29th Sarajevo Film Festival: 49 films to compete for the Heart of Sarajevo awards

The Festival’s four competition sections – for feature, documentary, short and student film – will feature 23 world, 2 international, 21 regional and 3 national premieres.

This year, the Sarajevo Film Festival Programmers team led by Creative Director Izeta Građević has seen 935 films submitted for the Festival, including 200 feature fiction films, 235 documentary, 500 short and student titles.

Elma Tataragić, programmer of the Competition Programme – Feature Film will present 11 titles. The selection in the competition programme features two world premieres, one international and five regional premieres. The programme includes two gala and one special screening.

Rada Šešić, programmer of the Competition Programme – Documentary Film picked 20 titles. The selection features nine world premieres, one international, seven regional premieres and three B&H premieres.

Ten titles selected by Elma Tataragić will be screened in the Competition Programme – Short Film. The selection features seven world and three regional premieres.

Asja Krsmanović, programmer of the Competition Programme – Student Film picked 11 titles. The selection features five world premieres and six regional premieres.

The Sarajevo Film Festival competition programme is open for films and filmmakers from Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Türkiye and Ukraine.


COMPETITION PROGRAMME – FEATURE FILM 2023

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST FEATURE FILM

Award in the amount of €16,000, co-sponsored by the Tourism Association of Canton Sarajevo

 

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DIRECTOR

Award in the amount of €10,000, sponsored by the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with UNESCO

 

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTRESS

Award in the amount of €2,500

 

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTOR

Award in the amount of €2,500

1. EUROPA, Sudabeh Mortezai (Austria, United Kingdom, 2023, 97 min.) – World premiere

2. MEDIUM, Christina Ioakeimidi (Greece, Bulgaria, 2023, 98 min.) – World premiere

3. LIBERTATE, Tudor Giurgiu (Romania, Hungary, 2023, 109 min.) – International premiere

4. ANIMAL, Sofia Exarchou (Greece, Austria, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, 2023, 116 min.) – Regional premiere

5. BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY / SHASHVI SHASHVI MAKVALI, Elene Naveriani (Georgia, Switzerland, 2023, 110 min.) – Regional premiere

6. DAY OF THE TIGER / TIGRU, Andrei Tănase (Romania, France, Greece, 2023, 80 min.) – Regional premiere 

7. LA PALISIADA, Philip Sotnychenko (Ukraine, 2023, 100 min.) – Regional premiere

8. LOST COUNTRY, Vladimir Perišić (Serbia, France, Croatia, Luxembourg, Qatar, 2023, 98 min.) – Regional premiere

9. EXCURSION / EKSKURZIJA, Una Gunjak (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, France, Norway, Qatar, 2023, 94 min.) – Gala screening, out of competition

10. GUARDIANS OF THE FORMULA / ČUVARI FORMULE, Dragan Bjelogrlić (Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, 2023, 118 min.) – Gala screening, out of competition

11. RUMI, television series, producers: Ahmet Okur, Kerim Ayyildiz, director: Can Ulkaj (Türkiye, 2023) - World premiere – Special screening, out of competition

 

 

 

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM

Award in the amount of €4,000, sponsored by the Government of Switzerland

 

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM

Award in the amount of €2,000

 

HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD

Award in the amount of €3,000, sponsored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands

 

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

Award in the amount of €2,500

 

1. A DAY, 365 HOURS / BIR GÜN, 365 SAAT, Eylem Kaftan (Türkiye, Croatia, 2023, 79 min.) – World premiere

2. BODY / TELO, Petra Seliškar (Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia, 2023, 91 min.) – World premiere

3. BOTTLEMEN / FLAŠAROŠI, Nemanja Vojinović (Serbia, Slovenia, 2023, 84 min.) – World premiere

4. FAIRY GARDEN / FANNI KERTJE, Gergő Somogyvári (Hungary, Romania, Croatia, 2023, 83 min.) – World premiere

5. FRAN AND VERKA; OR A USUAL DAY IN AN ABANDONED VILLAGE, Sovran Nrecaj (Kosovo, 2023, 14 min.) – World premiere

6. HUG / OBJEM, Miroslav Mandić (Slovenia, Croatia, 2023, 14 min.) – World premiere

7. REQUIEM TO THE HOT DAYS OF SUMMER / REKVIEMI ZAFKHULIS SITSKHIAN DGHEEBS, Giorgi Parkosadze (Georgia, Greece, 2023, 77 min.) – World premiere

8. SILENCE OF REASON / ŠUTNJA RAZUMA, Kumjana Novakova (Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, 2023, 63 min.) – World premiere

9. WHAT’S TO BE DONE? / ŠTO DA SE RADI?, Goran Dević (Croatia, 2023, 79 min.) – World premiere

10. MY MUSLIM HUSBAND / SOȚUL MEU MUSULMAN, Daniel Ioan Bărnuti, Alexandra Lizeta Bărnuți (Romania, 2023. 70 min.) – International premiere

11. DE FACTO, Selma Doborac (Austria, Germany, 2023, 130 min.) – Regional premiere

12. DESERTERS / DEZERTERI, Damir Markovina (Croatia, 2023, 45 min.) – Regional premiere

13. HORROR VACUI, Boris Poljak (Croatia, 2023, 23 min.) – Regional premiere

14. NON-ALIGNED: SCENES FROM THE LABUDOVIĆ REELS, Mila Turajlić (Serbia, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Qatar, 2023, 100 min.) – Regional premiere

15. ONE ALOE, ONE FICUS, ONE AVOCADO AND SIX DRACAENAS / АЛОЄ, ФІКУС, АВОКАДО І 6 ДРАЦЕН, Marta Smerechynska (Ukraine, France, 2023, 8 min.) – Regional premiere

16. SELF-PORTRAIT ALONG THE BORDERLINE / ავტოპორტრეტი ზღვარზე, Anna Dziapshipa (Georgia, 2023, 50 min.) – Regional premiere

17. VALERIJA, Sara Jurinčić (Croatia, 2023, 16 min.) – Regional premiere

18. BETWEEN REVOLUTIONS / ÎNTRE REVOLUȚII, Vlad Petri (Romania, Croatia, Qatar, Iran, 2023, 70 min.) – B&H premiere

19. HOPE HOTEL PHANTOM, Bojan Stojčić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2023, 22 min.) – B&H premiere

20. WE WILL NOT FADE AWAY / MY NE ZGASNEMO, Alisa Kovalenko (Ukraine, France, Poland, United States, 2023, 100 min.) – B&H premiere

 

COMPETITION PROGRAMME - SHORT FILM 2023

 

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT FILM

Qualifies the winning film for consideration for the Academy Award® for Best Short Film

Award in the amount of €2,500

 

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY SHORT FILM CANDIDATE

 

1. BETWEEN THE EDGES OF THE DAY / ÎNTRE MARGINILE ZILEI, Andreea Lăcătuș (Romania, 2023, 20min.) – World Premiere

2. HOW I LEARNED TO HANG LAUNDRY / KAKO SEM SE NAUČILA OBEŠATI PERILO, Barbara Zemljič (Slovenia, 2023, 23 min.) – World premiere

3. LET THE DEWY FLOWERS BLOOM / NEKA CVJETA ROSNO CVIJEĆE, Ivan Bakrač (Montenegro, 2023, 17 min.) – World premiere

4. PIGEONS ARE DYING, WHEN THE CITY IS ON FIRE / TA PERISTÉRIA ARROSTAÍNOUN,  ÓTAN I PÓLI PHLÉYETAI, Stavros Markoulakis (Greece, 2023, 21 min.) – World premiere

5. READY / ETOMOI, Eirini Vianelli (Greece, 2023, 11 min.) – World premiere

6. THE GHOSTS YOU DRAW ON MY BACK / DUHOVI NA MOJIM LEĐIMA, Nikola Stojanović (Serbia, 2023, 15 min.) – World premiere

7. THE WITNESS / SVJEDOK, Alen Šimić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2023, 15 min.) – World premiere

8. 27, Flóra Anna Buda (Hungary, 2023, 11 min.) – Regional premiere

9. MY MOTHER IS A SAINT / I MITERA MOU INE AGIA, Syllas Tzoumerkas (Greece, 2023, 8 min.) – Regional premiere

10. THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT THE FIGHT / PRAVA ISTINA PRIČE O ŠORI, Andrea Slaviček (Croatia, 2023, 15 min.) – Regional premiere

 

 

 

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST STUDENT FILM

Award in the amount of €1,000, sponsored by the Regional Cooperation Council

 

1. 99,999%, Roberta Serban (Romania, 2023, 30 min.) – World premiere

2. FALLING, Anna Gyimesi (Hungary, 2023, 17 min.) – World premiere

3. HEARTBEAT / SRCE, Gvozden Ilić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2023, 16 min.) – World premiere

4. PRAGMA, Bianka Szelestey (Hungary, 2023, 30 min.) – World premiere

5. FROM THE CORNER OF MY EYES / SZEMEM SARKA, Domonkos Erhardt (Hungary, 2023, 6 min.) – Regional premiere

6. GLASS FINGERS / DEGETE DE STICLĂ, Alina Gheorghe (Romania, 2022, 7 min.) – Regional premiere

7. IN THEIR DREAMS ALL JELLYFISH ARE WET / IM TRAUM SIND ALLE QUALLEN FEUCHT, Marie Luise Lehner (Austria, 2023, 27 min.) – World premiere

8. I WANT TO SHATTER THE GREENHOUSE / VREAU SĂ SPARG SERA, Teona Galgotiu (Romania, 2023, 21 min.) – Regional premiere

9. SHORT CUT GRASS / NISKA TRAVA, David Gašo (Croatia, 2023, 26 min.) – Regional premiere

10. TOP VIEW OF MY BRAIN AS A CRIME SCENE / EIN SELTEN ENTSTAUBTER TEIL DES GEHIRNS, Luzia Johow (Austria, 2023, 12 min.) – Regional premiere

11. UNTIL I LIE STILL, Yana Eresina (Austria, 2023, 28 min.) – Regional premiere

29th Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from 11th to 18th of August 2023.