Sharjah, October 11, 2025- The Sharjah International Film Festival celebrated its 12th anniversary and showcased South Korea as the Guest of Honour in a magnificent manner. The festival’s main venue is VOX Cinemas at City Centre Al Zahia, and Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park is also a site for various activities. The event shows the feeling part of Korean films and the way through which art can link diverse cultures.

Korean Culture Shines at Festival

The Sharjah International Film Festival was held this week and is going to be active until the 12th of October. It is not just going to be an event for adults but also for kids and youngsters as there will be films and cultural activities for them. The South Korean film industry takes the spotlight introducing the audience in the UAE to the most powerful stories and the most vibrant forms of creativity. A total of 76 films from 26 countries will be shown, among them several Korean movies that have been selected due to their very fresh viewpoint.

A day especially for Korean films was on the program for October 10. The Green Carpet screening highlighted the touching friendship story “2:15 PM” overcoming loneliness through the direction of Seryeong Jung. The Sharjah International Film Festival was not only about the film screenings but also provided a platform for the visitors to participate in interactive workshops, which were covering a wide range of topics related to Korean culture like traditions, music, cooking, fashion, and even beauty trends, thus, celebrating the Hallyu wave’s impact diverse worldwide.

Inspiring Workshops and Panel Discussions

The Sharjah International Film Festival young audience experienced a day full of activities during which they took part in hands-on workshops conducted by the Korean Club UAE experts.The sessions were focused on the universal philosophy of Korean cinema and the influence of films in the world of inspiring, educating, and bringing people closer together. Ralm Lee, the Busan International Film Festival director, was one of the industry speakers who said that Korean films are becoming more and more accepted worldwide and that the filmmakers are gaining the confidence to invite the whole world to watch them.

The participants not only tasted Korean food but also saw the latest trends so they were given a digital introduction to the Korean culture. Besides, the panel discussions revealed the student and filmmaker audiences’ experiences thus confirming that cinema is a universal language that allows communication and even collaboration despite our different backgrounds.

Alaa Al Awadi from SHOGO, the Korean Club in the UAE, stressed that the Sharjah International Film Festival has done an excellent job in facilitating the cultural mixing through music, food, and films. A large number of the attendees’ voices were heard saying how much they would like to collaborate on the future cultural events which would ultimately result in even more Korean films being shown in the region.

Korean Cinema’s Global Influence

The Sharjah International Film Festival has become the place where imagination, creativity and cultural expression collide, and this year Korean culture is the one that stands out. Furthermore, the festival director Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi  declared that the Sharjah International Film Festival, cinema is not only the source of joy, it is the knowledge-giving and the revealing medium.

The global triumph of Korean movies has been the opening for deeper partnerships between South Korea and UAE. The use of technology and AI has made the creative linking very easy, hence making the world feel smaller and more connected. The Sharjah International Film Festival is still a place where young filmmakers get their skills trained and the stories from all over the world, especially those that show the power of creativity, empathy and human connection, are the ones that are imparted to them as an inspiration.

The Sharjah International Film Festival is thereby confirming Sharjah’s position as a center for culture and creative exchange, and this year’s spotlight on Korean cinema has been a great delight for everyone concerned.

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