The 13th edition of the UAE’s Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth is expanding its pitching platform for its second iteration. Six projects were selected this year, up from the three that took part during its inaugural program.

The expansion is part of SIFF’s effort to build a pathway for emerging filmmakers beyond training and exhibition. As festival director Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi told Variety ahead of this year’s edition, learning how to make a film is only part of the equation, “getting that film produced and seen is a completely different challenge.” This year’s projects bring together filmmakers from across the Arab world and diaspora, with the principal goal of finding financing and production partners from Sharjah and beyond.

Here are the six short film projects presented at this year’s pitching sessions:

“The Black Hole”
(Mike Mo Elsherif, U.S. Produced by JohnBen Lacy)

Palestinian-American filmmaker Mike Mo Elsherif’s “The Black Hole” follows a Gazan refugee living in the U.S. who develops a mysterious illness as he searches for answers about his family in Gaza. El Sherif describes the film as a “visceral exploration of the complex ways in which our bodies store and process trauma throughout our lives, highlighting the deep connection between physical sensations and emotional experiences.”

The film is part of a trilogy of shorts. The first installment, “Maqluba,” screens in the Arabic short films competition at SIFF following stops at Woodstock, BlackStar and El Gouna, while “Goodbye Habibi,” now in post-production, was financed by FilmLab Palestine, the Islamic Scholarship Fund, the Doha Film Institute and the Kentucky Arts Council.

Currently in the financing stage, the project was developed through screenwriting lab The Front Porch Lab, under Louisville-based nonprofit 502 film, as well as The New Harmony Project, a writing organization.

Partially privately financed, “The Black Hole” is seeking further funding in Sharjah ahead of a winter 2027 shoot in Louisville, Kentucky. Elsherif describes the project as “a psychological study of a Palestinian grappling with the heartbreak and dehumanization he witnesses every day,” and a search for healing amid the devastation of his homeland.

“Kot Kot Kot”
(Boubaker Boukhari, UAE)

“Kot Kot Kot” follows a young girl grappling with the loss of her mother. Her father gives her a chick that she raises into a hen with which she grows deeply attached, only for it to suddenly disappear one day.

The film grew from a story Boukhari’s mother told him as a child, which he had largely forgotten until his young nephew recounted it years later at a family gathering. “The emotion and wonder in his voice made me realize that this was a story worth telling again,” Boukhari tells Variety.

Currently in production, the independently-produced UAE project has been self-financed and is seeking funding to complete post-production, particularly in music, sound design, sound effects and sound recording. Boukhari has also signed Tunisian co-producer Alaeddin Abou Taleb of Key Production Films, whose credits include the Tanit d’Or-winning stop-motion short “Diaspora” at the Carthage Film Festival. Completion is planned by the end of 2026.

Illustrator Nadia Zilanova, whose international work includes commissions for the New York Times and publishing houses, recently joined the project to create and color the film’s backgrounds “in a distinctive visual style.”

“The Last Call”
(Saleh Mohammed, UAE)

UAE-based filmmaker Saleh Mohammed’s “The Last Call” begins with an unexpected phone call from a number connected to a forgotten memory, sending its protagonist on an emotional journey through the past, unresolved feelings and unanswered questions. Mohammed says the film explores “the things we leave unsaid and the moments we fail to appreciate until they are gone.”

The director described the visual approach of his film as “restrained,” allowing the film to reflect “on how a single moment can change a life and how we sometimes recognize the value of someone’s presence only after they are gone.”

The screenplay is complete and the project is in pre-production, with location scouting underway and casting and crew assembly next.

Mohammed is seeking financing and sponsorship, as well as potential co-producers and industry partners to help move the film into production.

“In a world where communication is constant, genuine connection can sometimes be the thing we overlook most,” Mohammed says. He is also using SIFF to build relationships with festivals and distributors ahead of the film’s eventual release.

Mohammed, who began his career as a theater actor and director, also co-stars in Khalid Al Mahmood’s “The Mangrove House,” the opening film of this year’s festival.

“Lucky Shot”
(Salah Al Hadhrami, Oman. Screenwriter Dalila Al-Dar’iya)

Omani filmmaker Salah Al Hadhrami’s “Lucky Shot” centers on Amjad, a boy from a working-class neighborhood whose passion for football fuels dreams of a life beyond his modest circumstances. An unexpected turn of events forces him to choose between those ambitions and temptation that could change his future.

Written by Omani filmmaker, writer and actor Dalila Al-Dar’iya, the 12-15 minute narrative short is in development, with initial approaches made to potential cast members. The independent project has yet to secure production financing and is seeking backers and co-producers in Sharjah and elsewhere in the region, with a tentative 2027 shoot dependent on funding.

“I believe that simple stories can carry the profoundest human messages,” Al Hadhrami says. For the director, the film is less about football itself than the moment when an unexpected opportunity becomes “a true test.”

The goal, above all, Al Hadhrami shares, is “to tell an authentic story that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries, one that resonates with the audience’s emotions. We hope to find partners who believe in this message and will help bring the film to the screen.”

“My Uncle Saman” (“Saman 3my”)
(Aljouri Abdelaziz Alzarooni, UAE. Creative Producer Shahad Al Ali)

Emirati writer-director Aljouri Abdelaziz Alzarooni’s “My Uncle Saman” follows three young men on their way to their uncle’s long-awaited wedding. The groom, who is close enough in age to feel more like a cousin, sends them on a quick errand that turns into a string of misadventures, leaving the trio at risk of missing the wedding altogether.

The comedy short is in development and has yet to secure financing or attach a production company. Alzarooni is seeking financing and production partners at SIFF, along with collaborators in areas including cinematography, sound and post-production. She says the pitch has already generated interest from potential partners, with discussions now underway. The young director says potential partners expressed strong enthusiasm for the project’s “fresh and distinctive approach to Emirati storytelling.”

“‘My Uncle Saman’ is rooted in the natural humour, relationships, and everyday experiences of Emirati families, and I want to bring that authenticity to the screen in a way that audiences everywhere can connect with,” Alzarooni says.

Alzarooni is also eyeing eventual support from potential distributors, broadcasters, streaming platforms and industry mentors as her search to secure financing continues.

“Tomato Merchant”
(Thoraya Farzaneh, UAE. Produced by Sayed Mousavi)

UAE-based filmmaker Thoraya Farzaneh makes her directing debut with “Tomato Merchant,” about an elderly man who spends his day selling tomatoes in a quiet neighborhood and refuses to leave until they are all sold. As repeated attempts are made to persuade him to go home, the reason for the insistence gradually becomes clear.

Farzaneh, who has spent the past several years working as an assistant director and writing scripts, says she waited until she felt ready to direct a story of her own. “I feel this is the right moment to take that step and share one of my stories with the world.”

The independent short has received funding from the RAK Art Fund, supported by the Sharjah-based Al Qasimi Foundation, while FANN – Media Discovery Platform, the parent organization of the festival, will provide post-production support following its SIFF pitch.

Now in pre-production, “Tomato Merchant” is set to shoot in the UAE in early November, with completion targeted for January. Farzaneh is using SIFF to explore festival and distribution opportunities for the finished film.

Producer Sayed Mousavi says, “This film reminds us that kindness often begins with the simple choice to be patient.”