The sixth edition of Sharjah Film Platform (SFP6), taking place from 8 to 17 December 2023, features a range of independent cinema and experimental filmmaking. The annual film festival foregrounds the transformative role of cinema in our culture and community.

The SFP6 Competition section features 30 documentary and fiction films vying for the Sharjah Film Platform Awards. These films have been nominated by a special committee of filmmakers and industry professionals, who practise in different parts of the world. All UAE premieres, the films will be followed by Q&A sessions with the directors.

SFP6 also offers a series of screenings that highlight noteworthy films produced in and around the region. This Out of Competitionsection includes Amjad Al Rasheed’s fiction feature Inshallah a Boy(2023) and Sonia Ben Slama’s documentary Machtat (2023). The Director in Focus section for SFP6 honours the late pioneer Safi Faye, whose films shed light on women’s voices in rural Senegalese communities.

Presented in parallel with the film screenings, a series of public programmes provides an opportunity for learning and gathering as a community. This year’s programme focuses on ideas of solidarity and resistance, empowered by the medium of cinema.

Geared towards industry professionals, the SFP Industry Hub consists of the Pitching Forum, a feature scriptwriting competition with an open call; the Script Lab, a professional scriptwriting course; and an annual initiative to support regional and international film distribution. The SFP6 Pitching Forum, to be held in 2024, is supported by Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) and the Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCY) in the UAE.

SFP6 takes place in Mirage City Cinema, the open-air theatre in Sharjah’s historical quarter; VOX Cinemas, City Centre Al Zahia; and the Sharjah Institute of Theatrical Arts.

Organised by Sharjah Art Foundation, SFP6 has been made possible with the generous support of Ministry of Culture and Youth, Sharjah Media City Free Zone (Shams), VOX Cinemas and Air Arabia.