About 175 films from 20 countries will be showcased at the third Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival (Sicff), which will be held from October 18 to 23 at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre in Sharjah, UAE.

The festival aims to encourage media literacy among children and young people. It is also designed to discover and nurture creative talents in order to create a generation of young filmmakers, said the festival organiser, Funn.

Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, director of Funn and Sicff, said: “This year's edition has witnessed a significant increase in the number of film entries, thereby reflecting the growing popularity and importance of the festival”.

Explaining the evaluation process, she said that a competent jury will be judging the films based on the idea, form, content and direction, and that the winners will be announced and honoured during the opening ceremony on October 18.

“Sicff has become an eagerly awaited annual event where cinema professionals celebrate the first of its kind project on the cultural and artistic calendar of the emirate and wider region. It has also become an occasion to honour creative talents in the child cinema industry and recognize their efforts and creative works,” she added.

Some of the countries participating in this year’s fete are UAE, Russia, Iran, Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, the Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, Syria, Spain, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon, Tunisia and Australia. - TradeArabia News Service