The UNIQA SEE FUTURE Foundation, in partnership with the Sarajevo Film Festival and Slano Film Days, has unveiled the Female Filmmakers Support Programme. This initiative, boasting a budget of €150,000 for 2025, aims to empower women in film across six Southeast European countries: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, and Montenegro.

The programme focuses on supporting female-driven film projects, enhancing diversity and representation, and fostering networking opportunities through the CineLink Industry Training and Skills Programme. It also encourages international co-productions by opening applications to filmmakers from other countries, provided they collaborate with regional producers.

Adel Bahtanović, president of UNIQA, SEE region, emphasised the importance of amplifying women’s voices in cinema: "The filmmaking industry holds immense power in shaping public opinion. Hearing more stories from female perspectives enriches our understanding of life and creates a more inclusive world."

The call for the "Female Filmmakers Support Programme" is open to female directors or co-directors and at least one other key associate (screenwriter, director of photography, composer, editor) who identifies as a woman. Although the foundation focuses on the six countries mentioned above, it is also possible for a person from other nations to apply, provided that they have a producer or co-producer coming from one of the aforementioned countries.

Applications for the programme are open until 19 February 2025, with further details available here.