Sharjah Film Festival Takeaways: ‘Atlas of the Universe’ Takes Top Prize, Pitching Platform Doubles and Audience Award Debuts

The 13th Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth wrapped Sunday with Paul Negoescu’s “Atlas of the Universe” taking best feature film and Celia Catunda’s “My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin” winning best animated feature.

The jury described “Atlas of the Universe,” a Romanian-Bulgarian coming-of-age drama about a 10-year-old boy whose errand to buy school shoes becomes a journey toward independence, as “the essence of this festival.” Brazilian animation “My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin,” about a Japanese-Brazilian boy exploring his family history and cultural identity, was recognized for its treatment of tradition and “the difficulty of starting a new life in a foreign place.”

Areej Alghamdi’s Saudi film “The Path of Memory, Between the Lands of Jasmine and Basil,” which explores cultural memory and heritage through a young girl and her mother, won best documentary. Abdulrahman Al Madani’s Emirati film “Oug,” about a childless couple confronting family pressure and gendered blame surrounding infertility, took best Arabic short.

Shweta Parakh and Rakesh E Nair’s “Little Big Dreams” won best international short. The film follows a girl in Ladakh, India, who uses a wheelchair and is determined to pursue her education and be seen with “pride rather than pity.” The jury praised it for portraying “resilience, friendship and the power of the human spirit.”

Thai narrative feature “Gohan,” directed by Chayanop Bunprakob, Baz Poonpiriya and Atta Hemwadee, won the festival’s inaugural Audience Award. The film, which follows a stray dog through the lives of three owners over more than a decade, also received a special mention from the feature film jury.

Other winners included South Korea’s “The Monster” for best child and youth-made film, and “Raeda” for best student-made short. “Fellow” won best student short animation and “The Great Dreamscape” was named best animation short. Saudi documentary “Marjooj” received a special mention.

The festival screened 71 films from 38 countries, selected from 1,802 submissions from 72 countries, with Italy serving as Country of Honor.

Beyond the prizes, this year’s edition reflected SIFF’s growing focus on industry development, regional connections and even greater participation from its young audiences.

Here are five takeaways from this year’s festival.

SIFF Is Building a Pipeline, Not Just a Festival

SIFF continued to expand the ways young people can participate beyond watching films, with programs introducing them to different parts of the industry.

Its Junior Jurors program puts young participants on festival juries, while the Festival Ambassadors program gives them experience representing and covering the annual event. The Industry Hub connects emerging filmmakers with established professionals through panels, workshops and other activities.

The Industry Hub also addressed how festivals make selection decisions. During one panel, programmers discussed how acceptance or rejection is not necessarily a verdict on quality, with decisions shaped by lineup balance, geography and audience.

“For those who do want to pursue filmmaking, we want SIFF to remain part of their journey, from their first experience of cinema to their first professional opportunities,” festival director Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi told Variety ahead of the festival.

The Pitching Platform Is Growing Into a Bigger Industry Tool

SIFF doubled its pitching platform in its second year, selecting six projects compared with three in 2025.

Rather than offering a cash prize, the platform connects filmmakers with industry professionals who could provide financing, production support or other forms of collaboration. The projects ranged from completed screenplays seeking financing to films looking for post-production support and international partners.

Khalid Al Mahmoud’s “The Mangrove House” offered an early example of its potential. The Emirati filmmaker pitched the project at the platform’s inaugural edition in 2025 while seeking post-production support. FANN – Media Discovery Platform, SIFF’s parent organization, later backed the film, which returned this year to open the festival with its world premiere.

Regional Exchange Is Starting With the Next Generation

SIFF is also using its youth programs to build connections across the region. Egyptian actors Ali Beialy, 12, and Retal Abdelaziz, 15, were among the young participants invited to Sharjah as junior jurors this year.

The pair took part in jury duties, introduced films and covered festival events. For Beialy, the experience changed how he watched films, pushing him to consider cinematography, lighting and directing alongside story.

“We all come from different backgrounds, but we share the same interest, which gives us a great opportunity to learn from each other and introduce our own visions, cultures and experiences,” he told Variety.

Abdelaziz, who watches older films to study different aspects of acting and filmmaking, said representing Egypt came with a sense of responsibility. “I am proud to represent my country, Egypt, and I see the exchange of ideas and experiences between countries as very important,” she said.

That regional exchange extends elsewhere at SIFF. This year’s pitching platform brought together projects from the UAE, Oman and the Palestinian diaspora in the U.S., while the competition includes a dedicated section for Arabic short films.

Emirati Filmmakers Want an Ecosystem That Can Sustain Them

The only two Emirati films in competition raised a persistent question surrounding the country’s film sector and how to build an infrastructure that allows local filmmakers to keep working.

Al Mahmoud’s “The Mangrove House” and Al Madani’s “Oug” draw from distinctly local experiences, but their directors pointed to continuing challenges around financing, production support, distribution and reaching audiences.

The discussion comes as the UAE’s film landscape shifts, with the Dubai Intl. Film Festival set to return in December 2027 after a decade-long hiatus.

During SIFF, FANN signed a memorandum of understanding with the UAE’s National Media Authority covering film screening procedures, media coordination, regulatory procedures, training and technical support. The federal body also became an official supporting partner of the festival.

For a festival increasingly focused on what happens to filmmakers beyond workshops and screenings, the agreement brings a federal media partner into a local film industry that directors say still has room to grow.

For the First Time, Audiences Get a Vote

SIFF introduced its first Audience Award this year, giving festivalgoers a direct say in the prizes. After each screening, audiences could scan a QR code to rate the film.

Thai feature “Gohan,” which had its Middle East premiere as one of the festival’s Green Carpet screenings, won the inaugural award.

“We wanted to give them a greater role in the festival and make their opinions count,” Huda Al Harmoudi, deputy director of FANN, told Variety. “The response has been very positive, and we’re pleased to see audiences taking part.”