Sharjah:The 13th edition of the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF) concluded on Sunday with an awards ceremony at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park. The festival, which was organized by FANN - Media Discovery Platform, attracted over 50,000 visitors, participants, and students.
According to Emirates News Agency, the festival was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Family and Community Council and wife of H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The closing ceremony recognized filmmakers and emerging talent for their creative contributions to cinema across several categories.
Key winners included "Atlas of the Universe" directed by Paul Negoescu which won Best Feature Film, and "My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin" directed by Celia Catunda, which received Best Animated Feature Film. "The Great Dreamscape" directed by Rémi Durin won Best Short Animated Film. In the short-film categories, "Oug" by Abdulrahman Al Madani won Best Arabic Short Film, and "Little Big Dreams" directed by Shweta Parakh and Rakesh E. Nair received Best International Short Film. The Best Documentary Film award went to "The Path of Memory, Between The Land of Jasmine and Basil" directed by Areej Alghamdi.
Among the young filmmakers, "The Monster" directed by Sohee Lee received Best Child and Youth-Made Film, while "Mabrouk Aleiko" directed by Mariam Janini won Best Student Short Film. "Fellow" directed by Martha Rivière and others won Best Student Short Animated Film. Special Mentions were given to Meshal Althobaiti for his performance in "Marjouj Hazari," and to Chayanop Boonprakob and others for their work on the feature film "Gohan," which also won the festival's first Audience Award.
Huda Al Harmoodi, Deputy Director of FANN, highlighted the festival's role in supporting young filmmakers through workshops, discussions, and activities. The festival featured 71 films from 38 countries, alongside eight out-of-competition screenings. Brunei, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania participated for the first time, while countries like Egypt and India had the highest number of selected films.
Italy was honored as Guest of Honour, and the festival's Green Carpet programme showcased films exploring themes such as adventure and friendship. The House of Wisdom hosted the second Global Children and Youth Film Congress, discussing the future of children's cinema and emerging talent. The festival also honored its Junior Jurors and Festival Ambassadors, further encouraging youth participation in film criticism and analysis.
