News
Festival Report
19th Sarajevo Film Festival Final Report
The Sarajevo Film Festival is an international film festival with a special focus on the region of South East Europe.
The focus on regional cinematography through the Competition selections for feature, short and documentary film, as well as a focus on the film industry (CineLink), an educational platform for young filmmakers (Sarajevo Talent Campus), and the presence of the international film industry, filmmakers and media representatives, together with over 100 000 visitors, confirms SFF’s status as the leading film festival in the region, recognized by film professionals and the wider public alike.
In an emerging territory of over 140 million inhabitants, the Sarajevo Film Festival serves as a common platform for the film industry in the entire region, setting standards for the organization of film festivals, as well as for the promotion and presentation of film in South East Europe. Furthermore, the Sarajevo Film Festival shines an international spotlight on films, talent and future film projects from South East Europe.
The 19th Sarajevo Film Festival was opened with a premiere of AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER, by the Bosnian-Herzegovinian director Danis Tanović and closed with THE LUNCHBOX, by Ritesh Batra.
During the nine days of the 19th Sarajevo Film Festival, numerous eminent filmmakers presented their work to the public.
The 20th Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from the 15th to the 23rd of August 2014.
19th SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL IN NUMBERS
• 214 FILMS FROM 59 COUNTRIES
• 11 VENUES
• 577 EMPLOYEES AND 380 VOLUNTEERS
• OVER 1300 ACCREDITED GUESTS
• OVER 800 ACCREDITED MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES FROM 32 COUNTRIES
• OVER 100 000 VISITORS AT ALL THE PROGRAMMES
19th SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS
OFFICIAL AWARDS
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – FEATURE FILM
Jury:
President of the Jury:
Danis Tanović, Director(B&H)
Members of the Jury:
Uliks Fehmiu, Actor (Serbia)
Christine A. Maier, Director of Photography (Germany)
Charles Tesson , Artistic Director of Critic's Week at Cannes Film Festival (France)
Mirela Oprisor, Actress (Romania)
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST FEATURE FILM
IN BLOOM / GRZELI NATELI DGEEBI
Directors: Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß (Georgia)
Financial Award, in the amount of 16,000 €, is provided by Council of Europe
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
A STRANGER
Director: Bobo Jelčić (Croatia, B&H)
Financial Award, in the amount of 10,000 €, is provided by Agnes B.
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTRESS
Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria (IN BLOOM / GEORGIA)
Financial award in the amount of 2,500 €
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTOR
Bogdan Diklić (A STRANGER / CROATIA, B&H)
Financial award in the amount of 2,500 €
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – SHORT FILM
Jury:
Paz Lázaro, Program Manager at Berlinale Panorama (Spain, Germany)
Mladen Miljanović, Artist (B&H)
Paul Negoescu, Director (Romania)
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT FILM
SHADOW OF A CLOUD / O UMBRĂ DE NOR
Director: Radu Jude (Romania)
Financial award in the amount of 2,500 €
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
RABITTLAND
Director: Ana Nedeljković and Nikola Majdak,jr (Serbia)
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
PRIDE / ЧЕСТ
Director: Pavel G. Vesnakov (Bulgaria, Germany)
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – DOCUMENTARY FILM
Jury:
Joslyn Barnes, Writer and producer (USA)
Jasmin Basic, Film historian and Curator (Switzerland)
Vibeke Bryld, Director And Writer (Denmark)
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
SICKFUCKPEOPLE
Director: Juri Rechinsky (Austria)
Financial award, in the amount of 3,000 €, is provided by The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
YUGOSLAVIA, HOW IDEOLOGY MOVED OUR COLLECTIVE BODY/ JUGOSLAVIJA, KAKO JE IDEOLOGIJA POKRETALA NAŠE KOLEKTIVNO TELO
Director: Marta Popivoda (Serbia, France, Germany)
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR COMPETITION PROGRAMME DOCUMENTARY FILM
THE CLEANERS
Director: Konstantinos Georgousis (Greece)
Financial Award, in the amount of 2,500 €, is provided by Al Jazeera Balkans.
HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
MARRIED TO THE SWISS FRANC
Director: Arsen Oremović (Croatia)
Award for the best film of the Competition Programme - Documentary Film dealing with the subject of human rights. Award in the amount of 3,000 € is granted by The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
HONORARY HEART OF SARAJEVO
Béla Tarr, Director (Hungary)
Roberto Olla, Executive Director of Eurimages, the Council of Europe support fund for European cinema (Italy)
CINELINK AWARDS
CINELINK JURY:
Ada Jacqueline, CNC
Behrooz Hashemian, Silkroad Production
Cedomir Kolar, ASAP Films
Georges Goldenstern, Festival Cannes
Remi Burah, ARTE France
Annamaria Lodato, ARTE France
Petri Kemppinen, The Finnish Film Foundation
EAVE SCOLARSHIP
A STINKING FAIRYTALE
Director and Writer: Miroslav Momčilović
Producer: Milena Džambasović
Production Company: Brigada
CINELINK EXELENCE AWARD
TABIJA
Director and Writer: Igor Drljača
Producer: Adis Đapo
Production Company: SCCA/pro.ba
LIVING PICTURES SERVICE CINELINK AWARD
HOUSE OF OTHERS
Director: Rusudan Glurjidze
Writer: Rusudan Glurjidze i David Chubinishvili
Producer: Zurab Magalashvili
Production Company: Cinetech Film Production
ARTE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CINELINK AWARD
DOGS
Director and Writer: Bogdan Mirica
Producer: Marcela Ursu
Production Company: 42 Km Film
CNC CINELINK AWARD
THE FIXER
Director: Adrian Sitaru
Writers: Adrian Silișteanu, Claudia Silișteanu
Producer: Adrian Silișteanu
Production Company: 4 PROOF
EURIMAGES COPRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD
PARK
Director and Writer: Sofia Exarchou
Producer: Amanda Livanou
Production Company: Guanaco Film Co-Beben Films
WORK IN PROGRESS AWARDS
WORK IN PROGRESS JURY:
Rebekka Garrido, Managing Director, The Post Republic
Zsuzsi Bánkuti Acquisition Manager, The Match Factory
Arnaud Gourmelen, Selection Committee member at Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
THE POSTREPUBLIC AWARD
THREE WINDOWS AND A HANGING
Director: Isa Qosja
Writen by: Zymber Kelmendi
Pruducers: Shkumbin Istrefi and Mentor Shala
Co-producer: Nicole Gerhards
THE RESTART AWARD
THE LAMB
Director, writer and producer: Kutluğ Ataman
Co-producers: Fabian Gasmia and Henning Kamm
SPECIAL MENTION
MANPOWER
Director and writer: Noam Kaplan
Producers: Yoav Roeh, Aurit Zamir
Co-producer: Janja Kralj
KATRIN CARTLIDGE FOUNDATION AWARD
DEWENTI
Senegal, France, 2006, 15 min.
Director: Dyana Gaye
19TH SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL PARTNERS AWARDS
AUDIENCE AWARD
Best feature film:
CIRCLES
Serbia, Germany, France, Slovenia, Croatia, 2012, 112 min.
Director: Srdan Golubović
Best documentary film:
A WORLD NOT OURS
Lebanon, United Kingdom, Denmark, 2012, 93 min.
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
CINEUROPA PRIZE
The prize is awarded by the Cineuropa portal, the site dedicated to the European cinema and film professionals, and is given to a film that besides having indisputable artistic qualities also promotes the idea of European dialogue and integration. The value of this award is 5,000 €.
WITH MOM
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Slovenia, 2013, 80 min.
Director: Faruk Lončaverić
Jury: Alberto la Monica and Elisa Cimino
CICAE AWARD
The International Confederation of Art Cinemas (CICAE) awards a film from the Competition Programme - Features.
IN BLOOM
Georgia, 2013, 102 min.
Directors: Nana Ekvitimishvili and Simon Groß
Jury: Daniel Lavaud, Tanja Miličić and Balazs Kalamanovits
EDN TALENT GRANT
EDN Talent Grant has been created as co-operation between the Sarajevo Film Festival and the European Documentary Network with the purpose of supporting promising new documentary filmmakers from the region.
THE VERDICT
Croatia, 2013, 11 min.
Director: Ðuro Gavran
Jury: Joslyn Barnes, Jasmin Basic and Vibeke Bryld
SARAJEVO SHORT FILM NOMINEE FOR THE EFA AWARD
The winner receives a nomination for the European Film Academy (EFA) Best Film Award.
A STORY FOR THE MODLINS
Spain, 2012, 26 min.
Director: Sergio Oksman
Jury: Hagar Ben-Asher, Miguel Dias and Leona Paraminski
BH FILM STUDENT PROGRAMME AWARDS
Best Film:
MONUMENT
Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2013, 4 min.
Director: Dario Đuraković (AUBL)
Special Jury Award:
FOREST
Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2012, 14 min.
Director: Dajan Javorac (AUBL)
Special Jury Mention
VARIATIONS
Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2012, 14 min.
Director: Hari Šečić (ASU)
Jury: Tina Šmalcelj, Ajla Hamzić and Vladimir Kordanović
ATLANTIC GRUPA AWARD
HOLIDAY AT THE SEASIDE / GODIŠNJI NA MORU
Director: Cristina Groşan (B&H, Romania)
Financial award in the amount of 2,000 € provides by Atlantic Grupa.
BRITISH COUNCIL AWARD
MY! MY! MY LITTLE ROOM! / MOJA! MOJA! MOJA SOBICA!
Director: Barbara Vekarić (B&H, Croatia)
It was a natural step for the British Council to create an award which will allow STC talents to present themselves in the UK, at Encounters International Film Festival in Bristol.
DOCU ROUGH CUT BOUTIQUE AWARDS
FIFDH GENEVA AWARD - F 2000 EURO
THE MAN FROM MIDJA (Georgia / Germany)
Directors: Eka Papiashvili, Carsten Böhnke
DOK. INKUBATOR AWARD - PARTICIPATION AT THE SECOND SESSION OF THIS NEW TRAINING INITIATIVE LAUNCHED BY INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL DOK LEIPZIG
THE MAN FROM MIDJA (Georgia / Germany)
Directors: Eka Papiashvili, Carsten Böhnke
HBO ADRIA AWARD - 2500 EURO
MIA, MYSELF AND AN EXTRA CHROMOSOME (Croatia)
Director: Eva Kraljević
WORK IN PROGRESS DIGITAL CUBE AWARD – IN KIND POST PRODUCTION SERVICES 20000 EURO
ROMA RALLY (Hungary/ Germany)
Director: Gábor Hörcher
19th SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL GUESTS
A list of guests of the 19th Sarajevo Film Festival is available here.
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
For the fifth consecutive year, the Sarajevo Film Festival hosted Human Rights Day, organized in cooperation with the Embassy of Switzerland and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
Human Rights Day was held on Monday, 19 August 2013.
Two films were screened at the Cinema City multiplex on this occasion: THOUGH I KNOW THE RIVER IS DRY, by Omar Robert Hamilton and INFILTRATORS, by Khaled Jarrar. After the screenings, the directors took part in a discussion with the audience.
Following the screenings, a panel debate entitled “Do You Remember Palestine?” was held. The panel, organized in cooperation with the Embassy of Switzerland, was moderated by the political scientist, Sabina Čudić.
Human Rights Day was concluded with a screening of STOP-OVER, by Kaveh Bakhtiari. This film will be screened in cooperation with the Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights.
INDUSTRY
It is the business of film that is the focus of the second half of the Festival. From the 21st of August the international film industry hits the town for four days of extensive networking and professional diverse activities.
Over the past decade the industry section has become a major hub for film professionals and played a crucial role in the development of co-production in Southeast Europe
CineLink, our co-production market presented 18 most promising feature projects in development and financing stage. The selection has traditionally been focused on Southeast Europe, where most of the filmmakers are coming from this time as well.
However, we are partnering with the Doha Film Institute and The Arab Fund for Arts & Culture presented two exciting projects from the Middle East.
CineLink Work in Progress continuously showcases future success stories on the festival circuit. We had six new, exciting titles in post production that was shown to selected international festival programmers and sales agents.
CineLink also offered an awards fund of over 160.000 Euros in cash and services.
CineLink PARTNER COUNTRY
This year we are happy to team up once more with Germany, the country that has been a partner for so many projects that emerged from our market and our region. We have partnered already in 2005, and have in the mean time seen so many successful results stemming from that collaboration.
Also, since then the world of cinema has radically changed in so many ways that we felt necessary to turn to Germany once more. Together with the German delegation we were addressing the new challenges of European film industry and the future of coproduction.
This time, we were partnering with 4 regional funds, namely Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, MFG Filmförderung Baden-Württemberg, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung to present the next generation of German producers.
CineLink Selection 2013
3+1 APARTMENT FOR SALE
Writer and Director Serdar Yilmaz
Producer: Borga Dorter
Production Company: Gearshift Films
Turkey
BLACK DOG
Writer and Director: Ivan Bukvić
Producer: Vladimir Vasiljević
Production Company: Bastards Production
Serbia
DOGS
Writer and Director: Bogdan Mirica
Producer: Marcela Ursu
Production Company: SC 42 KM FILM
Romania
HOUSE OF OTHERS
Director: Rusudan Glurjidze
Writer: David Chubinishvilli
Producer: Zurab Magalashvilli
Production Company: CINETECH
Georgia
PARK
Writer and Director: Sofia Exarchou
Producer: Amanda Livanou
Production Company: GUANACO Film Co /BEBEN Films
Greece
PIGS ON THE WIND
Writer and Director: Stergios Paschos
Producer: Phaedra Vokali
Production Company: mami Films
Greece
SALVATION
Writer and Director: Ralitza Petrova
Producer: Rossitsa Valkanova
Production Company: KLAS Film
Bulgaria
TABIJA
Writer and Director: Igor Drljača
Producer: Adis Đapo
Production Company: SCCA/pro.ba
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada
CineLink PLUS Selection 2013
APARTMENT
Writer and Director: Teona Strugar Mitevska
Producer: Labina Mitevska
Production Company: Sisters and Brother Mitevski Productions
Macedonia
DETAILS OF A DREAM
Writer and Director: Orhan Eskiköy
Producer: Özgür Doğan
Production Company: Perişan Film
Turkey
MERCEDES-FIRE HORSE
Writer and Director: Jan Cvitkovič
Producer: Miha Čemec
Production Company: Staragara
Slovenia
A STINKING FAIRYTALE
Director and Writer: Miroslav Momčilović
Producer: Milena Džambasović
Production Company: Brigada
Serbia
THE FIXER
Director: Adrian Sitaru
Writer: Claudia Silisteanu
Producer: Adrian Silisteanu
Production Company: 4 PROOF FILM
Romania
VANPIR
Writer and Director: Marian Crisan
Producers: Andreea Tanase and Marian Crisan
Production Company: ROVA
Romania
VIKING LINE STORY
Director: Stefan Constantinescu
Writer: Xandra Popescu
Producer: Ada Solomon
Production Company: Parada film
Romania
WHATS TO BE DONE
Writer and Director: Goran Dević
Producer: Hrvoje Osvadić
Production Company: Petnaesta umjetnost
Croatia
GUEST PROJECTS
Me, Myself And Murdoch (Jordan)
Writer & Director: Yahya Alabdallah
Producer: Rula Nasser
Project in collaboration with Doha Film Institute
Upside down (Lebanon)
Writer & Director: Ahmad Ghossein
Producer: Georges Schoucair
Project in collaboration with Doha Film Institute and The Arab Fund for Arts & Culture
Regional Forum
22 – 24 August 2013
Topics:
- Film finance: Streamlining the public funding for coproduction in former Yugoslavia
- Cultural policy: How to boost the impact of creative industries on local societies and economies?
- Business models: Film industry between new legislations and new technologies
Speakers included:
Sanja Ravlić, Head of coproductions, Croatian Audiovisual Center
Jovan Marjanović, Board member, Film Fund Sarajevo
Thomas Hailer, Programme manager, Berlin International Film Festival.
Dave Moutray, Director & CEO, Cornerhouse & Library Theatre Company
Briony Henson, Head of Film, British Council
Erik Barnett, United States Mission to the European Union
Mirsad Purivatra, director, Sarajevo Film Festival
Chris Marcich, Head of MPA
Tomislav Lukičić, EBU Cable Coordination
Toni Beus, APAW Bosna i Hercegovina
The Industry Terrace is the new business, meeting and social space, meant to service business with rights and licenses for the films at the festival, as well as the use of production services in the region.
On the documentary side, Docu Rough Cut Boutique selected five projects from the Region providing them coaching, expert advice and access to decision-makers that can have crucial influence on moving the projects forward in their final stage. During six intensive group sessions and dozen individual ones, the selected teams and mentors focus on fine tuning the rough cuts.
7th SARAJEVO TALENT CAMPUS
This year’s 7th edition of Sarajevo Talent Campus, launched in collaboration with Berlinale Talent Campus, was held under the theme "Mind the Gap: Engage with Cinema".
This year theme draws from the assumption that contemporary Southeast European cinema is a cinema that has a lot to offer. Either surfing the Greek absurdist or slow Romanian wave, or absorbing Bosnian socially shaped cinema, demand has never been greater on the part of the viewer. Many questions are being posed, leaving gaps to be filled in by the audience. There is a dire need for an engaged, curious and imaginative viewer – the one who enjoys being affected and moved by the power of images. The one who dares to inhabit empty spaces of art-house cinema and turns films into actual experiences.
75 emerging actors, directors, film critics, producers and scriptwriters took part in the diverse programme of lectures, workshops, presentations, discussions along the lines of the theme.
Speakers included:
Dan Fainaru, film critic
Danis Tanović, director
Danny Glover, actor
Gyula Gazdag, script consultant and artistic director Sundance Filmmakers Lab
Jean- Michel Frodon, film critic
Jurica Pavičić, film critic
Leon Lučev, actor
Leos Carax, director
Phillipe Bober, creative producer and sales agent
Pirjo Honkasalo, documentary filmmaker
Uliks Fehmiu, actor
Emir Baigazin, director
Sarajevo City of Film, our production scheme supporting the realisation of short micro-budget films by young filmmakers who have participated in the previous editions of Sarajevo Talent Campus, modelled as a link between training, networking and the film industry.
Sarajevo City of Film continuously provided a stepping stone for the entrance to the industry. This year, three new films from exciting new talent came out of its pipeline.
As for shorts, Minimarket was continue to enhance their circulation internationally and bring filmmakers together with prominent European short film festival programmers and professionals active in sales and distribution of short films.
SARAJEVO CITY OF FILM 2013
HOLIDAY AT THE SEASIDE
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, 2013
Director: Cristina Groşan
Cast: Mara Purza, Andreea Vasile, Ştefan Statnic, Andreea Lavinia Onuţă
MORNING PRAYERS
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Serbia 2013
Directors: Konstantina Kotzmani, Katarina Stanković
Cast: Ismir Gagula, Hana Pašić, Serafedin Redžepov
MY! MY! MY LITTLE ROOM!
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, 2013
Director: Barbara Vekarić
OTHER PROGRAMMES
IN FOCUS
Nine regional films that achieved notable success at film festivals worldwide in the past year were shown as part of the In Focus programme.
TRIBUTE TO…
The Sarajevo Film Festival was pleased to present a retrospective of work by one of the most significant contemporary directors, Cristi Puiu, as part of the Tribute to… programme.
NEW CURRENTS
This year, the public saw four films as part of the New Currents programme. The aim of this programme is to change the public’s viewing habits and to challenge those who wish to explore aesthetic forms and enjoy work by foreign directors. The New Currents programme primarily screens work by directors who break the rules of film as a medium and test the limits of the language of film.
NEW CURRENTS SHORTS
New Currents Shorts continued its search for provocative, creative and poetic films. The public saw nine works as part of this programme, 5 films within Carte Blanche: Semaine de la Critique and 3 within Carte Blanche: Vila do Conde.
KINOSCOPE
Kinoscope comprises feature and documentary films and the selection included seventeen works from all over the world except South East Europe, i.e. the region represented by the Festival’s Competition selections. The programme focuses on exceptional films that stand out because of their mise-en-scène and includes already established filmmakers as well as first and second time filmmakers.
OPEN AIR
This year, the Open Air cinema offered a first-class programme to the satisfaction of even the most demanding film fans. Each night, approximately 3000 viewers could enjoy the unforgettable experience of watching a film under the stars on one of the biggest screens in the region.
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMME
Twelve feature and animated films were screened as part of the Sarajevo Film Festival’s Children’s Programme.
TEENARENA
For the ninth consecutive year, the Sarajevo Film Festival’s TeenArena programme showcased films intended for teenagers. The public had the opportunity to enjoy nine films.
SFF PARTNER PRESENTS (DOHA FILM INSTITUTE)
Sarajevo Film Festival and Doha Film Institute are partners on a number of new initiatives at their respective festivals to increaseand strengthen connections between Arab and European cinema.
This year, Doha Film Institute curated a selection of films from the Arab showed at Sarajevo Film Festival including Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours(UK/Lebanon/Denmark;2012) and Ahd’sSanctity (Saudi Arabia; 2012). The films was featured as part of the Sarajevo Film Festival Partner Presents programme.
A delegation of Doha Film Institute representatives, headed by DFI CEO Abdulaziz Al Khater, attended SFF. Additionally,a recipient of funding from DFI’s grant programme took part in CineLink Co-Production Market, Sarajevo Film Festival’s’s industry platform.
SFF GUESTS PRESENTS
The Festival public could watch eight films as part of this programme.
OPERATION KINO
Nine films were screened as part of Operation Kino.
LAŠKO SUMMER NIGHTS
Eight films were screened in the Laško Summer Nights programme.
BH FILM
The BH Film Program is organized in cooperation with the Association of Filmmakers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It presents Bosnian-Herzegovinian filmmakers and their films completed in the past twelve months. This year, the program included six feature films, ten documentaries, five short films (including one animated film). Also, twenty-seven student films competed for the Best Student Film Award, Special Jury Prize and Special Mention. With an additional two special screenings, the BH Film program presented fifty titles from recent Bosnian-Herzegovinian film production.
19th Sarajevo Film Festival Sponsors