Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual film festival opens in January 2019

Sharjah Film Platform (SFP) is an annual programme organised by Sharjah Art Foundation, that aims to support film production in the United Arab Emirates.

The SFP provides a critical platform for both established and aspiring filmmakers and supports the burgeoning film scene in the UAE, SFP has three main components: a curated film programme and award, a public programme of talks, workshops and discussions and a production grant for short films.

For each year’s edition of SFP, a guest curator is invited to organise a film programme of both short and feature films that focus on a particular concept or theme. The programme covers a wide range of films, including documentary, experimental, narrative and animated productions. As part of the annual programme, an internationally recognised jury of film professionals selects winner(s) for the best films in different categories. SFP films are screened at Mirage City Cinema in the city of Sharjah and at other cinemas across the emirate, including venues in the central and eastern regions.

Parallel to the curated film programme, SFP offers workshops, talks and discussions on both practical filmmaking skills such as screenwriting, cinematography and editing and more theoretical subjects such as critical film theory and film criticism. The public programme also features focused sessions with guest speakers and experts from the film and production industry, who will address concerns in the regional film market such as funding and distribution.

For the third component of SFP, Sharjah Art Foundation offers an annual production grant of up to $30,000 for two to three short films by emerging filmmakers. The awardees are expected to complete their short films (each under 50 minutes) within 12 months of receiving their grants, and the films will be shown in the following year’s SFP as part of a special production grant programme.