Sharjah Film Platform returns with bold voices in global cinema

This year’s edition brings together filmmakers from Zambia, Ecuador, Malta, Lebanon, Palestine, the UAE and beyond, reaffirming the festival’s role as a vital platform for powerful and diverse storytelling.

Opening the 10-day festival is Baab (2025), a haunting new fantasy film by Nayla Al Khaja that blurs the boundaries between the living and the dead. The programme also includes Carissa (2024), a coming-of-age drama from South Africa; Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (2025) which documents the exchange between the late citizen journalist Fatema Hassona in Gaza and the filmmaker Sepideh Farsi; and five short films produced through the SFP Short Film Production Grant, which continues to support innovative cinematic voices: Saint Andrews (2025) by Erin Nene-Lee Ramirez; Yathoom (2025) by Hana Kazim; L'mina (2025) by Randa Maroufi; Goat (2024) by Judy Kibinge; and Morgenkreis [Morning Circle] (2025) by Basma Alsharif.

Competition section

At the heart of SFP is the Competition section, which features 27 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.

Director in Focus

This year’s Director in Focus is the late Lebanese filmmaker Jocelyne Saab (1948–2019), whose politically engaged documentaries and experimental features continue to inspire generations of filmmakers. Four of Saab’s films: Dunia, Kiss Me Not on the Eyes (2005); Once Upon a Time in Beirut (1995); South Lebanon: The Story of a Village under Siege (1976); and Les Femmes palestiniennes (Palestinian Women) (1974), will be screened alongside a special discussion with Mohanad Yaqubi (filmmaker, producer and researcher) and Mathilde Rouxel (President of the Jocelyne Saab Association) where they talk about the late filmmaker as well as the publication supported by the Foundation, Jocelyne Saab: Inventory 1973–1983. The Foundation will also present a film restoration workshop using 16mm footage from Saab’s archive.

First Takes

First Takes debuts this year to spotlight short experimental works by UAE-based students and recent graduates. In addition to the film screening, participants will also join a public roundtable addressing the challenges and opportunities for emerging filmmakers in the UAE. First Takes is organised by Sharjah Art Foundation in collaboration with American University of Sharjah; New York University Abu Dhabi; University of Sharjah; and Zayed University.

SFP Short Film Production Grant

Through the SFP Short Film Production Grant, Sharjah Art Foundation continues to champion the creation of daring short films from around the world. Five new grant-supported films will premiere at SFP8, expanding the Foundation’s growing archive of innovative, independent cinema.

Festival Centre

The Festival Centre at Fen Café and Restaurant in Al Mureijah Square will serve as the main hub for this year’s edition, offering a gathering space for filmmakers, audiences and guests to connect throughout the 10 days of SFP8. The venue will feature the festival’s ticket booth, a dedicated filmmakers’ lounge and social area, as well as spaces to eat, drink and relax between screenings. It will also host a pop-up shop offering exclusive SFP merchandise and a curated selection of publications and books. During the festival, Fen Café and Restaurant will offer set menus at a special price.

Sharjah Film Platform 8 is organised by Sharjah Art Foundation with the generous support of VOX Cinemas and University partners: American University of Sharjah; New York University Abu Dhabi; University of Sharjah; and Zayed University.