The Sharjah International Film Festival For Children and Youth (SIFF), the UAE’s only film festival dedicated to this age group, held a workshop themed ‘How to be a Film Critic’ in preparation for the seventh edition of SIFF. This festival is organised by FUNN, the Sharjah-based institution that promotes media arts learning among children and youth

Hosted at Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah from September 1 – 4, the workshop attracted 42 children and youth aged between 10 and 20 years, who have been selected as members of the SIFF’s Junior’s jury tasked with critiquing and evaluating entries in the Best Child-made Film category at the festival.

Delivered by Emirati filmmaker & scenarist Abdulla Alhemairi, the workshop was an opportunity for the young aspirants to develop their knowledge and skills in filmmaking and hone their creativity in critiquing films. The film enthusiasts were introduced to the fundamentals of reviewing films and evaluating them according to professional standards.

Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of FUNN and SIFF, said: “This workshop is a part of a series that has been designed to teach children and young people through hands-on tutorials that are educational as well as fun. These workshops are supervised by filmmakers who have experience in dealing with the younger generations and creating a motivating work environment.”

She added: “All the workshops in this series complement each other and aim to shape the young generation’s taste in arts and nurture a new generation of artists and filmmakers. With each workshop focusing on one aspect of filmmaking, the just-concluded workshop was designed to introduce participants to what was for them a little-known aspect of the film world – critiquing – which is an integral part of the film industry.”

Filmmaker Abdulla Alhemairi said that the young jurors selected to SIFF’s jury were experienced filmmakers who had participated in specialised cinematography workshops. He noted that the critiquing workshop has rounded off their experience and taught them how to evaluate the subject from a viewer perspective rather than as a filmmaker.

He noted that the young participants had impressed the organisers with their enthusiasm and filmmaking talents, and the workshop had ensured that they were now fully qualified to review and evaluate children’s movies.

Founded in 2013, the annual Sharjah International Film Festival For Children and Youth (SIFF) will be held in October. It is the first children and Youth film festival of its kind in the UAE and the region. It aims to develop the talents and creativity of children and young adults by showcasing their film production and providing them with media opportunities.

SICFF is an instrumental link between international films and new media. It stimulates children and young adults to explore cultures, promote peace, tolerance, and global understanding of how people from different cultures, religions, and backgrounds live equally together in our world