SHARJAH, 30th October, 2026 (WAM) -- The 13th edition of the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth, organised by FANN – Media Discovery Platform, hosted the Middle East premiere of the Thai film 'Gohan', which opened the festival's Green Carpet screenings at VOX Cinemas in City Centre Al Zahia. The screening attracted a large audience, with all tickets sold out.
Meanwhile, the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Future Leaders and Innovators organised a series of interactive workshops as part of the festival, bringing together a group of experts and specialists in filmmaking.
The workshops gave children, teenagers and young people the opportunity to explore different aspects of the film industry and develop their creative skills.
The workshops, held at the Foundation's platform in City Centre Al Zahia, included 'Film Production Management: Script Breakdown and Daily Shooting Plan', delivered by trainer Moamen Al Qara'an, which introduced participants to the fundamentals of film production planning. Trainer Ahmed Fayez led the 'AI Content Creation' workshop, giving children the opportunity to explore the potential of artificial intelligence in developing ideas and turning them into visual content.
Participants also explored cinematic product photography techniques during the 'Product Photography' workshop, delivered by Mohammed Kabbash. Meanwhile, Mohammed Adel highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in the preparation and planning stages of filmmaking during the workshop 'Filmmaking Before Shooting: Making Use of Artificial Intelligence'.
The programme also included the 'Make Your First Film' workshop, which introduced children to the basic stages of filmmaking, while trainer Aisha Khalifa explored storytelling techniques using light and shadow in the 'Shadow Cinema' workshop.
Trainer Hidaya Ahmed also delivered the 'Film Strip' workshop, highlighting an element associated with the history of the seventh art. Meanwhile, trainer Mahra encouraged participants to develop their own stories and turn them into a sequence of scenes during the 'Create Your Own Comic Strip' workshop, helping to nurture their imagination and visual expression skills.