Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, president of SIFF: "There is a purpose behind all this, not just a show"

Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi has been at the helm of the Sharjah International Film Festival since the ambitious project was launched in 2013 at the initiative of the emir's wife, Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi. Since then, he has never stopped directing an event that, year after year, grows, even in spite of the pandemic, and which celebrates its ninth edition this year with a renewed proposal. Also at the helm of FUNN, a foundation based in the Emirate and dedicated to promoting the arts among young people throughout the country, Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi is in charge of ensuring that things go according to plan. In this interview with Atalayar, the sheikha explains her perception of the festival's kick-off and reveals some details to keep in mind. 

Question: After two years without a festival and an online edition, you have been able to celebrate SIFF again in a live format, what were your first feelings? 

Answer: Well, we have finally been able to do it the way we wanted. The truth is that after two years complicated by the pandemic, in which we didn't even have the capacity to organise the festival, we ended up holding the event by videoconference. But people were already tired of screens. This year is special and we wanted to show it with a more ambitious approach than in previous editions. Seeing so many people here is amazing, after all. It's only just begun, but the first sensations are very good, they certainly improve on expectations. 

Q: What is new about this event compared to previous editions? 

A: The big new feature this year is that we are launching the green carpet. Several films have been selected for the premiere, the first time they will be screened in the Middle East. We have programmed six films, about one for each day of the festival. We have a British film on the list [The Secret Garden, by award-winning director Marc Munden, who was present at the gala premiere with the leading lady, British actress Dixie Egerickx], two South Koreans, another Palestinian film... It's a really nice mix. 

Q: What are the aims of the festival and what do you hope to achieve? 

A: The main goal is to empower and support children and youth to become filmmakers in the future, or to get them interested in any profession related to the film industry, be it costume designer, make-up artist or screenwriter. It's like the sea, as we say in Arabic, there is something for everyone. When we do a festival like this, [young people] learn, there is what we call media literacy. Children need films, they need to get closer to the classics. The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast... all that. We offer the new generations a mix. On the one hand, the classics; on the other, short films or documentaries. Then we give them tools so that they can develop their own projects if they want to. We give them support to be able to be someone in the film industry tomorrow. 

Q: Have you already seen positive reactions from young people in this regard? 

A: Yes, of course. One proof of this is the children's jury [dedicated to assessing the festival's films]. We have had more than 200 applicants. They really want to be part of this. Obviously, we had to filter the applications and adjust them to the appropriate number for a jury. For them it's like Star Academy [a children's TV and music quiz show popular in the Arab world]. But the best thing is that there is a purpose behind it all. That's why we have a green carpet and not a red carpet, because it's not just a show, it's about making their dreams come true, to be able to be somebody in the future.  

Q: We have seen many children from the Emirate of Sharjah and other parts of the country flocking to the cinema for the festival, how does it feel to see these images? 

A: I love it, and you know why? Because of the first reactions when they come out of the cinema, when I ask them if they liked the film and they say yes... or even when they say "well, that's all". Because that's what cinema is all about, to value different perspectives, to sharpen your criticism... It gives you the ability to think and reason. 

Q: What was the Emirate of Sharjah's total investment in the event? 

A: The [Sharjah] government allocated a considerable budget, of course, but with the COVID-19 pandemic and with me at the helm - I have to admit I have been a bit stingy - in the end we needed to spend the money in the right place. In addition, we have had a multitude of sponsors. It all counts. Sometimes you don't need cash so much as services and support. These kinds of partnerships are very important. In fact, we've had a sponsor who has been with us since the first edition [in 2013]. Every time he comes he improves on the last one, and that started when this was held in a single room. We want to maintain that kind of relationship. 

Q: How many visitors do you estimate will attend the festival? 

A: I think in the first two days there have been 300 or so visitors, but we usually have around 20,000 or 25,000 per edition. 

Q: And finally, where does the Emirate of Sharjah's interest in culture come from? 

A: His Highness, the ruler of Sharjah [Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi] and his wife. His main objectives are culture, arts, children, youth and family. Everything he does has to serve one of these elements. Our festival, SIFF, is under the organisation of His Highness. It is one of his entities, and he has about 24 others under his command. All of them are related to the elements I mentioned to you before in one way or another. His Highness personally believes in this.