The schedule for the fifth Sharjah Film Platform has been made public by the Sharjah Art Foundation. The annual festival will take place at Mirage City Cinema, Sharjah Institute of Theatrical Arts, and Gallery 4 of Al Mureijah Art Spaces from October 21 to October 30.
The programme includes feature-length and short films in three categories: narrative, documentary, and experimental, and entries are accepted through an annual open call and by invitation. Along with highly regarded regional films, it will include favourites from international film festivals.
Jury prizes and panel discussions with filmmakers and business professionals are also part of the event. The SFP Industry Hub, which gives aspiring filmmakers help and professional growth, will also be a part of the festival this year.
The festival will kick off with Payal Kapadia’s Golden Eye-winning documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing from the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. The film, which blends fact and fiction, tells the tale of L, a student at the Film and Television Institute of India, who writes to her estranged sweetheart while he is gone using archival footage and student protest films.
The top narrative, documentary, and experimental films will also be honoured at an awards ceremony on the festival’s final day.
The Silences of the Palace (1994), The Season of Men (2000), and Nadia et Sarra will all be screened as part of the festival’s tribute to the late film director Moufida Tlatli (2004). The late Tunisian director, who passed away in February of last year, was honoured with numerous important cinema prizes, including the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the International Critics’ Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
To honour the festival and the filmmaking community, the event will also feature a unique musical performance and a networking mixer for the first time.
Amal Waqar Trio, an instrumental trio made up entirely of women, will play at the opening ceremony on October 21 in the Al Mureijah courtyard. On October 29 at 7:00 PM, a networking event with live DJ sets will be held.
Select films will be recognised with awards in the Best Narrative, Best Documentary, and Best Experimental categories on the festival’s final day after being shortlisted by an outside panel of directors, critics, and producers.
Online ticket sales are available, with screening-specific prices starting at Dh30. Additionally, a festival pass is offered for Dh120, with student discounts.