Film Festival for Children and Youth director Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi tells Variety. This year, that includes an Industry Hub and the return of its Film Pitching Session, launched in 2025, to connect emerging filmmakers with potential funders and industry partners. The initiative doubles in size this year, with six projects selected, up from three in the inaugural edition.
A new Festival Ambassadors Program, meanwhile, brings former Junior Jurors back to the festival. This year, SIFF received 1,802 submissions from 72 countries, selecting 71 films from 38 countries for its official program. Brunei, Burkina Faso and Mauritania will be represented for the first time, while a new out-of-competition section adds eight additional titles to the lineup.
For Al Qasimi, the need for that industry focus is clear. They may have the skills to make a film, but they don’t necessarily know how to approach a producer, secure financing, navigate the festival circuit or find distribution opportunities.” “Financing is certainly a challenge,” she adds, “but I believe access to the right people and professional guidance is just as important. A filmmaker might have a wonderful script, but without understanding the business side of cinema, it can be difficult to move forward.” Closing that gap is the very purpose of the Industry Hub, which gives up-and-coming filmmakers opportunities to meet industry professionals, discuss their projects, and better understand how to bring them to the screen.
The pitching session is open to filmmakers and producers aged 18 and above of any nationality. Projects must be aimed at children or young audiences, but can be at any stage of development, from concept through post-production. The session is not a competition and will not award a cash prize.
Instead, the emphasis is on cultivating relationships that could lead to financing, production support or future collaborations. SIFF is also looking to maintain its relationship with participants well before they reach that professional stage. Its Junior Jurors, aged 12 to 20, evaluate films in the Child and Youth-Made Film Competition.
The new Festival Ambassadors Program gives former jurors a way to remain involved, connecting with younger participants and contributing ideas to future programs. Italy is the Country of Honor, with a program that includes an Oct. 30 Green Carpet screening of Fabrizio Cattani’s “Forever With You.” Al Qasimi hopes the focus will foster exchange between emerging Italian and Emirati filmmakers, from storytelling and creative approaches to production experience. A new Mobile Cinema Bus, meanwhile, will bring short-film screenings to neighborhoods across Sharjah.
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