SIFF 2026: Arabic Short Films (Group 2)

Synopsis

Part of the 13th edition of the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children & Youth, this package of five Arabic short films explores family, hardship, and the ways children respond to change. In (I Won’t Cry Tomorrow), a deaf child’s life changes after he leaves school. (Water for the Birds) follows a boy who tries to replace his sister’s lost backpack despite his family’s struggles. In (Dawn Every Day), an eight-year-old witnesses the social divisions of 1956 Egypt. (The Mangrove House) finds three young siblings using music to help sell their catch, while (The Cradle) follows a grieving boy whose friendship with an elderly carpenter helps him understand loss.