Masterclass Programme at the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival Brings Encounters with World-Class Filmmakers

The Sarajevo Film Festival’s Masterclass programme continues to foster dialogue between audiences and leading contemporary filmmakers, while affirming Sarajevo as a regional hub for film education and knowledge exchange.

 

Sarajevo Film Festival once again presents its exclusive Masterclass programme, which, as part of the Festival’s 31st edition, will host some of the most prominent names in contemporary cinema. The program will run from August 17 to 21 at the Sarajevo Film Festival’s Festival Center (Bosnian Cultural Center, Branilaca Sarajeva 24), offering participants a unique opportunity for direct exchange of knowledge and experiences with acclaimed filmmakers.

 

The 2025 Masterclass programme covers a wide range of topics in directing, screenwriting, production, and acting, providing insight into the creative and professional challenges of filmmaking. The conversations are open to film professionals, students, and the broader public interested in the art of cinema.

 

• August 17, 10:00 – 11:30 – Paolo Sorrentino

• August 18, 10:00 – 11:30 – Michel Franco

• August 19, 10:00 – 11:30 – Ray Winstone

• August 20, 10:00 – 11:30 – Ilya Khrzhanovskiy

• August 21, 10:00 – 11:30 – Willem Dafoe

 

Entry to the Masterclass sessions is free, with tickets available online at tickets.sff.ba or at the Main Box Office of the Sarajevo Film Festival (Bosnian Cultural Center, Branilaca Sarajeva 24). Tickets for the Masterclass sessions are already available and must be collected half an hour before the start of the session. The number of tickets is limited.

 

Italian director and screenwriter Paolo Sorrentino is one of the most prominent authors in cinema. He is the winner of the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA for The Great Beauty, and a multiple-time participant in the competition programmes of Cannes and Venice. His body of work includes Youth, The Hand of God, This Must Be the Place, and his latest film, Parthenope, screened at Cannes in 2024. He also directed the acclaimed TV series The Young Pope and The New Pope, starring Jude Law. His work is marked by a distinctive visual style, wit, and reflections on contemporary society.

Michel Franco is a leading voice in contemporary Mexican cinema, known for his auteur approach and socially engaged themes. His films, including New Order, Chronic, Sundown, and After Lucía, have won multiple awards at Cannes and Venice. His latest work, Dreams, starring Jessica Chastain, premiered at the 2025 Berlinale. In addition to directing, Franco is also active as a producer through his company Teorema, supporting emerging voices in Latin American cinema.

A veteran of British film and television, Ray Winstone is easily recognisable face in world cinema. His career spans over four decades, from his debut in Alan Clarke’s 1979 drama Scum to roles in films such as Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, Beowulf, Black Widow, King of Thieves, The Proposition, and many others. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including the British Independent Film Award and the International Emmy for Best Actor. Known for his powerful portrayals of tough yet emotionally complex characters, Winstone is regarded as a symbol of authentic British acting.

 

Director, producer, and artistic researcher Ilya Khrzhanovskiy is known for his bold and innovative film projects. Following his internationally acclaimed debut 4, he devoted himself to the multi-year project DAU – a unique fusion of film, anthropology, and performance, involving over 700 hours of footage and the reconstruction of a real “institute” in Paris. The films DAU. Natasha and DAU. Degeneration were screened at the 2020 Berlinale, where DAU. Natasha won the Silver Bear. Khrzhanovskiy is currently the Artistic Director of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center in Ukraine and remains active in the fields of contemporary art and production.

Willem Dafoe is one of the most acclaimed actors of our time, with a career spanning over 100 films and collaborations with many of the world’s leading directors. A four-time Academy Award® nominee, he has delivered memorable performances in At Eternity’s Gate, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Florida Project, The Lighthouse, Spider-Man, John Wick, Pasolini, and many others. Dafoe is the recipient of the Volpi Cup in Venice, the Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlinale, and numerous other accolades. He is also active in theatre - he was a founding member of The Wooster Group and was recently appointed Artistic Director of the theatre department at the Venice Biennale (2025–2026).

The masterclass will be moderated by Neil Young.

The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival will be held from the 15th to the 22nd of August 2025.