Canon Middle East, a leader in imaging and printing solutions, has supported FUNN Sharjah Media Arts For Youth and Children this year and Sharjah International Film Festival for children and youth (SIFF2019) as it secures a Guinness World Record for the largest ever photography workshop. Canon supplied the camera equipment for the 400 students who took part and supported with the delivery of the session.

As the festival’s exclusive imaging partner, Canon has underlined its commitment to youth and education through its support in its 7^th year.  Running from 14 to 18 October, the festival attracts visitors from across the region and is dedicated to enhancing media literacy amongst youth and showcasing the very best in filmmaking for, by and about children and young people.

Anurag Agrawal, Managing Director at Canon Middle East and Canon Eurasia said: “Congratulations to the entire team involved and thank you to all of the participants helping secure the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ record title for the ‘Largest photography lesson’. Canon is very pleased to be involved as the official imaging partner of the festival this year, which aims to support the next generation of creative talent – something that is very much aligned with our commitment to youth and education across the region and indeed globally. We hope this to become an annual partnership as we help enhance the skills of young people and develop the next generation of story tellers, particularly in the fields of videography and film.”

Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of FUNN and SIFF said: “We are excited to receive this award and the global recognition that comes with a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ record title and the wider festival, as it helps to solidify our stature globally as a platform that supports the creative development of children and youth. This commendable feat has come with Canon collaboration, which we were delighted to receive. We hope this partnership grows stronger as FUNN AND SIFF continues to evolve into not just a regional but global hub for the promotion of media arts learning in children and youth.”

Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children is an organization established by Sharjah government in 2012 (under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness, the Ruler of Sharjah) to promote and support the Media Arts (animation, film making, graphic design etc.) for young children and the youth of Sharjah and UAE.

FUNN’s mission is to establish a leading media arts education organization that cultivates a long-term impact in new media and arts education by organizing media events, and by educating children and young people in the Media Arts in Sharjah and the UAE.

As part of the partnership, a team will deliver Canon Academy Workshops.  As well as the provision of capture tools, Canon is helping to preserve memories from the event with a photo station where visitors can print out their pictures. Canon also is offering a scholarship as a prize for one of the festival winners, and special discounts with Canon e-vouchers being handed out to all visitors.

This is the latest in a series of initiatives in support of learning and the wider education sector by Canon Middle East. Other initiatives include ‘Canon on the Road’, targeted at youth aged 11-14, delivering solutions in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to increase access to quality, innovation-driven education.

Following the philosophy of ‘Kyosei’, Canon Middle East will continue to build and strengthen its relationships with society through environmental and community welfare programmes as part of its CSR initiatives delivered across the region and globally.