Sharjah Film Platform’s ninth edition presents 26 international films

Bringing regional and international films to local audiences, the ninth edition of Sharjah Film Platform (SFP9) features compelling works by emerging filmmakers and established professionals from the UAE, Palestine, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Mexico, India, Haiti and beyond. Over 10 days, filmmakers, students and cinema enthusiasts will have the opportunity to connect and exchange ideas.

The festival opens with Letters (2025), an anthology of 17 short films by Josef Khallouf reflecting on Lebanon’s recent history. The programme features 26 titles, including David Bim’s To the West, in Zapata (2025), which follows a Cuban crocodile hunter’s struggle to provide for his family, and Azeem Rajulawalla’s More Punk Than Punk (2025), a portrait of a Pakistani punk artist whose music brings together personal expression and political concerns.

Other highlights include Minimals in a Titanic World (2025) by Philbert Aimé Mbabazi, which explores an emerging friendship in the shadow of grief, Alia & Meera (2026) by Hind Saeed Al Basti which follows two best friends whose small lie uncovers a family secret, and Ru Ba Ru (Face to Face) (2025) by Kapil Tanwar, a story of two sisters confronting casteism and societal judgement. The festival closes with Larissa Sansour’s recent feature, An Incomplete Drowning (2026), a contemplation on the fragility of objects and their capacity to hold history.

This edition also premieres two newly completed short films supported by the Sharjah Film Platform Short Film Production Grant. In I Broke a Vase (2026), Asim Abdulaziz explores the haunting legacy of a former journalist, while Fatima Wardy’s White Musk (2026) examines the tensions that arise when a child is compelled to parent their own parent.

Competition Section

At the heart of Sharjah Film Platform is the Competition section, which showcases documentary and fiction films nominated by an international committee of filmmakers and industry professionals. Selected from films released within the past two years, all titles will be shown in the UAE for the first time. A number of screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with the directors.

The nominators for this edition of SFP are Alaa Alasad (Head of Production and Distribution, Creative Media Solutions); Bálint Bíró (filmmaker, mentor and lecturer), Bentley Brown (filmmaker, scholar and Assistant Professor of Media Communication, American University of Sharjah); Chafic Tabbara (film critic and programmer); Chayanin Tiangpitayagorn (film critic and independent curator); Djia Mambu (journalist, film critic, curator and author); Liz Chege (curator, critic and researcher); Manuel F Contreras (documentary filmmaker, programmer and curator); and Toyeba Mushtaq (film scholar and Head of Curation, UK Asian Film Festival).

Films in the Competition section are eligible for the Sharjah Film Platform Awards across four categories: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Fiction Feature and Fiction Short. 

The documentary awards jury comprises Mahmoud Kaabour (filmmaker and museum storyteller); Rabih El Khoury (Advisor, Berlinale’s Official Selection Programme); and Rasha Amer (founder of She Films). The fiction award winners will be selected by Hania Nashef (professor, American University of Sharjah); Maike Mia Höhne (Artistic Director, Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg); and Roger Garcia (film festival executive, producer and writer).

Director in Focus

Each year, the Director in Focus programme highlights the legacy of an iconic filmmaker through screenings of their landmark films, often accompanied by talks and discussions exploring their practice. Previous editions have featured the filmographies of Moufida Tlatli, Mohamad Malas, Safi Faye and Michel Khleifi.

This year, the programme foregrounds Abderrahmane Sissako whose poetic films explore themes of exile and memory across Africa. A selection of his films will be screened during the festival, including Timbuktu (2014), Bamako (2006) and Black Tea (2024). The screening of Timbuktu will be preceded by a masterclass in which Sissako will share insights into his filmmaking practice spanning more than 30 years.

First Takes

Developed in collaboration with film and art departments at universities across the UAE, First Takes highlights emerging voices and encourages dialogue among aspiring filmmakers. Students and recent graduates are nominated by their university professors, with selected works screened at the festival. Participants also take part in workshops focused on professional development and peer networking.

In its second year, First Takes continues to encourage dialogue among film students from universities: NYU Abu Dhabi, Zayed University, American University of Sharjah and University of the Arts Sharjah. The programme includes pitching workshops, feedback sessions and peer networking opportunities for student filmmakers, developed in collaboration with Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg.

Sharjah Film Platform Short Film Production Grant

Offered alongside Sharjah Film Platform, the Short Film Production Grant supports the completion of short films that push the boundaries of contemporary filmmaking. Grant recipients have the opportunity to premiere their completed films at a future edition of the festival.

Open to independent filmmakers without restrictions on age, region or genre, the grant supports diverse approaches to filmmaking and storytelling. Previous recipients include Basma Al Sharif, Judy Kibinge, Mohammed Jassim, Prapat Jiwarangsa and Randa Maroufi.

Taking place from 30 October to 8 November 2026, SFP9 will be held at Mirage City Cinema, the open-air theatre in Sharjah’s historical quarter, and VOX Cinemas at City Centre Al Zahia.

Organised by Sharjah Art Foundation, SFP9 is made possible with the generous support of VOX Cinemas, Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority, Air Arabia, Alef Group, ARADA, University of Sharjah, NYU Abu Dhabi, Zayed University, American University of Sharjah and University of the Arts Sharjah.

Sharjah Film Platform (SFP) is an annual festival of independent cinema and experimental filmmaking where audiences can discover new approaches to film and art. The 10-day event—which includes a range of regional and international films, talks by filmmakers and industry professionals, workshops and gatherings—is centred around Mirage City Cinema, the open-air theatre in Sharjah’s historical quarter.

Organised by Sharjah Art Foundation, SFP foregrounds recent cinematic achievements by international filmmakers and artists, noteworthy classics from around the region as well as experimental films that challenge the idea of what film practice is today.

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. 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. Hoor Al Qasimi serves as President and Director. All exhibitions are free and open to the public. 

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. It was named UNESCO's Arab Capital of Culture for 1998 and the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2019.

Joseph De la Cerna
joseph@sharjahart.org
+971 (0)6 5444113