Sharjah24: During an exciting discussion held at the 9th Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF), two jury members of the 2022 edition’s Child and Youth-made Film category offered insights into the extensive film appreciation skills they acquired under specialised training programmes led by FUNN, the Sharjah-based entity that promotes media arts learning among children and youth.
SIFF Junior Jurors Zaid Sultan Al Swaidi and Ibrahim Ayman Al Qarqawi joined Majd Al Farsi, Programmes Coordinator at FUNN, to discuss the skills imbibed under the training programmes that have enriched their ability to analyse and critique films.
At the session moderated by Ali bin Kamal, the Junior Jurors expressed their appreciation to FUNN for the opportunity to gain new skills and participate in selecting the winner of the Best Child and Youth-made Film.
“FUNN is investing in the youth as we believe in their potential to drive a new wave of cinema in Sharjah and the UAE,” said Majd Al Farsi.
The FUNN Programmes Coordinator, added, “FUNN’s commitment to enhancing skills and expertise of aspiring filmmakers have led us to participate in the annual La Guarimba Film Festival in Amantea in Southern Italy where youth filmmakers from the UAE are introduced to a host of activities and expert-led workshops on filmmaking, animation, video games, and other aspects of the craft.”
For his part, Zaid Al Swaidi said that the opportunities provided by FUNN to be a part of international festivals introduced him to the basics of filmmaking and have enriched his knowledge in better understanding screenplay, story structure, and cinematic techniques, amongst others.
He said: “The skills I have acquired under FUNN’s programmes and events will help amateurs like me become professionals in the film industry. I learnt all the trade secrets of filmmaking, and am looking forward to participating in SIFF’s upcoming editions with creative films.”
Ibrahim Al Qarqawi stressed the importance of the FUNN workshops in introducing him to the world of global filmmaking and the leading pillars of the film industry. He further explained that the skills he acquired through his participation in different editions of the festival will enable him to pursue his passion as a video-games designer.
He further advised youth at SIFF 2022 to seize every opportunity for training under FUNN and enhance their creative skills to facilitate their journey as professionals in the filmmaking industry.
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