Overview
Sharjah Art Foundation introduces the SFP Industry Hub, launching this year as part of the Foundation’s annual film festival, Sharjah Film Platform (SFP), which will return for its third edition from 14 to 21 November 2020. The new professional programme features four main initiatives: Script Lab, Pre-production Strategies Course, Pitching Forum and Virtual Film Distribution Market. Starting before the SFP screenings and continuing afterwards, these initiatives run from 25 October 2020 to 16 January 2021. The SFP Industry Hub is supported by this year’s industry partner, Sharjah Media City (Shams).
An immersive three-week online scriptwriting course, Script Lab helps participants take their scripts to the next level, while the online Pre-production Strategies Course offers participants training in how to prepare for a film shoot. The Pitching Forum returns for a second year in an expanded format, offering 10 Emirati scriptwriters the opportunity to pitch their Arabic-language feature film scripts to win 100,000 AED for the production of their film. The Virtual Film Distribution Market is a new online initiative in which this year’s SFP filmmakers can receive support for their films from buyers, distributors, broadcasters and festival programmers.
The SFP Industry Hub aims to nurture and strengthen creative innovation. It offers vital resources to filmmakers to support them in realising their projects, from idea to completion, and in reaching wider audiences with their films, regionally and internationally. It also aims to equip filmmakers with the professional tools and knowledge needed to succeed in the film industry and to provide a forum for exchanging ideas, finding future collaborators and receiving valuable feedback.
In addition to introducing the SFP Industry Hub, the third edition of Sharjah Film Platform will screen over 60 local, regional and international short and feature-length narrative, documentary and experimental films. In conjunction with this screening programme, a number of talks and workshops on both conceptual and practical topics will be presented. These sessions will be led by acclaimed filmmakers and directors as well as renowned industry professionals. For the first time, the festival will also include a programme of workshops designed especially for children.
The festival continues the Foundation’s longstanding commitment to film programming and the work of emerging and established filmmakers, film producers, critics and students. A critical initiative that advances that goal, the SFP Industry Hub acts as a valuable resource for film production in the UAE and beyond.
More information about the full programme for the third edition of Sharjah Film Platform will be available soon.
Industry Partner
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Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual film festival, Sharjah Film Platform (SFP), returns for its third edition from 14 to 21 November 2020. In addition to presenting a rich programme of film screenings, workshops and talks, and in keeping with its commitment to supporting and nurturing filmmaking talent regionally and internationally, Sharjah Film Platform is introducing the Industry Hub with four main initiatives: the Script Lab, the Pre-production Strategies Course, the Virtual Film Distribution Market and the Pitching Forum.