Sharjah Film Festival Heads on Inaugural Film Market, Plans of Film Fund Dedicated to Filmmaking for Children and Youth

variety.com:

Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor The 11th edition of the Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth, taking place between Oct.

6 and 12, will mark the inaugural edition of the festival market. Described as a “hub for learning and industry connections,” the marketplace will “provide a dynamic space for filmmakers, emerging talents, and students to present their ideas and projects to industry experts.” “Last year, we only had panel discussions, but this year we have the entire Zahia Theatre for us,” SIFF’s head of film festival Fatima Ibrahim Musharbek told Variety. “The market is a result of direct feedback from filmmakers but also our visits to other major international festivals like the Berlinale and Cannes.

We thought: why not start our own market after 11 years of SIFF?” Sheikha Jawaher Abdullah Al Qasimi, director of SIFF and FANN, the festival’s mother organization, added that the motivation behind the creation of the market is to “broaden our scope beyond just children and youth, which have always been our primary focus.

While we’ve traditionally brought filmmakers and producers to the festival to participate in panel discussions and Q&A sessions for the younger audience, we realized there was an opportunity to do more.” Ibrahim Musharbek added: “Filmmakers have often told us that they need a hub to discuss their projects and meet other filmmakers because otherwise they miss out on the opportunity to collaborate.