Overview
Sharjah Art Foundation invites filmmakers to apply for the fourth edition of the annual Sharjah Film Platform (SFP) Short Film Production Grant. The recipients will share a total of 30,000 USD; the monetary amount and the number of awardees will be determined on a need-by-need basis. For the purpose of this grant, a short film is defined as an original film with a running time of 50 minutes or less, including the credits. This application is open internationally to all filmmakers and video artists. The deadline is 11:59 pm (UAE Time), 7 March 2021, and the grant recipients are expected to premiere their completed films at a future edition of the festival.
Sharjah Film Platform is an annual film festival organised by Sharjah Art Foundation in support of the burgeoning art scene in the UAE, surrounding region, and internationally, providing a critical platform for emerging and established filmmakers, producers, critics and students. Since its inaugural edition in 2018, the festival has expanded its programmes and seen increased participation from the film community in the region and internationally. SFP screens regional and international films selected from the open call, out of competition films and the films awarded by the Short Film Production Grant. Films from the open call as well as the grants are eligible for awards in the documentary, experimental and narrative category for short and feature-length films, selected by international jury members from the film industry.
Sharjah Film Platform also conducts talks, panel discussions and workshops for all ages and provides filmmakers with an opportunity to participate in an online distribution initiative. In partnership with SHAMS, the Pitching Forum awards a grant to a scriptwriter to turn their script into a feature-length film.
SFP screenings and events will be presented in several Sharjah Art Foundation venues, including the contemporary open-air Mirage City Cinema in Al Mureijah Square as well as in various locations across the Emirate.
For more information about previous Sharjah Film Platforms, please click here.
Requirements
To apply, please complete the application form here and attach your three-minute pitch (Vimeo/YouTube links), original script, budget and production schedule when prompted.
The video should provide the plot, setting and characters for the short film and explain why this film should be selected. The artistic approach, format and content for the three-minute video are open to interpretation; it may show the director explaining his/her vision, a trailer or a compilation of previous works, for example.
Applicants will also be assessed on the basis of the original script they submit, their creative and technical skills along with the vision for the final film in terms of plot, genre, themes and structure.
The budget and production schedule with a projected completion date is also necessary for this grant as this demonstrates the preparedness of the project and execution in finalising the project.
Please note that failure to submit the pitch, script and production schedule will result in automatic disqualification.
Submission link
This application is now closed.
Past awardees
The recipients of the SFP1 Short Film Production Grant were Mohammed Al Hammadi, Maryam (2019); Abdulrahman Al Madani, Laymoon (2019); and Faisal Attrache, From the Mountain (2019).
The recipients of SFP2 grant were Julian Alexander, Layla, at Last (2019), and Emerson Reyes, Children of the Lake (2019).
The recipients of SFP3 grant were Nadira Amrani, Hajja (2021), Soha Shukayr, Once Upon a Revolution (2020), and collaborators, Pelin Tan and Anton Vidokle, She Who Saw the Deep (2021).