The selection includes feature-length films, short films as well as animation films, by filmmakers from the UAE, Kuwait, UK, USA, France, South Africa, Brazil and Iran.
Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF) has launched an online movie streaming platform on its website (www.siff.ae). The platform will showcase 11 international films from eight countries, which can be streamed for free till May 31.
It comes as cinemas have been closed in the UAE and around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The films that will be available to stream include A Picture, a Kuwaiti film directed by Dawood Shuail, which tells the story of Abdullah, a 12-year-old photography enthusiast who inadvertently takes a picture of a crime in progress and has the criminals chasing him to destroy the evidence.
Nagafa (Booger), directed by Emirati filmmaker Abdulrahman Al Madani, is a film that tackles the subject of bullying in schools. Fulfilament, by British director Rhiannon Evans, is based on the notion that thoughts are like light bulbs – different in shapes, sizes and use.
The selection of films also includes seven original animation films, including Belly Flop, a short film by directors Jeremy Collins and Kelly Dillon, and the 6-minute short Charlie’s Buck Teeth, directed by a group of young adults from France.
Other films on the platform include the 13-minute short, The Best Sound in the World, the feature-length The Painting Pool by Iranian director Maziar Miri; the French films Overrun and The Stained Club; Sandarah from Kuwait; and the short film Scent of Geranium from the US.
Speaking about the launch, Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of FUNN and Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF), said: “Amidst the circumstances forced upon the world by the coronavirus pandemic, we need to continue our work and nurture intellect, culture and the arts in the young generations; advance their capabilities and talents. That is the reason for introducing this platform, which will showcase films from a variety of genres and deliver great messages which will inspire and enrich young viewers, both children and youth. Through these screenings, we hope to ignite young imaginations, inspire creative and positive thoughts, and nurture the potential of future filmmakers and media professionals.”
