Sarajevo reveals the competition programme of its 30th edition

by Marko Stojiljković

25/07/2024 - The Heart of Sarajevo competition features the new film by Vuk Ršumović in world premiere, as well as the latest works by Sonja Prosenc, Emanuel Pârvu and Yorgos Zois

Sarajevo reveals the competition programme of its 30th edition

Family Therapy by Sonja Prosenc, which has its European Premiere in the Feature Film Competition at Sarajevo

The Sarajevo Film Festival (16-23 August) has announced the titles for all four of its competitive sections. A total of 54 films will compete for the Heart of Sarajevo awards, while three more titles will be showcased out of competition. Regarding premiere statuses, 19 films will be shown as world premieres, nine as international, three as European, 23 as regional and three more as national premieres. The selection process, overseen by creative director Izeta Građević, required watching 940 films: 190 fiction features, 280 documentaries and 470 short and student films.

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Out of nine films in the Feature Film Competition, selected by Elma Tataragić, one will be showcased as a world premiere: Dwelling Among the Gods [+see also:
film review
interview: Vuk Ršumović and Fereshteh …
film profile], the new film by Vuk Ršumović, whose first feature No One's Child [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] was selected in Venice's International Critics' Week. One additional world premiere will be screened out of competition as a gala (Mirjana Karanović’s sophomore directorial effort Mother Mara [+see also:
film review
film profile]); there will be a European premiere (Sonja Prosenc's Family Therapy [+see also:
film review
interview: Sonja Prosenc
film profile], world-premiered at Tribeca) and six regional premieres. These are Yorgos Zois’ Arcadia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Yorgos Zois
film profile], Andrei Cohn’s Holy Week [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrei Cohn
film profile], Roman Bondarchuk’s The Editorial Office [+see also:
film review
interview: Roman Bondarchuk
film profile], Mo Harawe’s The Village Next to Paradise [+see also:
film review
film profile], Emanuel Pârvu’s Three Kilometers to the End of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emanuel Pârvu
film profile] and Tato Koteshivili’s Holy Electricity [+see also:
film review
interview: Tato Kotetishvili
film profile].

Rada Šešić, the selector for the Documentary Film Competition, picked 21 films, 19 in competition and two out of it. Three of the competitive titles will enjoy their world premieres, five will be international, one European, eight regional and two national. Regarding the out of competition titles, one will be screened as a world premiere and one as a national one. Format-wise, the selection contains 13 feature-length films and 8 shorts.

The Short Film Competition selected by Elma Tataragić includes 12 titles, out of which four world and two international premieres, while the Student Film Competition selected by Asja Krsmanović features 15 films, including nine world and two international premieres. Films from the regions of Central, East and Southeast Europe, along with the South Caucasus, are eligible for selection for the programme of Sarajevo.

The festival will open with the latest film by Danis Tanović, My Late Summer [+see also:
film review
film profile] (read news).

Here is the complete list of selected titles:

Fiction Features

Competition

Out of Competition

Mother Mara [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Mirjana Karanović (Serbia/Slovenia/Switzerland/Montenegro/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Luxembourg)

Documentaries

Competition

A Picture to Remember [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Olga Chernykh (Ukraine/France/Germany)
Between Delicate and Violent – Şirin Bahar Demirel (Turkey/Netherlands) (short film)
Pavilion 6 [+see also:
film review
interview: Goran Dević
film profile] – Goran Dević (Croatia)
Dad’s Lullaby [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Lesia Diak (Ukraine/Romania/Croatia)
Pain – Ivan Faktor (Croatia) (short film)
What We Ask of a Statue Is That It Doesn’t Move – Daphné Hérétakis (Greece/France) (short film)
Our Children [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Silvestar Kolbas (Croatia)
The Seagull – David Lušičić (Croatia) (short film)
Heterotopia – Nikola Nikolić (Serbia) (short film)
At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking [+see also:
film review
interview: Maja Novaković
film profile] – Maja Novaković (Serbia/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Belgium)
Cent’Anni [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Maja Prelog (Slovenia/Italy/Poland/Austria)
Re:Visited Jasenovac – Admir Rahmanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Sweden) (short film)
Your Life Without Me [+see also:
interview: Anna Rubi
film profile] – Anna Rubi (Hungary/Sweden)
Like a Sick Yellow – Norika Sefa (Kosovo) (short film)
Fragments of Ice [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Maria Stoianova (Ukraine/Norway)
Biang Biang Express – Nikola Stojanović (Serbia/China) (short film)
Alice On & Off [+see also:
trailer
interview: Isabela Tent
film profile] – Isabela Tent (Romania)
...Ned, Tassot, Yossot… [+see also:
film review
interview: Brigitte Weich and Judith B…
film profile] – Brigitte Weich (Austria)
Loxy [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Dimitris Zahos, Thanasis Kafetzis (Greece)

Out of Competition

Praslovan [+see also:
interview: Slobodan Maksimović
film profile] – Slobodan Maksimović (Slovenia/Croatia)
Bekim Fehmiu [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Valmir Tertini (Albania)

Short Film Competition

Plot Revenge – Recep Çavdar (Turkey/Spain)
Gaia – Enis Čišić, Nermin Hamzagić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Absent – Cem Demirer (Turkey)
September Dawn – Ivan Đurović (Serbia/USA)
Sanki Yoxsan – Azer Guliev (Azerbaijan/France)
On the Way – Samir Karahoda (Kosovo)
Alive – Vladlen Odudenko (Ukraine)
Tako Tsubo – Eva Pedroza, Fanny Sorgo (Austria/Germany)
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent – Nebojša Slijepčević (Croatia/France/Bulgaria/Slovenia)
@TikTok_Cowboy – Anasteseu Ştefan (Romania)
Elene Dariani – Elene Tavadze (Georgia)
Bonaca – Luka Vlaho (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Student Film Competition

If I Float – Bogdan Alecsandru (Romania)
Age of the Dragon – Marcell Farkas (Hungary)
Mentor – Tinkara Klipšteter (Slovenia)
The Chaos She Left Behind – Nikos Kolioukos (Greece)
Gül – Lidija-Rukiye Kumpas (Austria)
Pitylos – Galatia Lagoutari (Greece)
Happy End Day – Anastasiia Mykhalchuk (Ukraine)
We Need to Talk About Dilan – Umut Şilan Oğurlu (Turkey)
Nothing Personal, Daddy – Tamara Pavićević (Montenegro)
The Smell of Fresh Paint – Nađa Petrović (Serbia)
Good Luck, Sarah! - Isidora Ratković (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Beyond the Face – Anja Resman (Slovenia)
The Last Drop – Anna Tőkés (Hungary)
Assist – Maria Tsioli (Greece)
Children of the Bird – Júlia Tudisco (Hungary)