Sunday, April 9, 2023 – 1:46 PM
SHARJAH, 9th April / WAM / The Sharjah Book Authority is organizing, for the first time in the Arab region, the “Sharjah Animation Conference”, which brings together in one place the leading artists, makers and producers of “animation” with publishers of children’s and youth books, as it provides an international platform for this creative sector. During the period from May 3-5 at the “Sharjah Expo Center” on the sidelines of the activities of the 14th edition of the “Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival”.
The Sharjah Book Authority is organizing the conference in cooperation with the “Lilium” company for the production and distribution of television content, and in partnership with the Italian “Berggio Animation Days” festival, to provide animation amateurs and professionals with the opportunity to get to know each other, exchange ideas and enhance communication, in addition to facilitating the mechanisms of buying and selling production and publishing rights. Among workers in the written and visual content industry sectors.
The conference includes a number of courses, workshops, and film screenings, in addition to interviews and business meetings with publishers and producers. It also provides platforms for direct communication with the stars of the world of animation (animation), such as John Nevarez, who won an Academy Award for the movie “Coco” and Sandro Cloiso, the animation artist (Animation). The character designer who won the Annie Award for “Mary Poppins Returns” and Takahiro Yoshimatsu, the director of “Dragon Ball” and “Dragon Ball Z”.
The conference includes 9 seminars, 9 workshops, specialized courses, 3 discussion sessions, and a rich program of activities and events aimed at professionals and young people who are interested in the animation industry, leading efforts to advance the children’s book industry and the production of animation films in the UAE and the Arab region.
The activities of the conference program, which suit a variety of audiences of all ages and interests, aim to introduce the world of animation, which is characterized by a high level of creativity and modern technology, as it combines different arts and crafts, motivates the public to specialize in them, and provides an opportunity for creative communication between young artists and the main characters in the world of animation ( Animation), as the conference focuses on writing, topics, production techniques, moving images, and ways of expressing them in entertainment and knowledge production.
Khawla Al-Mujeini, Executive Director of the Sharjah Animation Conference, said, “Over three days, the conference offers animation lovers in the United Arab Emirates and abroad the opportunity to enjoy a journey into the world of animation and learn about the scenes of moving images and bringing them to life. It represents a new step in the efforts of the Emirate of Sharjah and the authority. Sharjah Book is about promoting visual content for children, as it provides a platform for experts and provides them with an opportunity to meet the best publishers, animation artists and producers in the world to explore prospects for cooperation, buying and selling production and publishing rights, and building a community of animation specialists in the region.
For his part, Artistic Director Pietro Penti said: “We seek to strengthen Sharjah’s position as a center for the animation industry in the Arab world and expand the horizons of specialists and youth in the region to build joint working relationships at the global level. The presence of the stars of this industry in Sharjah represents an opportunity for all workers in this field, which is An affirmation of the volume of efforts made by Sharjah to invest in culture and youth, so it is not surprising that the emirate is the cultural capital of the UAE.
He added that this year Bergamo and the city of Brescia, the cultural capital of Italy, form a link between the (Bergamo Animation Days) festival and the (Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival).
Reda Abdel Nour / Batoul Kashwani