Lead:
Sheikh Jawahir bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, director of the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth, stated that the festival's thirteenth edition, launching Sunday at the University of Arts, positions itself as an international cultural platform nurturing emerging talent and enabling young filmmakers to create and express ideas through cinema.
Top Stories:
Safe Exit — Egyptian director Muhammad Hamad's film won the Golden Star for best feature film at the ninth Gouna Film Festival, held in the Red Sea resort city. The Silver Star went to Japanese director Yukiko Sudi for All Lovers at Night, while Iranian director Ali Asgari received the Bronze Star for A Little Light.Cotton Queen — Sudanese director Suzana Murgani's film won the grand prize at the fifteenth Maghrebi International Film Festival in Oujda, Morocco. The film follows a young woman named Nafisa protecting cotton fields and her village's future from a businessman promoting genetically modified seeds.Sharjah Platform Workshops — The Sharjah Arts Foundation is organizing four specialized film courses during October and November as part of the ninth Sharjah Film Platform program, covering film criticism, screenwriting, documentary ethics, and the role of visual archives in historical memory.Tom Cruise Lifetime Achievement — The American Film Institute announced that actor Tom Cruise will receive the institute's Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony in Hollywood in April. The nonprofit organization has granted this annual honor since 1973.Tariq Al Faqeeh Debut Performance — Jordanian singer and composer Tariq Al Faqeeh performed for the first time at the thirty-fourth Arab Music Festival on Friday at the Cairo Opera House's main stage, opening with Muhammad Abdel Wahab's "When Will Time" before presenting his original compositions.Sireen Abdel Nur Negotiations — Lebanese actress Sireen Abdel Nur is in talks to join the television series Ashmawi, marking a potential new dramatic direction pending finalization of negotiations with production company Al Sabbah.Coming Up:
Amr Saad and Yasmin Sabry are beginning rehearsals for the drama series Tamkeen, set for Ramadan 2027 under director and writer Muhammad Sameh, with Khaled Al Saawi joining the cast. The Syrian series Dynamite, featuring Samer Ismail and Maram Ali and directed by Yazan Sharbaji, will also compete during Ramadan 2027, addressing contemporary social issues from Syrian society.