The Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) is joining forces with Next Step Studio, the international initiative for emerging filmmakers spearheaded by Cannes’ Critics’ Week.
Next Step Studio brings together eight directors, four from a host country and four international participants, who work in pairs to co-write and co-direct four 15-minute short films.
The first edition of Next Step Studio brought together Indonesian directors whose projects were screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Next year’s Next Step Studio programme will be held in Armenia, with the programme aiming to move to a different host country every year moving forward.
In a reciprocal arrangement, Sarajevo’s CineLink industry programme will include one Next Step Studio filmmaker from the upcoming Armenian programme to present their first or second feature project at the event’s co-production market, and short films created via the Studio will screen at the festival.
In addition, CineLink will select an emerging director of any nationality taking part in this year’s CineLink to be one of the four directors attending Next Step Studio.
Initially reserved for filmmakers selected at Critics’ Week with their short films to help them on their path to feature films, the Next Step workshops have recently opened up to guest programmes and partners.
“This new partnership with CineLink allows us to expand our exchanges with a particularly creative and inspiring region of the world,” said Thomas Rosso, Critics’ Week’s programme manager and Next Step workshops director.
Maša Marković, head of industry at the Sarajevo Film Festival, said: “Making a first feature can take years, and during that time filmmakers need opportunities to keep creating, test their ideas and build relationships with their peers.”
She said the partnership “strengthens the ecosystem around first-time filmmakers and supports CineLink’s wider commitment to bringing new voices into the international film industry.”
Dominique Welinski, producer and curator of Next Step Studio, added: “CineLink is always where I discover some of the most exciting new voices from the region.. [The partnership ] is a step forward to continue building bridges between emerging filmmakers and the international industry together.”
Sarajevo Film Festival runs in Bosnia and Herzegovina from August 14-21. UK actor Emily Watson will serve as president of the jury for the feature competition.
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