The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has unveiled the inaugural Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC), which will take place from the 3rd to the 5th of May at the Expo Centre Sharjah, alongside the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival. This event, the first of its kind in the region, provides a platform for animation fans and industry professionals to learn from and connect with global leaders and Oscar winners in the field.
The SAC will offer state-of-the-art masterclasses, workshops, film screenings, and networking opportunities between publishers and producers. Attendees will also have the chance to meet with top animation professionals and participate in panel discussions. The artist line-up includes John Nevarez, an Oscar winner for “Coco”, Sandro Cleuzo, an Annie Award winner for “Mary Poppins Returns”, and Takahiro Yoshimatsu, the animator and director of “Dragon Ball” and “Dragon Ball Z”.
The conference’s agenda aims to attract a wide and varied audience in terms of age and interests. The goal is to provide information and arouse curiosity about the world of animation, its creativity, and its technology. With nine seminars, nine workshops and masterclasses, and three-panel discussions, the SAC is set to become a platform for professional development, directing attendees towards specializations in the sector and enabling creative encounters between young aspirants and established professionals.
Khoula Al Mujaini, the SAC Executive Director, expressed her excitement about the conference, saying that animation lovers in the UAE and beyond are in for a treat. She believes that the conference will allow attendees to enter the fascinating world of animation and learn about the behind-the-scenes work that brings iconic and timeless characters to life. She added that the conference is aligned with Sharjah’s and SBA’s vision to elevate children’s visual content, and this platform will allow experts to meet with the world’s top publishers, animators, and producers to explore opportunities for content selling and collaboration.
Pietro Pinetti, the SAC Artistic Director, stated that the conference’s intention is to make Sharjah the animation capital of the Arab world, attracting professionals and young people from all over the Middle East. He believes that this event presents a great opportunity to enable exchanges between the Arab and Western worlds. Sharjah’s investment in culture and young people has made it the cultural capital of the UAE, and Bergamo’s status as the Italian capital of culture this year presents another common touchpoint between BAD and SCRF. Pinetti thanked the Sharjah Book Authority and the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival for their support, stating that they fully share the conference’s vision.
The Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC) provides a unique opportunity for fans and professionals to come together to learn, be entertained, and connect with global leaders in the field. The conference’s agenda is varied, catering to different interests and ages, and is set to become a platform for professional development in the animation sector. The SAC aligns with Sharjah’s and SBA’s vision to elevate children’s visual content, and the event is expected to put Sharjah on the map as the animation capital of the Arab world.