The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival, set for 15–22 August, has unveiled a 50‑title competition roster spanning feature, documentary, short and student sections, with 15 world and six international premieres lined up for the coveted Heart of Sarajevo awards. Creative director Izeta Građević said the programme captures filmmakers “exploring how we live and survive within complex and unstable social frameworks,” adding that the stories tap a universal need for meaning and connection.
Nine features will vie for the €16,000 top prize, among them the world‑premiere contenders “Otter,” “Stars of Little Importance” and Balkan road comedy “Yugo Florida,” which join six regional debuts in what programmers call the festival’s most debut‑heavy selection to date. Selector Elma Tataragić hailed the line‑up as “a dynamic mix of bold narration and visual innovation” that showcases six first‑time directors alongside established voices.
Twenty documentaries—led by Bosnian premiere “Bosnian Knight”—and ten shorts round out the competition, a slate programmer Rada Šešić says foregrounds “the power of love” even amid political turbulence. Ukrainian auteur Sergei Loznitsa heads the main jury with actor Dragan Mićanović, filmmakers Emanuel Pârvu and Ena Sendijarević, and festival strategist Tricia Tuttle. Announcing his appointment, Loznitsa remarked that “cinema today shouts out loud, unsettles, repossesses” and must create “spaces of empowerment” for artists and audiences alike.
The festival will open on 15 August with the world premiere of Dino Mustafić’s dark retirement‑home satire “The Pavilion,” starring regional icon Rade Šerbedžija. Trade reports describe the Bosnian‑Croatian co‑production as a brisk black comedy critiquing institutional neglect of the elderly.
Off‑screen, Oscar‑winning Italian director Paolo Sorrentino will receive an Honorary Heart of Sarajevo and present a full retrospective plus a public masterclass. Festival director Jovan Marjanović said the honour salutes a filmmaker whose “locally rooted, deeply human tales left a global impact”.
Organisers project attendance above 100,000, underscoring Sarajevo’s reputation as Southeast Europe’s largest film gathering even as the region faces economic headwinds
