'Tough job to shortlist best films this time'

Sharjah - The festival will mainly focus on childhood issues from human, life and social aspects.

The jury of the 3rd edition of the Sharjah International Children's Film Festival (SICFF) has received a large number and impressive quality of submissions during the process of judging and shortlisting the films nominated for the SICFF awards.
Emirati filmmaker Abdullah Hassan Ahmed, who has over 12 years of experience in the cinema industry, said: "The jury was challenged by the large number of movies and impressive quality of many of the submissions...We need to select the best movies from over 140 films ranging from short and long features, to documentaries and animation."
Held under the patronage of Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, the six-day festival, will take place at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre from October 18 to 23, Sharjah-based foundation FUNN, dedicated to promoting media arts for and among children and youth in the UAE, has announced.
The festival will mainly focus on childhood issues from human, life and social aspects.
The festival, which is the first-of-its-kind in the region, aims to improve children's understanding of the movie industry and promote their awareness of the techniques that take place behind the silver screen, while unlocking and nurturing their creativity.
Shaikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of FUNN and SICFF, said: "Through the festival, we are striving to focus on issues and topics of interest to children in the region and world, while at the same time make cinema audiences aware of the children's perspective of the current situation and challenges in war-torn countries and places of refuge."
She added: "With only a few weeks to go before the opening of SICFF 2015, the jury, which comprises highly experienced and reputed industry figures, is racing against time to finish its task of evaluating the entries in a very careful and transparent manner. The winners will be announced during the opening ceremony of the SICFF on October 18."
Speaking on the process of movie selection and shortlisting, Emirati writer and filmmaker Manal bin Amro, said: "The main challenge was the large number of entries received from many countries and filmmakers, and also the multitude of excellent films in terms of production, content and cinematic creativity. This created a deep discussion to sincerely try to come up with unbiased and fair results based on a comprehensive cinematic vision that takes into consideration the general approach and categories of the competition."
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah