Eight features have been selected for the main competition of the Sarajevo Film Festival, which is taking place as a physical event from August 14-21.
They include the world premieres of More Raça’s Andromeda Galaxy; Fatih Özcan’s Mavzer; Ruxandra Ghițescu’s Otto The Barbarian; and Ru Hasanov’s The Island Within. A further three films played in the Berlinale’s Panorama section earlier this year: Visar Morina’s Exile; Andrea Staka’s Mare; and Georgis Grigorakis’ Digger, which won the strand’s CICAE Award.
Scroll down for full list of features
Psychological thriller Exile previously received its world premiere in competition at Sundance and is produced by Toni Erdmann director Maren Ade. The cast also includes Toni Erdmann star Sandra Hüller.
Rounding out the feature titles is All The Pretty Horses, from Greek director Michalis Konstantatos, whose debut feature Luton played in competition at San Sebastian, Stockholm and London film festivals in 2013.
A total of 49 films will compete for the Heart of Sarajevo awards across four sections – feature, documentary, short and student film – and includes 29 world premieres, six international premieres and two European premieres.
As previously announced, the feature competition jury will be presided over by French writer-director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) and includes Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian; Croatian actress Jadranka Đokić; Serbian director Srdan Golubović; and Morelia film festival head of industry Andrea Stavenhagen.
Together, they will decide and announce the winners of the Heart of Sarajevo awards at a ceremony on August 20 in the city’s National Theatre. Prizes include €16,000 for best feature, €10,000 for best director and €2,500 each for best actor and actress.
Documentary selection
The documentary competition includes 16 films, half of which are world premieres, and all of which will compete for the Heart of Sarajevo award (including €3,000); the Human Rights Award worth €3,000; and a Special Jury Prize of €2,500.
The selection includes Radu Ciorniciuc’s Acasă, My Home, which received its world premiere at Sundance in January, where it won the cinematography award, and follows a large Romanian family’s forced move from the wilderness to the big city.
Other titles include Katerina Patroni’s The Fourth Character, which played in competition at Thessaloniki; Mladen Kovačević’s Merry Christmas, Yiwu, which debuted at IFFR; and Her Mothers, from directors Asia Dér and Sári Haragonics, first seen at Hot Docs.
This year, the Sarajevo festival team considered 750 submissions, including 130 narrative features, 220 documentaries, 250 shorts and 150 student titles.
Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and a recent spike in cases throughout Bosnia, Sarajevo is pressing ahead as a physical event next month and organisers have said they are working with healthcare institutions to define safety protocols for all festival locations and guests, while anticipating smaller groups and fewer attendees.
Sarajevo Film Festival 2020 Competition Titles
Feature Film
Andromeda Galaxy (Kos-Sp-It-N Mac) World premiere
Dir. More Raça
Mavzer (Tur) World premiere
Dir. Fatih Özcan
Otto The Barbarian (Rom-Bel) World premiere
Dir. Ruxandra Ghițescu
The Island Within (Az-Fr) World premiere
Dir. Ru Hasanov
All The Pretty Little Horses (Gre-Bel-Ger)
Dir. Michalis Konstantatos
Digger (Gre-Fr)
Dir. Georgis Grigorakis
Exile (Ger-Bel-Kos)
Dir. Visar Morina
Mare (Swi-Cro)
Dir. Andrea Štaka
Documentary
Conspiracy (Mont) World premiere
Dir. Šemsudin Radončić
Hold Me Right (Serb-US) World premiere
Dir. Danijela Stajnfeld
Holy Father (Rom) World premiere
Dir. Andrei Dăscălescu
In Praise Of Love (Serb) World premiere
Dir. Tamara Drakulić
Let There Be Colour (Bos-It) World premiere
Dir. Ado Hasanović
Nenad (Bel-Bos) World premiere
Dir. Mladen Bundalo
One Of Us (Cro) World premiere
Dir. Đuro Gavran
Our Lady’s Peace (Mont) World premiere
Dir. Vladimir Perović
House Of Dolls (Rom) International premiere
Dir. Tudor Platon
The Fourth Character (Gre) International premiere
Dir. Katerina Patroni
Her Mothers (Hun)
Dirs. Asia Dér, Sári Haragonics
Merry Christmas, Yiwu (Swe-Serb-Ger-Fr-Qat)
Dir. Mladen Kovačević
Return To Epipo (Hun)
Dir. Judit Oláh
The Pageant (Tur-Fr-Isr-Ger)
Dir. Eytan Ipeker
Wood (Rom-Chi-Rus-Aus-US-Peru-Ger)
Dirs. Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, Michaela Kirst, Ebba Sinzinger
Acasă, My Home (Rom-Ger-Fin)
Dir. Radu Ciorniciuc
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