Sarajevo Film Festival packs competition slate with 21 world premieres
The 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival runs Aug. 14 to 21 with new films from across South-East Europe leading the race.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Sarajevo Film Festival has put 21 world premieres on the table for its 32nd edition, setting up a competition lineup heavy on fresh titles from South-East Europe.
The festival announced its competition programs on Thursday, with the slate also including six international premieres, one European premiere and 23 regional premieres. This year’s edition runs from Aug. 14 to 21.
The narrative feature competition contains nine films from South-East Europe. According to the festival, that section includes one world premiere, one international premiere, one European premiere and six regional premieres.
Elma Tataragić, programmer of the narrative feature section, said the lineup is led by second and third films, alongside one debut and two fifth features. She said the selection ranges across family dramas, coming-of-age stories, social realism and more formally experimental work.
Tataragić also noted that six of the nine narrative features are directed by women, saying the lineup reflects both artistic variety in the region and a widening mix of voices shaping its cinema.
Narrative features in competition
“Everything That’s Wrong With You,” directed by Urša Menart, will receive its world premiere. The Slovenia, Germany and Serbia co-production follows Maruša after her mother’s death as she builds an online connection with Alja, a nurse in a German coastal town.
“Small Things,” from Zvonimir Jurić, is set for its international premiere. The Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia production centers on sisters returning to an island family home after their father decides to sell family land.
“Skateboarding Is Not for Girls,” directed by Dina Duma, will have its European premiere. The North Macedonia, Belgium, Slovenia and Croatia film follows two sisters in Skopje as poverty threatens to force an arranged marriage.
The regional premiere lineup includes Kosara Mitić’s “17,” Blerta Basholli’s “Dua,” Sandra Wollner’s “Everytime,” Visar Morina’s “Shame and Money,” Ana Urushadze’s “Supporting Role” and Florin Șerban’s “You Don’t Belong Here.”
Documentaries and shorts
The documentary feature competition brings five world premieres: Martin Genovski’s “Bear With Me,” Milcho Manchevski’s “Good People,” Dragana Jurišić’s “The Balkan Cowboy,” Bojana Novaković’s “The Forbidden Aunt” and Damir Markovina’s “We Shall Live Together.”
Three documentary features will have international premieres: Helena Maksyom’s “Don’t Ask Me If I Killed,” Tatjana Božić’s “Fragments of Belonging” and Metod Pevec’s “When I Get Out.” Regional premieres in the documentary feature section include “32 Meters,” “Bugboy,” “Electing Ms Santa,” “For Life” and “To Hold a Mountain.”
The documentary shorts race includes world premieres for “Bro Ram,” “Fahrudin,” “Of Light Ghosts” and “The Captain and the Caspian Sea.” “Dear Orchid” is listed as an international premiere, while “Asparagus Bear,” “Holy Defiance” and “The Ferry Flows” will screen as regional premieres.
The narrative short film competition adds five world premieres: Marianna Vas’ “Ditch,” Anna Sarukhanova’s “Hidden in Frame,” Danica Dakić’s “Mamama,” Luka Galešić’s “Patch” and Sis Gürdal’s “Porkatal.” Regional premieres in that section include “Adgwa-Ata,” “Cosmonauts,” “Go Outside and Hug a Tree,” “Motherhood” and “Nobody Said Anything.”
The student short film competition includes six world premieres: “Hyena,” “Neighbor,” “Sisters,” “The Go-Between,” “Unwellness” and “Water Walls.” Alexandra Schinteie’s “The Future Is in Your Hands, But Why Not Lend It to the Specialists?” will have its international premiere.
Outside competition, Filip Grujić and Aleksa Borković’s “Yugo Goes to America” is set for a national premiere.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.