Sharjah 24: School children across the UAE continued to have fun and gain new perspectives as they navigated the world of cinema in various genres at the 9th Sharjah International Film Festival, currently underway at multiple venues in Sharjah and Dubai until October 15, 2022.
While two full-length feature films from Slovenia and South Korea introduced young minds to people and cultures outside their regions, a whopping 28 animation films captured their attention on October 12, the second day of the school screenings programme.
Animations in the spotlight at JRCC
Slovenian feature Beanie, portraying the adventures of a young boy living in a youth home, enthralled young school children at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre (JRCC), Sharjah. The 2022 film by award-winning director Slobodan Maksimović had its MENA premiere at the 9th SIFF.
As many as 20 animation films that wove magic, folklore and adventure entertained school children at JRCC on Day 3 of SIFF.
Everything is Good, Peek-a-Boom, Sanctuary, Encountering Samir, Hello Stranger, Before Heaven, The Ocean Duck, and Klingert’s Diving Suit dominated the screenings for teens and young adults. Films targeting this age category also included Sim-Patia, a beautiful animation that portrays the essence of rehabilitation, Birth, Homebird, Death and the Lady, She Dreams at Sunrise, It Was Only a Rock That Looked Like Someone, and Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice.
The primary school children enjoyed light-hearted fun-filled tales including Cat and Moth, Blue Curry, Birth, My Name is Maluum and Mortimer and the Vanishings.
Amongst the 9 Student Films screened today (Wednesday), The Most Boring Granny In The Whole World, initiated a sensitive conversation about death and memory. Other Student Films included Elevator Alone, Kayak, Grandpa, The Loneliness of the Stars, Tales of the Salt Water, Almost Unreal, The Basilisk, and Sounds Between the Crowns.
VOX Cinema screenings
Quino's Dream, the charming story of a colour-diverse family, Aeronaut, META, The Cat in the Art Park, Battery Daddy, I’m not Afraid!, and Luce and the Rock, were among the animations screened at the Vox Cinemas in Al Zahia, Sharjah and Mirdif City Centre, Dubai.
Four International Short Films - The Bird Will Tell Me, Chicken, The Silent Echo, and Sissy - also captured the attention of audiences at these theatres.
SIFF continued its agenda for the day by screening Korean drama My Perfect Roommate that takes a bright and cheerful approach to the burgeoning ageing population; Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On, a feature-length animation and a compelling drama from Korea; and the documentaries School of Hope, Bigger Than Us, The Dream of a Horse, Shero, Abu Basheer, and Water, Wind, Dust, Bread, at Al Zahia.
Five films in the GCC Short Films category were screened at VOX Mirdif City Centre. These included Zawal, Hujjar, Sound of Feathers, Nour Shams, and A Small Dream. Audiences here also enjoyed the animations Everything is Good, Peek-a-Boom, Sanctuary, Encountering Samir, Hello Stranger, Before Heaven, The Ocean Duck, and Klingert’s Diving Suit.
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