31st Sarajevo Film Festival

The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival, took place between 15 and 22 August 2025 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Black comedy film The Pavilion, by Bosnian filmmaker Dino Mustafić, opened the festival. A total of 227 films from 65 countries were shown in 22 festival programmes, out of which 50 films competed for the Heart of Sarajevo awards across four competition categories: feature, documentary, short, and student films. The selection included 15 world premieres, six international, 28 regional, and two national premieres.
Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa served as jury president of Competition Program - Feature Film. Paolo Sorrentino, film director, screenwriter, and writer was the recipient of the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award for "outstanding contribution to the art of cinema". A retrospective of his films was featured as part of the festival’s "Tribute To" program. Actors Stellan Skarsgård, Ray Winstone and Willem Dafoe, were also awarded the Honorary Heart Award.
The festival closed on 22 August 2025 with the awards ceremony. Wind, Talk to Me by the Serbian director Stefan Đorđević won the Heart of Sarajevo award for best feature film.

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Highlights

"Watch. Think. Act. - Youth for Human Rights"
As part of this edition, in collaboration with UNESCO and the Dialogue for the Future 3 project, the festival will present the program "Watch. Think. Act. – Youth for Human Rights". Young people aged 18 to 25, through films, discussions, collaborative activities, and visits to key locations, will gain insight into the core principles of human rights, learn to identify and uphold them in daily life, and connect with like-minded peers committed to driving social change.Special Youth Perspectives Award:
From this edition newly introduced 'Special Youth Perspectives Award' with the participation of the Council of Europe will be presented.
As per the Council:
And it will be presented to a Poster
The poster designed by Jons Vukorep has the word 'SARAJEVO' written in the shape of a heart, representing a symbol of both the city and the award itself.Spotlight on Sweden
This year’s Festival will shine a light on Sweden with its "Spotlight on Sweden" initiative, designed to deepen collaboration between the Balkans and Sweden through co-production efforts and industry exchange.Spotlight on Poland
The festival will present Spotlight on Poland, in partnership with the Polish Film Institute in this year's festival. It will highlight the strength of Poland’s co-production potential and the innovative frameworks, tools, and production companies.Sarajevo Film Festival Partner Presents
In Sarajevo Film Festival Partner Presents programme the films from Doha Film Institute and the films aligning with Qatar National Vision 2030 will be presented."Tribute To" program
A retrospective of Ilya Khrzhanovsky, a Russian-born film director, screenwriter, film producer and member of the European Film Academy, will be presented in "Tribute To" program.Masterclasses

* Paolo Sorrentino – Italian director and screenwriter on 17 August
* Michel Franco – Mexican filmmaker on 18 August
* Ray Winstone – English television, stage, and film actor on 19 August
* Ilya Khrzhanovsky – Russian-born film director, screenwriter, film producer and member of the European Film Academy on 20 August
* Willem Dafoe – American actor on 21 AugustOpening ceremony

The opening ceremony was held with the red carpet laid down in the front of the Sarajevo National Theatre, hosted by Max Alija Ludwig, Charlotte Izmira Cavčić and Bosanian actress Lidija Kordić.

Jury

Competition Programme – Feature Film

The jury of the Competition Programme – Feature Film includes 4 members and Ukraine’s Sergei Loznitsa as jury president.

Sergei Loznitsa, a Ukrainian director of Belarusian origin known for his documentary as well as dramatic films.
Dragan Mićanović, a Serbian actor from Loznica
Emanuel Pârvu, a Romanian actor and filmmaker
Ena Sendijarević, a Bosnian-Dutch filmmaker and screenwriter known for her distinctive blend
Tricia Tuttle, an American festival programmer, film journalist, and curator.

Sarajevo Film Festival's Special Award for Gender Equality

, Swedish film and television producer
Ivan Marinović, multi-award-winning director, screenwriter and producer from Montenegro
Norika Sefa, Kosovan film director, writer and editor,

CineLink Female Voices award

Aida Begić, Bosnian film director and screenwriter.
Nataša Bučar, Director of the Slovenian Film Centre
Dita Rietuma, Doctor of Arts, a film historian, critic and director of the National Film Centre of Latvia

Official selection

Fifty films will compete for the Heart of Sarajevo awards at the festival in the four competition sections.

Pre-opening and opening films

A special pre-festival screening of a digital version of the 1955 Yugoslavian film Hanka directed by Slavko Vorkapić was held on 14 August 2025.
The opening film The Pavilion is a Bosnian dark comedy film directed by Dino Mustafić. The film is about elderly residents of a nursing home, who frustrated by years of abuse, arm themselves and rise up against the staff, resulting in a tense confrontation with law enforcement.

Competition Programme - Feature Film

In the 'Competition Programme - Feature Film:, nine films will compete.

Competition programme - Documentary Film

There are 20 films in the Competition Programme – Documentary Film.

Competition Programme - Short Film

In this category ten films will compete for the award.

Competition Programme - Student Film

There are 11 films in the Competition Programme - Student Film.

Open Air Programme

Open Air Program, consisting of two sections, Open Air and Open Air Premiere, line up as follows:
Open Air
'''Open Air Premiere'''

Special Screening - DFI Presents

Arab films at the festival:

Kinoscope

The Kinoscope programme features 19 films; 14 in the Kinoscope section and 5 in the Kinoscope Surreal section.
Cinemascope
Kinoscope Surreal

English title	Original title	Director	Production country
Reflection in a Dead Diamond	Reflet dans un diamant mort	Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani	Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, France
The Ice Tower	La Tour de Glace	Lucile Hadžihalilović	France, Germany, Italy
The Wailing	El llanto	Pedro Martín-Calero	Spain, France, Argentina

BH Film Program

The 20th edition of the BH FILM Program, held as part of the festival and organized by the Association of Filmmakers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, will showcase a selection of 43 films.

Feature films

The Pavilion , Dino Mustafić, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia, MontenegroOtter , Srđan Vuletić, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Croatia, Kosovo

Feature-length Documentary Films

Bloom - The Masters of Your Future, Jasmila Žbanić, Bosnia and Herzegovina, GermanyBosnian Knight , Tarik Hodžić, Bosnia and Herzegovina, CroatiaĆetiba, Ramiz Huremagić, Bosnia and HerzegovinaDom, Massimiliano Battistella, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ItalyThe Boy from the River Drina , Zijad Ibrahimović, SwitzerlandKapija - The Oath to Tuzla’s Youth!, Damir Pirić, Bosnia and HerzegovinaHouse With Heart, Sabahet Džafica, Bosnia and HerzegovinaButterflies Without Wings, Anel Džanković, Damir Kerla, Bosnia and HerzegovinaPrison Beauty Contest , Srđan Šarenac, Serbia, Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, CroatiaThe Mystical Canyon of Rakitnica, Rubina Smajić, Bosnia and HerzegovinaGrandma Sena, Dino Omerović, Türkiye, Bosnia and HerzegovinaNo One Will Hurt You , Dino Hodić, SwitzerlandThe Partisan Necropolis, Chris Leslie, UK, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFamily, Davorin Sekulić, Bosnia and HerzegovinaNone Will Speak The Truth, Azra Husarić Omerović, Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Srebrenica Tape - From Dad, for Alisa, Chiara Sambuchi, Germany, AustriaThe Track, Ryan Sidhoo, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Short Documentary and Feature Films

Anatomy of a Lost Sound, Zuko Garagic, Czech Republic, United States, Bosnia and HerzegovinaA Distant Country, Edin Hurem, Bosnia and HerzegovinaJoe, Vuk Rađen, Bosnia and HerzegovinaExam , Damir Mehić, PolandHercules, Marko Dukić, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, CroatiaBullet in the Rifle, Karmen Obrdalj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, SerbiaNo Big Deal, Mirza Abdagić, Bosnia and HerzegovinaŽiva, Tamara Maksimović, Bosnia and HerzegovinaLavander, Mateja Raičković, Bosnia and Herzegovina, MontenegroNot Sure Where I Am, Enisa Adrović, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North MacedoniaPiano Boxing, Saša Peševski, Bosnia and HerzegovinaPun Kura, Antonela Pehar Šimunović, Bosnia and HerzegovinaSteel Hotel Song, Bojan Stojčić, Bosnia and HerzegovinaEvery Time You Leave, You Are Born Again, Mladen Bundalo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, BelgiumForgotten Stations, Zdenko Jurilj, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Student Films

Illumination, Mina Vavan, Bosnia and HerzegovinaAbout A Bull, Emir Solaković, Bosnia and HerzegovinaA Pigeon, Vuk Popović, Bosnia and HerzegovinaBeneath the Surface, Maja Ćetojević, Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Summer Of My Summerbreak, Milica Vujasin, Bosnia and HerzegovinaRec, Fedor Marić, Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Offering, Marko Brkić, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Network of the Festivals in the Adriatic Region Programmes

Six prominent film festivals from Southeast Europe, Sarajevo Film Festival, Zagreb Film Festival, Auteur Film Festival, Belgrade, Ljubljana International Film Festival, Slovenia, Montenegro Film Festival, and the Manaki Brothers International Cinematographers’ Film Festival in North Macedonia, will in a collaborative platform showcase a total of seven films across its joint programmes:

Adriatic Audience Award

Adam's Interest , Laura Wandel, Belgium, FranceChristy, Brendan Canty, Ireland, United KingdomMaldoror, Fabrice Du Welz, Belgium, FrancePerla, Alexandra Makarova, Austria, SlovakiaRenovation, Gabrielė Urbonaitė, Lithuania, Latvia, Belgium
EcoscopeMiyazaki, Spirit of Nature , Léo Favier, France
Yugoslav classicThe Boiling City, Veljko Bulajić, Yugoslavia,

Awards

Winners of the festival are:

Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film: Wind, Talk to Me by Stefan Djordjevic
Heart of Sarajevo Award for Best Director: for Sorella di Clausura
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actor: for
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actress: Sarah Al Saleh, Aline Juhart, Mina Milovanović, Mia Skrbinac for Fantasy
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Documentary Film: Our Time Will Come, by Ivette Löcker
Special Jury Prize for Documentary Film: In Hell With Ivo, by Kristina Nikolova
Special Mention: I Believe the Portrait Saved Me, by Alban Muja
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Short Film: Winter in March, by Natalia Mirzoyan
Special Mention: Eraserhead in a Knitted Shopping Bag, by Lili Koss
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Short Documentary Film: The Men's Land, by Mariam Khatchvani
Heart of Sarajevo Award for Best Student Film: Tarik, by Adem Tutić
Special Award for Promoting Gender Equality: God Will Not Help by Hana Jušić
Special Environmental Awareness Award:
Special Youth Perspectives Award: DJ Ahmet by Georgi M. Unkovski
CineLink Female Voices award: Rain Country, Zeynep Köprülü

Partner's Awards

Partner's Awards for the festival:

European Film Academy Short Film Candidate: Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World, by Kevin Walker, Irene Zahariadis
CICAE Award: White Snail, Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter
Cineuropa Prize: DJ Ahmet by Georgi M. Unkovski
Ivica Matić Award:
* Ishak Jalimam, Producer of the films The Sky Above Zenica and Gym
* The award for overall contribution to Bosnian and Herzegovinian film: Zijad Mehić
UniCredit Audience Award: DJ Ahmet by Georgi M. Unkovski
The UniCredit Audience Award for Best Documentary Film: The Track, Ryan Sidhoo

Special awards

Honorary Heart of Sarajevo

Paolo Sorrentino, Italian film director, screenwriter, and writer.
Stellan Skarsgård, Swedish actor
Ray Winstone, English television, stage, and film actor
Willem Dafoe, American actor. Known for his prolific career portraying diverse roles in both mainstream and arthouse films.