Sharjah24: FANN Foundation – Media Discovery Platform and the Sharjah International Film Festival (SIFF) for Children and Youth announced the start of the countdown to the launch of the Sharjah Cinema Days (SCDs) initiative, set to be held from February 27 to March 3 in Buhais – Sharjah Geopark. The innovative event platform will support members of the creative community and filmmakers, enabling them to contribute to enriching the local cultural and artistic scene.
Sharjah Cinema Days will showcase a selection of artistic works and installations that imprint several Emirati and international artists, alongside various performances and entertainment activities held within a distinctive cultural atmosphere for the local community. In addition, the event will display distinct films that are distinguished by the uniqueness of their stories, contents, and directorial visions, such as a Japanese film by Studio Ghibli, “Howl’s Moving Castle” directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
On its second day, the international film “When Harry Met Sally” by director Rob Reiner will be screened, while the Gulf Night will offer screenings of Gulf short films, titled: “Congratulations, What’s Up with You,” “A Policeman’s Story,”“Shaaban 27”, “Nour Shams”, and “Our Neighbor Bu Hamad” to name a few. The Korean drama film “Paper Flower” will be shown during the Korean Night, and SCDs will conclude its activities with a Bollywood Night, which will be decorated with the aesthetics of scenes from the Indian musical romantic film “The Return of the Crazy Lover” (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge) directed by Aditya Chopra.
Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi Director General of FANN and SIFF, emphasises the foundation’s commitment to empowering filmmakers and fostering artistic growth. She remarks, “Sharjah Cinema Days provides a gateway for filmmakers and visual artists to explore diverse creative landscapes, serving as a channel for cultural dialogue and artistic innovation.”
SCDs will provide a creative platform for pioneering and emerging artistic talents to display their installations. Visual artist Ahlam AlBannai, will present her artistic work “Connecting Minds”, inspired by the words of H.H Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, which centres around humans as the basic pillar of connection and understanding. Emirati artist Ali Mabrouk Alsaadi will display his collection “Arabwood”, inspired by the posters of the most popular films such as “Harry Potter”, “Aladdin”, and others, in which he recreated and designed the posters of some of his favourite films using traditional Emirati elements. Photographer Hamad Al Jasmi will present his visual artwork, “Emirates Nostalgia,” which displays a series of images of a group of well-known buildings and landmarks in the country via an old television set, offering visitors to Sharjah Film Days the opportunity to return to the past and anticipate the future.
Through “Lunar Legacy”, artists Aisha Al Ali and Hamda Al Marri will seek to honour human curiosity, creativity, and their constant pursuit of the unknown. Artist Fatima Arif will participate with works that highlight her knowledge in video production, photography, and drawing, while artist Hessa Al Shehhi’s works will reflect her passion for visual arts and storytelling. Through the capture of impactful images, Egyptian artist Dalia Omran will present her work “SYMBOLISM & METAPHORS”, which reflects the intricacies of the relationship between Egypt and the Emirates, as well as the work “Olive and Jaffa Tree”.
The agenda of Sharjah Cinema Days will also include various panel talks on the most prominent challenges witnessed by the film industry, as well as the global trends with a series of industry experts. Some of the key expert discussions will be held by Palestinian director Hani Abu Assad, the owner of the Oscar-nominated films “Paradise Now” and “Omar”, and the Saudi director Haifa Al-Mansour, the first Saudi film director and owner of the film “Wajdad”, and Saudi actress and director Ahd Kamel, best known for her role in the movie “Wadjda”, the first Saudi film to enter the Oscar. SCDs will also organise a series of workshops, including the “Fundamentals of Cinematography”, “From Script to Screen”, and the “Mobile Filmmaking”.
