Our celebration of independent and experimental cinema, Sharjah Film Platform (SFP), returns this year with a bold and diverse range of films as well as exciting new segments and programmes. The eighth edition of SFP, running from 14 to 23 November 2025, will connect film enthusiasts with authentic voices from Sudan, Zambia, Ecuador, Malta, Lebanon, Palestine and the UAE, among others.
The 27 films nominated for the Competition section span a wide geographical arc, offering a global perspective on storytelling. Opening the 10-day festival will be Nayla Al Khaja’s new feature film Baab, a haunting fantasy blurring the line between the living and the dead. The curated selection also includes Carissa (2024), a coming-of-age drama set in the Cederberg mountains of South Africa; the documentary Sudan, Remember Us (2024), portraying young activists fighting against the country’s military regime; as well as five short films produced through the SFP Short Film Production Grant.
This year, the Director in Focus spotlights the enduring work of Jocelyne Saab (1948–2019), known for her politically-committed documentaries and experimental edits. Two of her features, Dunia, Kiss Me Not on the Eyes (2005) and Once Upon a Time in Beirut (1995) will be screened alongside the short film Palestinian Women (1974). The latter will be accompanied by a discussion with director and producer Mohanad Yacubi as well as Jocelyne Saab Association president, Mathilde Rouxel.
Alongside the screening of Saab’s landmark films, an intensive workshop on film restoration using 16mm film footage from Saab’s archive will be conducted in partnership with the Jocelyne Saab Association.
Debuting this year, First Takes offers UAE-based students and recent graduates an opportunity to present their experimental shorts at the festival and participate in a roundtable discussion on the possibilities and challenges of filmmaking for aspiring filmmakers in the country.
SFP8 takes place in Mirage City Cinema, the open-air theatre in Sharjah’s historical quarter, and VOX Cinemas, City Centre Al Zahia.
Organised by Sharjah Art Foundation, SFP8 has been made possible with the generous support of VOX Cinemas.
At the heart of SFP is the Competition section, which showcases documentary and fiction films nominated by an international committee of leading filmmakers and industry experts. Carefully selected from films released in the past two years, all films are screened 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 are Alessandra Speciale, Bentley Brown, Clémentine Dramani-Issifou, Fadi Haddad, Hind Mezaina, Mohammed Alomda, Sara Merican, Wood Lin and Yasmina Tawil.
Every year, SFP spotlights the legacy of one iconic filmmaker in the Director in Focus segment. The screenings of their landmark films is often accompanied with in-depth talks and discussions on the filmmaker’s practice. In its past editions, the festival has highlighted the filmography of Moufida Tlatli, Mohamad Malas, Safi Faye and Michel Khleifi.
First Takes is an initiative devised to highlight new voices and encourage dialogue among aspiring filmmakers in the country. Collaborating with film and art departments of universities in the UAE, works by students or recent graduates are nominated by the university professors and selected by the Foundation. This year’s university partners are American University of Sharjah, New York University Abu Dhabi, University of Sharjah and Zayed University.
Offered alongside SFP, the Short Film Production Grant supports the completion of short films that push the boundaries of contemporary filmmaking. Grant recipients will have the opportunity to premiere their films at a future edition of SFP. The application is open to independent filmmakers, with no restrictions on age, region or genre. Past recipients include Basma Al Sharif, Judy Kibinge, Mohammed Jassim, Randa Maroufi and Prapat Jiwarangsa.
14 - 23 November 2025
