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UNIQA SEE Future Foundation Offers New Opportunities for Regional Female Filmmakers
At the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival, UNIQA Insurance unveiled a new initiative within its UNIQA SEE Future Foundation.
Conceived as a catalyst for positive social change, the Foundation, in collaboration with the Sarajevo Film Festival and Slano Film Days, will provide funding opportunities for film projects led by women.
The project was introduced by a special guest—legendary tennis player Goran Ivanišević, a UNIQA Insurance ambassador, who first expressed his admiration for the Sarajevo Film Festival.
"I am extremely honored to be here. I wanted to come in previous years, but I was always on the American tour at this time. Now that I'm without a job, I had the time to come," Ivanišević said, adding that it was particularly enjoyable to watch an outdoor film for the first time in 40 years.
To promote the UNIQA SEE Future Foundation and its initiative for female filmmakers, Sarajevo’s Franc Lehár Street was transformed into a tennis court for a day. Goran Ivanišević played an exhibition match there with actors Nadine Mičić and Boris Ler, as well as with participants from the Gem Tennis Club.
"The UNIQA SEE Future Foundation was launched to demonstrate that UNIQA is a socially responsible company not just through words but through actions," emphasized Adel Bahtanović, President of UNIQA SEE Region.
The Foundation’s activities will focus on three areas: sports, culture, and sustainability. The first step in sports has already been taken, and now the focus has shifted to culture.
"The idea was born to support young talents in the film industry. We decided to focus on young female filmmakers—producers and directors—who have enormous potential in our region," Bahtanović noted.
To assist female filmmakers in the region where UNIQA SEE operates (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Montenegro), a competition will be announced for the funding of projects predominantly led by women. This initiative aligns with the Sarajevo Film Festival's efforts to improve gender equality both at the Festival and in regional cinema.
"We organize the Festival for both the audience and professionals. The Sarajevo Film Festival is also a platform for the development of cinema in the region. Through programs like Talents Sarajevo, the screening of student films, and many other initiatives, we aim to provide a complete ecosystem for industry professionals, particularly young filmmakers, to transition smoothly from student days to their first festival screenings," said Jovan Marjanović, Director of the Sarajevo Film Festival. He also emphasized the Festival's ongoing commitment to achieving gender parity in film representation, with a 50:50 goal.
"Only together can we change things," stated Sonja Marić, Director of Brand and Communications at UNIQA SEE Insurance. "We found the right partner in the Sarajevo Film Festival. Women are creative and bring a new perspective to what they do, as everything women experience is woven into their art."