The Sharjah festival will present 98 films in 18 languages representing countries such as Oman, Egypt, UAE, France, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, and Germany.

The films were chosen from more than 1,800 international entries.

Palestine will be honoured with screening several films, including British-Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi's 2023 drama The Teacher. 

The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and received several awards from various international film festivals, including the Red Sea International Film Festival.

It was awarded a Jury Prize and Best Actor Award to Saleh Bakri, Audience Awards at the San Francisco International Film Festival, Brooklyn Film Festival, Cyprus Film Days, and others.

"This year, we celebrate Palestine and the distinctive qualities of its films, which have influenced Arab cinema since the 1920s. Palestinian cinema continues to deliver thought-provoking, visually captivating works that reflect the pulse of Palestinian society," Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, director general of the Faan Foundation and the Sharjah festival, said in a press release. 

The festival will also welcome a number of Palestinian guests.

Palestinian filmmaker Hanna Atallah will join the festival's jury panel.

Together with Ola Salama of Lab Palestine Film, Atallah will also participate in a panel on producing Arabic content for children and youth.

Filmmaker Omar Rammal and a Palestinian-American blogger Haifa Beseisso will lead a session on the future of the Palestinian narrative in cinema.

Besides film screenings, the 11th Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth will host other industry related events, such as workshops, seminars, and networking events.