31st Sarajevo Film Festival to kick off with red carpet ceremony

SARAJEVO

The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) opens on Aug. 14 with a red carpet ceremony at the National Theater in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s capital.

The traditional “red carpet,” decorated with local motifs, will host prominent names from the regional and international film industry. The opening film will be “Paviljon” by Bosnian director Dino Mustafic.

One of Sarajevo’s most significant cultural events, the festival will feature 50 films competing for the “Heart of Sarajevo” award across various categories. In the “Best Short Film” category, Türkiye’s “Prosedür,” directed by Rabia Özmen, will make its world premiere and is also nominated for the European Film Academy award. In the “Best Student Film” category, Türkiye’s “Sırtüstü,” directed by Asya Günen, will also compete.

This year’s Honorary Heart of Sarajevo awards will go to Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino, U.S. actor Willem Dafoe, Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard and British actor Ray Winstone.

The festival, which will run until Aug. 22, was launched to help heal the scars of the Bosnian War and has hosted numerous world-famous names over the past three decades, including Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Daniel Craig, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman and Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Many Turkish productions have also received awards at the event.