SAF announces open call for 3 of its annual programmes

The open calls are as follows: 

Sharjah Film Platform 7 Short Film Production Grant

Local and international filmmakers are invited to apply for the seventh edition of the Sharjah Film Platform (SFP) Short Film Production Grant. Offered in conjunction with SFP—the Foundation’s annual festival of independent cinema and moving image—the grant provides funds for the completion of short films that test the boundaries of contemporary filmmaking. Grant recipients will premiere their completed films at a future edition of SFP.  

The Short Film Production Grant is open to all independent filmmakers without any restrictions on age, region or genre. For this grant, a short film is defined as a work with a total runtime of 50 minutes or less, including the credits.

The recipients will share a total of 120,000 AED (approximately 30,000 USD); the monetary amount and the number of awardees will be determined on an as-needed basis. The deadline to apply is 11:59 pm UAE time (GMT +4) on 24 June 2024.

New this year, one Emirati awardee will receive funding through a partnership between Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and the Foundation. Created to enhance independent Emirati cinema, this initiative offers 25,000 AED to an Emirati filmmaker jointly selected by the two institutions. Conditions, requirements and the deadline for Emirati applicants are identical to those for other applicants. 

Applicants are required to submit a recorded three-minute pitch through which they will be assessed on the overall vision for their film, including genre, theme, structure and plot; the originality of their script; and their creative and technical skills.

For more information about the SFP7 Short Film Production Grant open call, visit the website.

Vantage Point Sharjah 12

The open call for the 12th iteration of the annual photography exhibition, Vantage Point Sharjah (VPS), welcomes photographers working in all areas, genres and styles.

This year’s theme, ‘If I Were Another’, draws from the title of a poem by Mahmoud Darwish, which addresses intimate individual experiences and the weight of history and collective memory. VPS12 is an invitation to see the world through the lens of others who hold different identities, histories and sensibilities. 

Applicants should submit a portfolio suitable for a solo presentation (PDF format, under 30 MB), aligned with this year’s theme. The portfolio must include an artist statement, a short bio and a series of at least five photographs. Each portfolio can contain up to a maximum of four series. The submission can also include work images, installation photos, videos, statements and reviews. Applicants should not have had institutional solo exhibitions before the date of the application. The deadline for submission is 11:59 pm, UAE local time (GMT +4), on 24 June 2024.

The selection committee will identify five artists whose work will be showcased in a group exhibition from 28 September to 8 December 2024 at Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, Art’s Square, Sharjah. The shortlisted artists will be encouraged to present in creative formats, and a proportion of the production funding will be provided by the Foundation. As well as the opportunity to exhibit, the chosen artists will benefit from professional support, including workshops and mentorships designed to foster their development as photographers. 

For more information about the VPS12 open call, visit the website.

Corniche 6 

GCC-based illustrators and comic artists are invited to submit pitches for a six-page comic to be considered for publication in the sixth edition of Corniche. The publication takes an exploratory and free-flowing approach to its process, allowing for a range of genres to be published together, including biography, science fiction, fantasy, mythology and art history. The deadline for submitting pitches is 11:59 pm, UAE local time (GMT +4), on Friday, 30 June 2024. 

The selected artists will be invited for a three-day creative exchange in Sharjah. The final comics will be compiled and published as an anthology. Corniche 6 will be launched at the Foundation’s upcoming art book fair, Focal Point, scheduled for 22–24 November 2024.


Corniche was born out of a three-day comic-making workshop held in 2019. The inaugural workshop was a huge success, and the artists decided to compile their final comics into an anthology named after the view overlooking the workshop space, the Sharjah Corniche. A crucial platform for local illustrators to meet, experiment and publish, Corniche is a community-centred project and one of the Foundation’s core initiatives.

For more information about the Corniche 6 open call, visit the website.

About Sharjah Art Foundation
Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. The Foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The Foundation’s core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.

About Sharjah 
Sharjah is the third-largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, and the only one bridging the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Reflecting the deep commitment to the arts, architectural preservation and cultural education embraced by its ruler, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Sharjah has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates and is home to more than 20 museums, numerous universities, The Africa Institute, Sharjah Performing Arts Academy and the Sharjah Architecture Triennial. In 1998, it was named UNESCO's 'Arab Capital of Culture' and has been designated the UNESCO ‘World Book Capital’ for the year 2019.