Sharjah International Film Festival screens "Amakor"

Comedy and Drama:
As part of the green carpet events attended by Kuwaiti artist Khaled Ameen and his colleague Abdullah Al-Tararwah, the festival screened the film "Amakor" directed by Ahmed Al-Khudari yesterday, Monday, October 7, 2024. The film revolves around "Amakor," a young man famous on social media, who suffers a memory loss-inducing accident. Despite this, he strives to adapt to his new reality and regain his work as an influencer and renowned ad photographer, leading to numerous comedic and dramatic situations. The film, with a story by screenwriter Mohammed Al-Muhaiteeb, captured the audience's attention, praised for its plot and characters, and its ability to blend comedy and drama in creative ways that reflect the challenges of the digital age and its impact on society across different demographics and age groups. During the pre-screening discussion session, the film's team emphasized the role of cinema in raising awareness among community members, in addition to its ability to address many important issues. They highlighted the significance of festivals and their contribution to supporting the industry and promoting independent films. Simultaneously, the film's team discussed their experience during the production, highlighting the challenges they faced and urged talented individuals and emerging filmmakers to search for new and innovative ideas with the ability to influence the audience.

An effective tool
On the other hand, the festival hosted Raghad Ouda, the character designer, in a panel discussion titled "Animate Your Imagination: Inspiring Youth to Dive Deep into the World of Animation," tackling various topics related to character design techniques in animated films and how these characters can become effective tools for expressing creators' ideas and stories. During the session moderated by the children's book illustrator Sahar Abdullah, Raghad Ouda discussed her unique approach to character design and its impact on scenes. Raghad emphasized that character design techniques differ between "anime" and "animation," tailored based on the desired core message and target audience, highlighting her commitment to presenting characters rooted in our Arab culture that align with the essence of our identity.

Raghad encouraged young fans of this art form to experiment and start drawing characters on paper before transitioning to digital tools. She said, "Developing a new cartoon character idea requires creativity and deep thinking before starting to execute it on paper, which helps in giving the character the dimensions and unique strength it needs in its foundational construction," noting that ideas can be drawn from personal memories, life experiences, and daily situations we encounter, while also urging emerging talents not to rush in creating their characters or works, but to give them the time they need to ensure their ability to attract and captivate the audience.

It is worth mentioning that the festival, in its current edition, is showcasing over 100 carefully selected films from 90 countries. The "Green Carpet" platform features five films premiering for the first time in the Middle East, while the Festival Films Market, representing a platform for directors and cinema industry enthusiasts, includes a series of workshops, discussions, and dialogues alongside organizing meetings that allow filmmakers, emerging talents, students the opportunity to interact with industry experts, directors, artists, and others.