Sarajevo Film Festival Celebrates 30th Year with a Dramatic Facelift and New Industry Hub: ‘Looking Ahead to the Future’

In a departure from its traditional setup, the Sarajevo Film Festival is gearing up for its 30th edition with outstanding changes that reflect its forward-looking vision. Rather than focusing solely on its storied past—rooted in its origins during the harrowing siege of the early 1990s—the festival is embracing a new location and modernized format.

Festival director Jovan Marjanović, who began his tenure at the event two decades ago, emphasized that while the festival will honor its history, the primary focus is on future developments. “I think this is setting the course for the next 25, 30 years,”

Marjanović told Variety. The festival’s activities are moving from the historic core of Sarajevo’s old town to the city’s contemporary areas, including the Hotel Holiday and Cineplexx Cinemas, a recently built multiplex. Additionally, a new open-air cinema and the Festival Garden will be central to the festival’s events, including the opening party, from August 16 to 23.

The iconic Hotel Europe, a 140-year-old landmark, will no longer host the CineLink industry program, which will now be centered at the modern Swissotel. This change signifies a broader transformation in how the festival interacts with Sarajevo. Marjanović explained, “It’s really about finding new places in this city and making the festival a part of them.”

The festival will open with the world premiere of Danis Tanović’s “My Late Summer” and feature 54 films across various competition sections. Entries include Vuk Ršumović’s “Dwelling Among the Gods” and Mirjana Karanović’s “Mother Mara,” while Alexander Payne, John Turturro, and Meg Ryan will be honored with special awards.

With a jury led by Paul Schrader and a record-breaking year anticipated, the Sarajevo Film Festival remains a vital platform for both regional talent and international cinema.