Fifty Films Compete at 31st Sarajevo Film Festival

The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival, scheduled from August 15 to 22, will feature 50 films competing for the prestigious Heart of Sarajevo awards across four competition categories: feature, documentary, short, and student films. The festival will showcase 15 world premieres, six international, 28 regional, and two national premieres, with a programming team led by creative director Izeta Građević who reviewed over 1,000 films. The competition highlights films that transcend national boundaries and explore universal themes of survival and human connection within complex social contexts. Bulgarian and Romanian productions are notably participating, including the Bulgarian-backed co-production "Yugo Florida" and multiple Romanian films competing in various sections. The jury is headed by Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, joined by international cinema figures. The festival aims to present diverse narratives that reflect on contemporary issues and shared human experiences through cinema.