The sixth edition of the Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival (SICFF 2018) kicked off on Sunday, with 138 films to be screened and 40 filmmakers hosted during the six-day event.

The festival was opened by the ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al-Qasimi, the chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs.

Al-Qasimi honoured Emirati director Abdullah Al-Kaabi, Bahraini artist Haifa Hussein, and Indian-American child actor Neel Sethi, who plays Mowgli in the 2016 release of Jungle Book.

“The festival, which has been returning for six years with new films and many media-related workshops for children, has become a special celebration of childhood," said Sheikha Jawaher during the opening.

"It is an occasion to strengthen the role of media arts in developing our children’s imaginations and nurturing their minds with noble values portrayed by memorable cinematic tales that create a strong impact on children’s personalities and aspirations,” she added.

SICFF 2018 will screen the Middle Eastern premier of My Giraffe, a feature film by Dutch filmmaker Barbara Bredero, among 54 premiers from 17 countries, in various genres including feature films, documentaries and animations.

Six panel discussions and several workshops will being held, including one about the history and future of Disney World presented by Brian Ferguson, a Walt Disney Animation Studios animator.

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