Sarajevo Film Festival Reveals Official Selection Including Cannes Title ‘Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry’
The Sarajevo Film Festival has unveiled its official selection for this year’s edition, with Elene Naveriani’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight title Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry among the titles playing in Competition.
A total of 49 films will compete for the Heart of Sarajevo awards. The Festival’s four competition sections – feature, documentary, short, and student film – will feature 22 world, two international, 22 regional, and three national premieres.
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Additional titles featured in the main competition program include Animal by Greek filmmaker Sofia Exarchou, Tigru by Andrei Tănase, and the Turkish series Rumi from producers Ahmet Okur, Kerim Ayyildiz, and director Can Ulkaj playing as a special screening.
The festival said Creative Director Izeta Građević saw 935 films submitted for consideration, including 200 feature fiction films, 235 documentaries, 500 shorts, and student titles.
The Sarajevo Film Festival competition programme is open for films and filmmakers from Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Türkiye and Ukraine.
The jury for this year’s festival features actress and director Mia Wasikowska (Bergman Island). She will be joined by actor Zlatko Burić, actress Danica Ćurčić, director and actor Juraj Lerotić, and Josh Siegel, curator of MoMA’s Department of Film.
The 29th edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival takes place August 11-18.
Here’s the full list:
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – FEATURE FILM 2023
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST FEATURE FILM
Award in the amount of €16,000, co-sponsored by the Tourism Association of Canton Sarajevo
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Award in the amount of €10,000, sponsored by the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with UNESCO
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTRESS
Award in the amount of €2,500
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTOR
Award in the amount of €2,500
1. EUROPA, Sudabeh Mortezai (Austria, 2023, 97 min.) – World premiere
2. MEDIUM, Christina Ioakeimidi (Greece, 2023, 98 min.) – World premiere
3. FREEDOM / LIBERTATE, Tudor Giurgiu (Romania, Hungary, 2023, 109 min.) – International premiere
4. ANIMAL, Sofia Exarchou (Greece, Austria, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, 2023, 116 min.) – Regional premiere
5. BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY / SHASHVI SHASHVI MAKVALI, Elene Naveriani (Georgia, Switzerland, 2023, 110 min.) – Regional premiere
6. DAY OF THE TIGER / TIGRU, Andrei Tănase (Romania, France, Greece, 2023, 80 min.) – Regional premiere
7. LA PALISIADA, Philip Sotnychenko (Ukraine, 2023, 100 min.) – Regional premiere
8. LOST COUNTRY, Vladimir Perišić (Serbia, France, Croatia, Luxembourg, Qatar, 2023, 98 min.) – Regional premiere
9. EXCURSION / EKSKURZIJA, Una Gunjak (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2023, 94 min.) – Gala screening, out of competition
10. GUARDIANS OF THE FORMULA / ČUVARI FORMULE, Dragan Bjelogrlić (Serbia, 2023, 118 min.) – Gala screening, out of competition
11. RUMI, television series, producers: Ahmet Okur, Kerim Ayyildiz, director: Can Ulkaj (Türkiye, 2023) – World premiere – Special screening, out of competition
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – DOCUMENTARY FILM 2023
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Award in the amount of €4,000, sponsored by the Government of Switzerland
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM
Award in the amount of €2,000
HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
Award in the amount of €3,000, sponsored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Award in the amount of €2,500
1. A DAY, 365 HOURS / BIR GÜN, 365 SAAT, Eylem Kaftan (Türkiye, Croatia, 2023, 79 min.) – World premiere
2. BODY / TELO, Petra Seliškar (Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia, 2023, 91 min.) – World premiere
3. BOTTLEMEN / FLAŠAROŠI, Nemanja Vojinović (Serbia, Slovenia, 2023, 84 min.) – World premiere
4. FAIRY GARDEN / FANNI KERTJE, Gergő Somogyvári (Hungary, Romania, Croatia, 2023, 83 min.) – World premiere
5. FRAN AND VERKA; OR A USUAL DAY IN AN ABANDONED VILLAGE, Sovran Nrecaj (Kosovo, 2023, 14 min.) – World premiere
6. HUG / OBJEM, Miroslav Mandić (Slovenia, Croatia, 2023, 14 min.) – World premiere
7. REQUIEM TO THE HOT DAYS OF SUMMER / REKVIEMI ZAFKHULIS SITSKHIAN DGHEEBS, Giorgi Parkosadze (Georgia, Greece, 2023, 77 min.) – World premiere
8. SILENCE OF REASON / ŠUTNJA RAZUMA, Kumjana Novakova (Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, 2023, 63 min.) – World premiere
9. WHAT’S TO BE DONE? / ŠTO DA SE RADI?, Goran Dević (Croatia, 2023, 79 min.) – World premiere
10. MY MUSLIM HUSBAND / SOȚUL MEU MUSULMAN, Daniel Ioan Bărnuti, Alexandra Lizeta Bărnuți (Romania, 2023. 70 min.) – International premiere
11. DE FACTO, Selma Doborac (Austria, Germany, 2023, 130 min.) – Regional premiere
12. DESERTERS / DEZERTERI, Damir Markovina (Croatia, 2022, 45 min.) – Regional premiere
13. HORROR VACUI, Boris Poljak (Croatia, 2023, 23 min.) – Regional premiere
14. NON-ALIGNED: SCENES FROM THE LABUDOVIĆ REELS, Mila Turajlić (Serbia, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Qatar, 2022, 100 min.) – Regional premiere 15. ONE ALOE, ONE FICUS, ONE AVOCADO AND SIX DRACAENAS / АЛОЄ, ФІКУС, АВОКАДО І 6 ДРАЦЕН, Marta Smerechynska (Ukraine, France, 2023, 8 min.) – Regional premiere
16. SELF-PORTRAIT ALONG THE BORDERLINE / ავტოპორტრეტი ზღვარზე, Anna Dziapshipa (Georgia, 2023, 50 min.) – Regional premiere
17. VALERIJA, Sara Jurinčić (Croatia, 2023, 16 min.) – Regional premiere
18. BETWEEN REVOLUTIONS / ÎNTRE REVOLUȚII, Vlad Petri (Romania, Croatia, Qatar, Iran, 2023, 70 min.) – B&H premiere
19. HOPE HOTEL PHANTOM, Bojan Stojčić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2023, 22 min.) – B&H premiere
20. WE WILL NOT FADE AWAY / MY NE ZGASNEMO, Alisa Kovalenko (Ukraine, France, Poland, United States, 2023, 100 min.) – B&H premiere
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – SHORT FILM 2023
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT FILM
Qualifies the winning film for consideration for the Academy Award® for Best Short Film
Award in the amount of €2,500
EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY SHORT FILM CANDIDATE
1. BETWEEN THE EDGES OF THE DAY / ÎNTRE MARGINILE ZILEI, Andreea Lăcătuș (Romania, 2023, 20min.) – World Premiere
2. HOW I LEARNED TO HANG LAUNDRY / KAKO SEM SE NAUČILA OBEŠATI PERILO, Barbara Zemljič (Slovenia, 2023, 23 min.) – World premiere
3. LET THE DEWY FLOWERS BLOOM / NEKA CVJETA ROSNO CVIJEĆE, Ivan Bakrač (Montenegro, 2023, 17 min.) – World premiere
4. PIGEONS ARE DYING, WHEN THE CITY IS ON FIRE / TA PERISTÉRIA ARROSTAÍNOUN, ÓTAN I PÓLI PHLÉYETAI, Stavros Markoulakis (Greece, 2023, 21 min.) – World premiere
5. READY / ETOMOI, Eirini Vianelli (Greece, 2023, 11 min.) – World premiere
6. THE GHOSTS YOU DRAW ON MY BACK / DUHOVI NA MOJIM LEĐIMA, Nikola Stojanović (Serbia, 2023, 15 min.) – World premiere
7. THE WITNESS / SVJEDOK, Alen Šimić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2023, 15 min.) – World premiere
8. 27, Flóra Anna Buda (Hungary, 2023, 11 min.) – Regional premiere
9. MY MOTHER IS A SAINT / I MITERA MOU INE AGIA, Syllas Tzoumerkas (Greece, 2023, 8 min.) – Regional premiere
10. THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT THE FIGHT / PRAVA ISTINA PRIČE O ŠORI, Andrea Slaviček (Croatia, 2023, 15 min.) – Regional premiere
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – STUDENT FILM 2023
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST STUDENT FILM
Award in the amount of €1,000, sponsored by the Regional Cooperation Council
1. 99,999%, Roberta Serban (Romania, 2023, 30 min.) – World premiere
2. FALLING, Anna Gyimesi (Hungary, 2023, 17 min.) – World premiere
3. HEARTBEAT / SRCE, Gvozden Ilić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2023, 16 min.) – World premiere
4. PRAGMA, Bianka Szelestey (Hungary, 2023, 30 min.) – World premiere
5. FROM THE CORNER OF MY EYES / SZEMEM SARKA, Domonkos Erhardt (Hungary, 2023, 6 min.) – Regional premiere
6. GLASS FINGERS / DEGETE DE STICLĂ, Alina Gheorghe (Romania, 2022, 7 min.) – Regional premiere
7. IN THEIR DREAMS ALL JELLYFISH ARE WET / IM TRAUM SIND ALLE QUALLEN FEUCHT, Marie Luise Lehner (Austria, 2023, 27 min.) – Regional premiere
8. I WANT TO SHATTER THE GREENHOUSE / VREAU SĂ SPARG SERA, Teona Galgotiu (Romania, 2023, 21 min.) – Regional premiere
9. SHORT CUT GRASS / NISKA TRAVA, David Gašo (Croatia, 2023, 26 min.) – Regional premiere
10. TOP VIEW OF MY BRAIN AS A CRIME SCENE / EIN SELTEN ENTSTAUBTER TEIL DES GEHIRNS, Luzia Johow (Austria, 2023, 12 min.) – Regional premiere
11. UNTIL I LIE STILL, Yana Eresina (Austria, 2023, 28 min.) – Regional premiere
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