The move is in line with SIFF’s commitment to help audiences stay entertained during the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF) has announced a new batch of nine international movies from seven countries available for free streaming on its website until the end of May.
The new movies on the portal include Alike, a nine-minute film by Spanish director Rafa Cano Méndez which revolves around Copi, a father who tries to teach his son, Paste, the right ways to master life. In Dust Bodies, Beth Tomashek and Sam Wade talk about a young woman who is on a mission to clear her house of dust. After she catches some of the dust bunnies, one of them stands up and rescues his friends from her vacuum cleaner.
Sadeya left Sultan by Saudi Arabia’s Jawaher Alamri is a poignant tale of Sultan, an out-of-work doctor who is desperate to meet his daughter after his marriage breaks down. Meanwhile, the four-minute American film, You Look Scary by Xiya Lan centres around what happens to a crocodile when he visits the dentist.
Zombriella by German director Benjamin Gutsche is a 15-minute film about Miko, who wakes up terrified from a terrible nightmare where he is haunted by zombies. Iranian director Behzad Rafiei’s long film, Ranna Silence, is a tale of a seven-year-old girl with a special hen, Kakoli. When the hen is killed by a jackal, it leads Ranna into depression and she becomes dumb.
In A Hole, Mexican director Maribel Suarez weaves a tale about a young girl who is intrigued by a little hole that grabs her attention when she visits her farm. Saudi director Musab Alamri’s 14-minute film Coexistence revolves around two Muslim immigrant students in America sharing a homestay. Green, a 10-minute film by Lucas Camps, tells the story of a young boy who has an interview at the Fine Arts College.
Commenting on the new batch of films, Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of SIFF, said: “The amazing uptake of the first batch of movies we made available prompted us to bring in another selection of incredible films targeting all members of the family, especially to enliven their leisure time during the #StayHome regulations currently in place. We are certain that the excellent range of creative works of international directors will keep families entertained and provide inspiration during these challenging times.”
