Sharjah is set to host its first event dedicated to animation.
Sharjah Animation Conference, which will be held from May 3 to 5, will give fans of the genre and professionals in the field the opportunity to learn, network and watch industry leaders and Oscar winners discuss the craft of animation.
“Animation lovers in the UAE and beyond are in for a spectacular treat,” said Khoula Al Mujaini, the executive director of SAC.
“At the three-day Sharjah Animation Conference, they will enter the fascinating world of animation and get behind the scenes to learn so much about what brings these iconic and timeless characters to life.”
SAC 2023 will include a series of workshops, masterclasses, film screenings, networking events with publishers and producers, and other leaders in the animation industry. The focus of the event will be on the art of writing, languages, themes, production techniques and technologies within animated cinema.
Artists who are scheduled to be at the festival include John Nevarez, the film story artist of Disney’s Coco, which won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature; Sandro Cleuzo, animator and character designer of Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt; and Takahiro Yoshimatsu, animator and director of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z.
“Our intention is for Sharjah to become the animation capital of the Arab world, attracting professionals and young people from all over the Middle East,” added Pietro Pinetti, the festival's artistic director.
“A platform like SAC presents a great new opportunity for enabling exchange between the Arab and western worlds, particularly here in Sharjah, which has been investing in culture and young people for a long time.”
There is growing interest in all forms of animation, which was a focal point at this year’s Middle East Film and Comic Con. The annual event in March recorded its biggest turnout to date, with more than 35,000 visitors attending the event at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
MBC Group also recently announced the launch of a new hub dedicated to the licensing, commissioning, promotion and production of anime content in the region. And in November of last year, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority announced the reboot of the popular Emirati Arabic language cartoon series Mansour, which has more than two billion views on YouTube to date.
SAC 2023 will be held as part of the 14th annual Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, running between May 3 – 14.
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
