Ena Sendijarevic and Aida Begic are among five female filmmakers to receive funding through the Uniqa See Future Foundation’s Female Filmmakers Support Programme.
The programme, run in co-operation with Sarajevo Film Festival and Slano Film Days, is providing a total of €180,000 support for the five filmmakers, as part of a commitment to gender equality in film.
Scroll down to see the filmmakers’ selected projects
Alongside Take Me Somewhere Nice director Sendijarevic and Children of Sarajevo filmmaker Begic, the programme selected Masa Sarovic, Biljana Tutorov and Dolya Gavanski. The filmmakers were selected for a feature film project on which they are currently working; they will also gain access to Sarajevo Film Festival’s CineLink Industry Days’ Industry Training and Skills Programme.
The recipients were announced at a lunch as part of the second Slano Film Days, attended by guests including Ruben Ostlund, Daniel Bruhl, Philippe Bober, casting director Nancy Bishop and WME agent Elizabeth Wiederseim.
The programme is open to female filmmakers from the six Southeast European countries in which insurer Uniqa operates: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania and Bulgaria.
“From the very beginning, Slano Film Days was imagined as a place where new voices could be heard and supported,” said Mirsad Purivatra, founder and director of the event. “This programme is a natural extension of that vision: shining a spotlight on women filmmakers whose work challenges, inspires, and moves us. By backing their creative journeys, we’re helping shape a more inclusive and dynamic future for cinema in our region.”
“Together, in a short amount of time, we succeeded in supporting five exceptional, inspiring, and talented women filmmakers, thereby making a meaningful contribution to the visibility and affirmation of creative work in the region,” said Adel Bahtanovic, president of the Uniqa Southeast Europe region.
“Through this partnership with UNIQA, we are able to act strategically and address - and hopefully correct - some of the systemic imbalances in film funding. Sarajevo Film Festival has always stood for gender equality in cinema, and we are proud to contribute to that goal through such a concrete and meaningful project,” added Sarajevo Film Festival director Jovan Marjanovic.
Slano Film Days closed on Saturday, June 21, with an evening screening of Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing. The five-day event included talks from Ostlund, Steve Buscemi, Bruhl, cinematographer Michael Seresin and Juho Kuosmanen.
Female Filmmakers Support Programme 2025 projects
The Possessed (Bos & Her-Neth) dir. Ena Sendijarevic, prods. SCCA/pro.ba, Studio Ruba
Air In A Bottle (Ser) dir. Aida Begic, prod. This and That Productions
Embryo (Mont) dir. Masa Sarovic, prod. Kino d.o.o.
The Last Nomads (Ser) dir. Biljana Tutorov, prod. Wake Up Films
Confessions of a Female Gamer (Bul) dir. Dolya Gavanski, prods. Agitprop, Thea Films
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