Animation short film ZOO to screen at Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth

release date October 24 2023

After winning Best Short Animation at the Bahrain Film Festival, Tariq Rimawi’s animation short film ZOO will be screening at the 10th edition of the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth, which will run from October 22nd to 28th at Vox Cinemas, City Center, Sharjah.

The film is set to screen thrice — once on October 24th at 9:15 am in Cinema 12 and two simultaneous screenings on October 25th at 11 am in Cinemas 10 and 11.

ZOO follows Sami, who wanders through the worst zoo in the world while looking for his ball, and then crosses paths with a little tiger named Laziz, who follows him on his quest to find a safe place to play.

Against all odds, they become friends. But the remnants of war harbor danger.

A poignant and powerful exploration of friendship and suffering through the innocent eyes of a child, the film sheds light on the desperate situation of people and animals living in conflict zones.

Previously, the film World premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival, screened at the Short Film Corner of Cannes, and held its European premiere at the XXIV International Festival Corti da Sogni Antonio Ricci, where it won the Giuseppe Maestri Prize for Best Animation.

Written and directed by Tariq Rimawi, the film is produced by StudioNICE Creative, was supported by Jordan’s Royal Film Commission, and received a co-production prize from the Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation.

Tariq Rimawi is an independent Jordanian animated film director, scriptwriter, and academic member who graduated with a master’s in animation from the UK’s Newport Film School in 2010 before obtaining a PhD in animation from Loughborough University in 2014.