestine.

The spotlight, according to the festival team, “offers attendees a unique chance to explore the diverse and storied history of Palestinian filmmaking, celebrated for its aesthetic richness and its contributions to Arab cinema.” “When we compare the submissions from the first year to now, the growth has been tremendous, with more countries and filmmakers participating each year,” the director of the festival and its mother organization, FANN, Sheikha Jawaher Abdullah Al Qasimi told Variety ahead of the festival. “Celebrating the 10th anniversary of SIFF last year was a proud milestone, especially as the first festival dedicated to children and youth in the country and region.