SARAJEVO, August 16 (FENA) – Tonight, the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) will begin with a solemn ceremony at the National Theater. The largest regional film festival once again brought countless admirers of the seventh art to the capital of BiH, filmmakers from the countries of the region and the world, who in the next seven days will enjoy not only film productions but also numerous accompanying events.
This year’s edition of the festival brings a large number of films, of which eight feature-length feature films, 17 feature-length documentaries, five short features, nine short documentaries and 11 student films will be screened as part of the Competition Program.
Red SFF flags have been flying around the city for days, tourists have jammed the main streets, and several summer cinemas are ready to welcome the audience. Everything is about the film and film fever, whose official start is eagerly awaited.
The honor of opening the Sarajevo Film Festival went to the film BH director Danis Tanović’s “My Late Summer”, a comedy-drama about a young woman who comes to a remote island to solve the issue of the family inheritance. In a whirlwind of new emotions, through a series of unforeseen situations, Maja will finally face questions from her past. The search for inheritance becomes a search for one’s own identity, but also for forgiveness,” is the film’s synopsis.
Danis Tanović is an award-winning director, screenwriter and producer.
His film “No Man’s Land” (2001), for which he also wrote the screenplay, was awarded the “Oscar” and “Golden Globe” for the best film in a foreign language.
He is a two-time winner of the “Silver Bear” at the Berlin Film Festival for the films “Episode in the Life of an Iron Miner” (2013) and “Death in Sarajevo” (2016). He was awarded the “Honorary Heart of Sarajevo” of the Sarajevo Film Festival (2014) as a sign of recognition for his outstanding contribution to film art and for his support of the SFF.
Before the screening of Tanović’s film, an opening ceremony will traditionally be held in front of the Sarajevo National Theater, led by actress Maja Izetbegović.
A total of 54 films from four competition categories will compete for the “Heart of Sarajevo” awards, while three more films will be screened outside the competition.
The 30th Sarajevo Film Festival brings more than 240 films from 70 countries in more than 20 program selections.
The Sarajevo Film Festival will traditionally end with the awarding of the Heart of Sarajevo awards for the best authors and achievements, as well as other festival and partner awards.