FUNN, the Sharjah-based foundation dedicated to promoting media arts for and among children and youth in the UAE, is rounding up the activities of the third edition of their exciting FUNN-tastic programme. Running from the 21st to the 25th of December, the programme is targeted at aspiring film makers aged 10 to 18 and includes a range of fun and informative film-related activities.
Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Directorof FUNN, commented, “The FUNN-tastic programme is a wonderful opportunity foryoung people to learn more about the world of film while also exercising and expanding their creativity. As has been the case in both of the preceding editions of FUNN-tastic, we were once again amazed by the wonderful ideas that our young film makers came up with and we are looking forward to the wonderful things they are sure to accomplish in the future.”
FUNN’s primary aim is to help and encourage the youth of Sharjah and the UAE to develop their potential with the goal of creating a new generation of creative artists and professionals across the media arts and visual media spectrum. Through programmes like FUNN-tastic, the foundation wants to give talented young individuals the chance to expand their horizons and gain valuable skills that will equip them to be creative contributors to their communities, whether or not they ultimately decide to pursue a media related career.
The interactive five-day programme dealt with a range of film related topics and stressed the importance of collaboration and teamwork in the creative process. The participants were asked to work together in both pairs and bigger groups to complete the various projects, which included creating a film concept from a book and working in groups to produce a cohesive three act story, with each group taking responsibility forone act.
Other activities included exercises and researches aimed at broadening their film related knowledge base, as well as practice in how to create and sell the plot of a story. The final day of the programme is dedicated to learning about comic style clip editing under the careful tutelage of the talented young editor Fahad Taymour.
FUNN is an organisation established in November 2012under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, to act as nucleus to promote interest and excellence in the creative and media arts among children and young people in the emirate of Sharjah and the UAE at large. FUNN aims to promote and support Media Arts for young children and the youth of Sharjah and UAE and to nurture the future generation of creative artists in media and film. It aims, also, to promote new media work and the films made by children and youth in the UAE, in other international film festivals, and conferences, to foster talent through festivals, conferences and workshops of national and international level, and to form a network of talented youth so they can connect locally and internationally.