24/08/2023 - Sarajevo is set to come alive with thought-provoking narratives and compelling visuals as the gathering takes centre stage from 8-12 September

Sarajevo is set to come alive with thought-provoking narratives and compelling visuals as the sixth edition of the Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC) takes centre stage from 8-12 September. Boasting a carefully curated selection of the world's finest documentaries, the festival aims to ignite discussions and prompt reflections on the theme of "RIGHT(S)".

With each passing year, the AJB DOC Film Festival has garnered acclaim for its ability to weave together documentary stories from across the globe, encapsulating a central theme that holds them in a cohesive narrative tapestry. This year, the chosen theme is "RIGHT(S)" – a timely and imperative topic that addresses the growing concern over the erosion of fundamental rights and freedoms that every individual is inherently entitled to, irrespective of their background, beliefs or lifestyle.

In their statement, the organisers of the festival highlighted that the theme "RIGHT(S)" was meticulously selected to cast a spotlight on the distressingly recurrent instances of denying basic rights and liberties, which should be the bedrock of any just society. While political and social discourses are replete with discussions on rights and legal frameworks, paradoxically, marginalised and vulnerable groups find themselves deprived of these very rights on a routine basis.

Central to the festival's focus is the celebration of universal human values. Accordingly, the spectrum of documentary films showcased will delve into not only fundamental civil and political rights, but also the intricate web of social, cultural and economic rights. The selection stands as a testament to the issues of our times: women's rights, refugees' and migrants' rights, the media's right to unobstructed journalism, the right to life and human dignity, freedom of choice, the right to identity, the right to express opinions and a myriad of other rights, which are enshrined internationally but remain violated in practice.

The AJB DOC Film Festival has categorised its films into several compelling programmes. The Competition programme will feature documentaries intended for television broadcasts, pitting the best of the best against each other. The Last Minute Cinema strand will spotlight feature-length documentaries, enriching the cinematic experience. The AJB Screening programme is set to unify top documentaries from the region, fostering cross-cultural dialogue. Additionally, the SmartDoc section will provide a platform for emerging talents to showcase their perspectives.

The AJB DOC Film Festival is sponsored by BH Telecom and supported through a partnership with Samsung. The line-ups of the four distinct programmes are set to be revealed soon.