The UAE and Sharjah have achieved a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for a unique achievement in the photography field. FUNN – Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children – has smashed a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the ‘Largest Photography Lesson’ after hosting 404 school students in a 30:19 minute photography class at the Sharjah Cultural Palace.

The photography class was organised by FUNN in collaboration with Canon Middle East, who brought in 404 cameras to the lesson.  FUNN’s feat is historic as it beats the previous record-holder, who had 250 students in a 30-minute class, by 154 attendants.

The FUNN photography lesson is part of the organisation’s ongoing Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF 2019), which concludes on Friday, October 18. It was attended by students from Al-Shula School, and led by Emirati photography professional Abdulla Albuqaish, who has won several photography competitions and exhibited his works at prestigious local and international platforms.

The lesson entailed a basic introduction to photography and learning the different functionalities of a camera. At the end of the lesson, students practically implemented their learnings on 404 cameras provided by Canon, aiming to support FUNN in breaking a world record and in its continuous efforts to provide photography enthusiasts from children and youth with year-round theoretical and practical workshops.

Twenty-five volunteers from Nabd al Emarat Group joined the lesson to facilitate its proceedings. They also witnessed the flow of the lesson and finally the achievement, as per the requirements of GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™.

With this landmark achievement, FUNN continues on its mission to encourage more children and youth in the UAE to explore their creative potential in media arts, in the organisation’s pursuit to nurture a generation of media and filmmaking professionals in the country who will redefine the nation’s cinema landscape.