Sharjah to showcase more than 50 top movies

This year’s edition of Sharjah Film Platform (SFP) is featuring more than 50 top films from around the world, including those by award-winning filmmakers, as well as regional and international premieres.

Films are screening online and in cinemas at the Sharjah Art Foundation’s open air Mirage City Cinema, Sharjah Institute for Theatrical Arts, and at The Flying Saucer through November 27, with tickets available at films.sharjahart.org

Sharjah Art Foundation Director Hoor Al Qasimi, said: “The annual Sharjah Film Platform plays an increasingly critical role in the realisation of our commitment to supporting and presenting the work of emerging filmmakers from the UAE, the MENASA region and beyond. The platform gives us an opportunity to celebrate experimentation and creativity and to explore critical topics such as representation, identity and belonging.”

The ‘Director in Focus’ programme features three films from award-winning Palestinian director Michel Khleifi, including the Cannes Film Festival winning film Wedding in Galilee (1987).

In addition, Sharjah Art Foundation and Istanbul Modern have launched a multi-year partnership with a new film initiative at Sharjah Film Platform 4 to explore exchange between the Foundation and Istanbul Modern.

The first part of this collaboration - Her Journey - will screen at SFP 4. It includes 10 films from Turkey by women directors that explore women’s stories and offer models of cinematic resistance.

The platform also features talks and masterclasses — free and open to the public — that examine topics relevant to contemporary filmmaking, including archival practices, the art of the film score and inclusivity and representation in the film industry. Session speakers include notable filmmakers and industry professionals from the region and beyond, including two-time Academy Award winner and five-time Academy Award nominated composer A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours); BAFTA award–winning documentary filmmaker Kim Longinotto (Divorce Iranian Style, Shooting the Mafia) and two-time Academy Award and Emmy nominated documentary filmmaker James Longley (Angels Are Made of Light, Iraq in Fragments, Gaza Strip).

A series of workshops for children will introduce the basics of filmmaking and a family friendly live action film will screen at the Foundation’s iconic Flying Saucer.

Sharjah Film Platform also supports emerging and established filmmakers in the MENASA region and beyond through the Industry Hub. This initiative offers filmmakers opportunities to develop their projects, receive production funding and secure vital distribution support for completed films.

Launched in 2018 and now in its fourth year, SFP will culminate in an invite-only presentation of awards for films submitted to an international open call for short and feature length films in narrative, documentary and experimental genres.

To book tickets, visit films.sharjahart.org. All films will be screened on-site and will also be available online through November 27.

• Sharjah