25 family movies to watch this weekend

Film fest alert… we doubt you’ll get through this many movies this weekend but you can have a go by logging on to this really cool platform.

The World Upside Down

words Derek Issacs

Abu Dhabi’s gradually opening up but the capital’s cinemas still remain closed for now.

All isn’t lost, though.

Enter the  Sharjah International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFF) free streaming platform and its huge selection of movie greats for the entire family to watch from the comfort of their own homes.

You don’t have to binge watch all 25 movies in one weekend, although there’s nothing stopping you except time. But relax, take your time, after all you have until the end of July 2020.

So, what’s being aired on the silver screen?

Braces

You can search on playlists that were screened during the past editions of SIFF and which span diverse categories such as short animation, short-live action, Arabic shorts and feature films.

Until 10th July, you can tune into a range of child-made movies during a specially curated themed movie programme.

The  majority of these child-made short films were produced during filmmaking and media arts workshops organised by FUNN – Sharjah Media Arts For Children & Youth, and, among others, include:

• Cinema, a short comedy about a wife who forces her husband to go with her to the cinema
• A Silent Memory, a three-minute movie providing insight into the nature of real bliss
  

  A Silent Memory

• Go On, a heart-warming silent movie dedicated to turning dreams into reality
• I Am a Man, that reflects on a young boy’s transition from teen to adulthood
• Mr. Horse, narrates the travails of an ex-showjumping star
  

  Mr. Horse

• Imaginary Friend pays tribute to the silent film era

Imaginary Friend

• Once Upon a Dream merges dreams and fantasy with reality
• The Quarrel showcases a small episode in sibling rivalry
  

  The Quarrel

You’ll also get to watch documentaries by the students at FUNN workshops, such as…

• The Other Neighbourhood, a sensitive portrayal of the life of the inhabitants in an underprivileged neighbourhood
• We’re Still Here, a nostalgic look at the old days as remembered by older generation of Emiratis

Don’t miss the consequences of good and evil in Tayyar Al Haya, directed by Marwan Al Naqabi, a member of Sharjah Youth Centre – Khorfakkan.

Award-winning Omani director, Muzna Al-Musafer, explores the tender bonds shared by a young girl and her grandmother in Dana and I: Our Journey with the Goats.

Other UAE films include:

Nozad, a short biopic of Nozad Jaadan, a Syrian writer and poet; and Childhood’s Wish, which explores the theatrical experiences of Saudi director and actor, Rashid Al Warthan, and his success in working with children.

 

International movies

A young New Zealand director takes viewers through the great mysteries that lurk in the sights boxed out from our view in An Homage.

From Australia, an 18-year-old director explores the concept of ‘when one door closes, another opens’ in Locked Out, while another young talent invites the audience to question reality as seen before our eyes in The Station.

In The Masterpiece from the USA, viewers are taken on a thrilling journey into theft and forgery in the world of art.

The Masterpiece

Will to Live, also from the US, is set in the 1940s while Slovenian short film, Lost, narrates the tale of a young man’s resistance to facing his internal fears.

Amongst the selection of movies from India are Braces, a short animation that delves into the feelings of a young girl on wearing braces; Fatso, that focuses on the ordeal of being body conscious; and I Am Beautiful, also, a movie that explores body image issues.

Movies from Belgium include Little Markus, that narrates the tale of a small child; The World Upside Down, a futuristic tale set in 2080; and A Day Like Any Other, the lively story of a happy family.

A Day Like Any Other

So, that’s the weekend and the next few months sorted, entertainment wise.

To stream these movies for free and find out more, visit: siff.ae 

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