“Learning how to make a film is one thing, but getting that film produced and seen by an audience is a completely different challenge,” Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth director Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi tells Variety. “This is where many talented young filmmakers struggle, particularly when they don’t have access to producers, funding or the right industry contacts.”
As SIFF heads into its 13th edition, running Oct. 26-Oct. 31, the festival is putting greater emphasis on trying to close that gap. This year, that includes an Industry Hub and the return of its Film Pitching Session, launched in 2025, to connect emerging filmmakers with potential funders and industry partners. The initiative doubles in size this year, with six projects selected, up from three in the inaugural edition. A new Festival Ambassadors Program, meanwhile, brings former Junior Jurors back to the festival.
“We want to give them opportunities to learn, participate and eventually become part of the industry themselves,” Al Qasimi says. “I want SIFF to be somewhere a child can discover cinema for the first time and, years later, return as a filmmaker with a story of their own.”
It’s an evolution for a festival whose mandate has long centered on exposing children and young people to films, cultures and diverse perspectives from around the world. This year, SIFF received 1,802 submissions from 72 countries, selecting 71 films from 38 countries for its official program. Brunei, Burkina Faso and Mauritania will be represented for the first time, while a new out-of-competition section adds eight additional titles to the lineup.
For Al Qasimi, the need for that industry focus is clear. “I don’t think there is a shortage of talent or interesting stories in the Arab world,” she stresses. “The challenge is often what happens after they develop those ideas. They may have the skills to make a film, but they don’t necessarily know how to approach a producer, secure financing, navigate the festival circuit or find distribution opportunities.”
“Financing is certainly a challenge,” she adds, “but I believe access to the right people and professional guidance is just as important. A filmmaker might have a wonderful script, but without understanding the business side of cinema, it can be difficult to move forward.”
Closing that gap is the very purpose of the Industry Hub, which gives up-and-coming filmmakers opportunities to meet industry professionals, discuss their projects, and better understand how to bring them to the screen. The pitching session is open to filmmakers and producers aged 18 and above of any nationality. Projects must be aimed at children or young audiences, but can be at any stage of development, from concept through post-production.
The session is not a competition and will not award a cash prize. Instead, the emphasis is on cultivating relationships that could lead to financing, production support or future collaborations.
“Sometimes, one meeting with the right person can make a real difference to a young filmmaker’s career,” Al Qasimi notes.
SIFF is also looking to maintain its relationship with participants well before they reach that professional stage. Its Junior Jurors, aged 12 to 20, evaluate films in the Child and Youth-Made Film Competition. The new Festival Ambassadors Program gives former jurors a way to remain involved, connecting with younger participants and contributing ideas to future programs.
“We didn’t want the relationship with our young participants to end once their time on the jury was over,” Al Qasimi explains. “I would love to see some of them eventually return as filmmakers, mentors or industry professionals.”
That longer-term approach comes as Sharjah’s wider film and media sector is expanding, including growing production infrastructure at Sharjah Media City, or Shams.
“There is considerable potential for collaboration between festivals, production facilities, educational institutions and creative organisations in Sharjah,” Al Qasimi notes. “We all have different roles, but ultimately we’re working toward developing creative talent and strengthening the local industry.”
International exchange is also a focus of this year’s edition. Italy is the Country of Honor, with a program that includes an Oct. 30 Green Carpet screening of Fabrizio Cattani’s “Forever With You.” Al Qasimi hopes the focus will foster exchange between emerging Italian and Emirati filmmakers, from storytelling and creative approaches to production experience.
“I would like SIFF to become a festival that international filmmakers actively seek out, not only to screen their work, but also to discover new voices from the UAE and the wider Arab region.”
That international outlook goes hand in hand with ensuring young Arab audiences can recognize their own experiences on screen.
“I want a child in Sharjah to watch a film from South Korea, Italy or France and discover something new about the world,” she says. “But I also want that same child to see an Arabic film and recognize a familiar language, family experience or cultural tradition.”
Beyond its film program, this year’s edition includes workshops spanning animation, filmmaking, content creation and the use of artificial intelligence in pre-production. A new Mobile Cinema Bus, meanwhile, will bring short-film screenings to neighborhoods across Sharjah.
“For those who do want to pursue filmmaking,” Al Qasimi says, “we want SIFF to remain part of their journey, from their first experience of cinema to their first professional opportunities.”