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25th Sarajevo Film Festival to be held under the patronage of UNESCO

The 25th edition of the annual Sarajevo Film Festival will be held under the patronage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO. The UNESCO has recognized the Sarajevo Film Festival “as an event in line with the priorities of the Organization aimed at promoting dialogue and tolerance through the arts”, the UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, wrote in a letter.

“I am confident that the 25th Sarajevo Film Festival and its programmes will contribute to giving access to films to a wide audience and to strengthening peace in Southern Europe'', states Azoulay.

“As the best known and the most prestigious film showcase in this part of Europe, the Sarajevo Film Festival sets a new standard of excellence each year. This year, it will be held under the patronage of the UNESCO. The Sarajevo Film Festival is an excellent example that high quality projects from Bosnia-Herzegovina can be competitive internationally, and as such it deserves our compliments and congratulations. I am confident that the 25th Sarajevo Film Festival will not only bring together film enthusiasts, but that it will also contribute to the promotion of Sarajevo and Bosnia-Herzegovina”, said Adil Osmanovic, the Civil Affairs Minister and President of National Commission for UNESCO of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“During the Sarajevo Film Festival, the Tourism Board of the Sarajevo Canton registers a record number of visitors. Last year, we registered 78.000 visitors in Sarajevo during August. For comparison, the average monthly number of tourists registered in Sarajevo stands at 48.000. In other words, the number of domestic and international visitors nearly doubles during the Festival. The Tourism Board of the Sarajevo Canton is thus proud to follow and support the regional promotion of the Sarajevo Film Festival ahead of its 25th edition. In our line of work, we get a chance to meet people from different countries, different cultures and different walks of life. I always find it interesting that even the people who never heard about Bosnia-Herzegovina are familiar with the Sarajevo Film Festival. The rhythm and the look of the city change during the Festival. I invite you to visit Sarajevo during the Sarajevo Film Festival to experience the special rhythm of the city, enjoy film screenings and join nearly 80,000 other satisfied guests of the city of film,” said Nermin Muzur, the head of the Tourism Board of the Sarajevo Canton.

“We are pleased that the UNESCO has acknowledged the Sarajevo Film Festival as an event that preserves our cultural heritage and promotes diversity. From the very start, we have been inspired by art and it helped us create new values and break the existing social and cultural barriers“, said Mirsad Purivatra, director of the Sarajevo Film Festival.