Sarajevo’s CineLink Presents Latest Projects From Directors of ‘Godless,’ ‘Viktoria,’ ‘Scary Mother’

As a film enthusiast who’s traveled far and wide, from the bustling streets of Cannes to the serene landscapes of Sundance, I can confidently say that the lineup at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival is nothing short of extraordinary! The diverse array of talent hailing from Southeast Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa is truly a testament to the richness and vibrancy of global cinema.


At this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival (from August 16th to 23rd), CineLink – the industry segment of the festival – will exhibit a selection of works in progress. These are eight feature-length fiction films and one documentary, all being made or post-produced, hailing from Southeast Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

As a passionate cinema enthusiast, I’m thrilled to see some familiar names gracing the competition this year. Alisa Kovalenko, who showcased her work in Sarajevo last year with “We Will Not Fade Away” that also screened at the Berlinale, is one of them. Adrian Sitaru, lauded as best director at Locarno for his film “Best Intentions”, is another. Tarik Aktas, who won the title of best emerging director at Locarno with “Dead Horse Nebula”, and Ralitza Petrova, winner of the Golden Leopard for best film at Locarno with “Godless”, are also part of the lineup. Maya Vitkova, who competed at Sundance with “Viktoria”, and Ana Urushadze, who took home the award for best first feature at Locarno for “Scary Mother”, round off this impressive group.

The presentations of these projects are intended for potential investors, sales representatives, distributors, media outlets, and festival organizers. This is done to advance the completion of these projects and enhance their opportunities for distribution.

Here’s the lineup:

In the heart of the Ukrainian battlefront, a woman serves as both a mother, a soldier, and a documentary filmmaker, showcasing the delicate peace disrupted by war while offering an intimate, unveiled perspective on conflict through her twin lenses. (Poland, Ukraine, Denmark) Directed by Alisa Kovalenko; produced by Kasia Kuczynska.

Sarajevo’s CineLink Presents Latest Projects From Directors of ‘Godless,’ ‘Viktoria,’ ‘Scary Mother’

“Harakiri” (Romania)

“Listening to the Hue of Yellow” (Turkey)

“Honey Bunny” (Croatia, Serbia)

“War Edition” (Turkey)

“Inheritance” (Bulgaria, Denmark, Sweden) Fiction Dir: Ralitza Petrova Prods: Poli Angelova, Nikolay Todorov, Ralitza Petrova, Eva Jakobsen, Anna Byvald

“It’s My Time!” (Hungary)

In the fictional work directed by Maya Vitkova-Kosev and produced by herself, we follow Sarah’s story – an artist who resides with her parents and hasn’t been in a relationship since her partner departed a decade ago. With only one month left on her clock, she embarks on a journey to find a potential father for her upcoming child, in order to preserve the stability of her life.

In the movie “Fiction” (Georgia, Estonia, Turkey), directed by Ana Urushadze, the production team of Davit Tsintsadze, Ivo Felt, Sophio Bendiashvili, Bacho Meburishvili, Zeynep Atakan, Andrey Epifanov, Eleonora Granata, and Dato Bakhtadze, we find a former Georgian film hero who, instead of leading roles, is now given a supporting part as an unappealing old man. This unexpected role sets him on a transformative journey.

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2024-08-12 10:46