Overview
Overview
Event:
Sharjah Film Platform (SFP)
Dates:
18–26 January 2019
Location:
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Venues:
• Mirage City Cinema, Al Mureijah Square
• Sharjah Institute of Theatrical Arts, Al Mureijah
• Al Hamra Cinema, Rolla
• Africa Hall, Al Manakh
Programme schedule and list of films:
sharjahart.org
Sharjah Art Foundation today announced that tickets to Sharjah Film Platform screenings are now on sale. They are available on Tickermaster at www.ticketmaster.ae.
Tickets will also be available for purchase at the screening venues and the box office located at Sharjah Art Foundation’s Information Centre in Al Mureijah Square, Sharjah.
This year marks the first edition of Sharjah Film Platform (SFP), a new annual film festival organised and presented by Sharjah Art Foundation. Running from 18 to 26 January 2019 in four venues across the city of Sharjah, SFP includes screenings of over 140 narrative, documentary and experimental films, both short and feature length. More than 40 countries and over 30 languages are represented.
A number of these films will have their premieres at SFP. Among the premieres are two films by the SFP Short Film Production Grant awardees, which will be screened on opening night, 18 January 2019, in Mirage City Cinema, Al Mureijah Square. In a collaboration with The Africa Institute, Sharjah Art Foundation will also present three restored films by Youssef Chahine in Africa Hall to mark the tenth anniversary of the internationally acclaimed Egyptian director’s passing. This special focus on Youssef Chahine is programmed by Hind Mezaina.
The SFP programme will also feature workshops and talks exploring the latest techniques and theories in film as well as recent developments in the film industry. Sessions will be led by Emirati filmmakers and practitioners along with regional and international speakers. All talks and workshops are free and open to the public. To register to attend, visit sharjahart.org.
Tickets to SFP Film Screenings
Tickets are now available for purchase online on Ticketmaster. They will also be on sale at the screening venues and at the box office in Sharjah Art Foundation’s Information Centre, Al Mureijah Square from 18 to 26 January.
The box office will be open from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm from 18 to 25 January and from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm on 26 January. To purchase tickets on the day of a screening, visit the SFP box office or the four venues from 2:00 pm onwards.
SFP screenings are organised in 23 programmes of one or more films, with most programmes repeated during the week at different timings. Ticket prices are 15 AED per programme, but a discounted price of 8 AED per programme is available for bulk ticket purchases of 10 or more. For group ticket sales to the screenings of the film programmes at a discounted price, please contact ticket@sharjahart.org.
Films will be screened every day at either 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm or 9:00 pm in one of the four venues. Doors will open 15 minutes before the screening of each programme and close 5 minutes after the designated screening time. Please note that all seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be reserved in advance.
Further details will be available soon on Sharjah Art Foundation’s website. Visit sharjahart.org to learn more.
About Sharjah Film Platform
Reflecting the growing importance of film in its work, Sharjah Art Foundation launched Sharjah Film Platform (SFP), an annual programme that supports film production in the United Arab Emirates and the region and provides a critical platform for both established and aspiring filmmakers. SFP has three main components: a curated film programme and award; a programme of talks, workshops and discussions; and a production grant for short films.
About Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF)
Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. Under the leadership of founder Hoor Al Qasimi, a curator and artist, the foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The foundation’s core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators, and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.
Established in 2009 to expand programmes beyond the Sharjah Biennial, which launched in 1993, the foundation is a critical resource for artists and cultural organisations in the Gulf and a conduit for local, regional and international developments in contemporary art. The foundation’s deep commitment to developing and sustaining the cultural life and heritage of Sharjah is reflected through year-round exhibitions, performances, screenings and educational programmes in the city of Sharjah and across the Emirate, often hosted in historic buildings that have been repurposed as cultural and community centres. A growing collection reflects the foundation’s support of contemporary artists in the realisation of new work and its recognition of the contributions made by pioneering modern artists from the region and around the world.
Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree and supported by government funding, grants from national and international nonprofits and cultural organisations, corporate sponsors and individual patrons.
About Sharjah
Sharjah is the third largest of the seven United Arab Emirates and the only one bridging the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Reflecting the deep commitment to the arts, architectural preservation and cultural education embraced by its ruler, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums and has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. In 1998, it was named UNESCO's 'Arab Capital of Culture' and has been designated the UNESCO ‘World Book Capital’ for the year 2019.
Media Contact
Alyazeyah Al Reyaysa
+971 (0) 6 5444113
alyazeyah@sharjahart.org