12th Sarajevo Film Festival still a networker's paradise

31/08/2006

The 12th Sarajevo Film Festival proved again to be the main meeting place for regional producers and authors. The festival is recognised by film professionals from all over the world as a networking paradise for those in search of opportunities.

By Antonio Prlenda for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo – 31/08/06

U2's Bono Vox (right) and his wife at the Sarajevo Film Festival. [Haris Memija]

A sensitive story about the relationship between two women from the former Yugoslavia and their self discovery is depicted in the movie "Das Fraulein" (The Young Lady), which won the Heart of Sarajevo Award for Best Film of the 12th Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF).

The film, by Swiss director Andrea Staka, was produced in Switzerland, Gemany and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). It won the 25,000-euro award at Southeast Europe's most prestigeous film festival, which was held from 16 -26 August year. Eight movies from Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and BiH competed for the main award.

The SFF international jury presented the Special Jury Award to Faruk Loncarevic from BiH for his film "Mum'n'Dad". The Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actress was presented to Croatian Marija Skaricic for her perfomance in "Das Fraulein", while Rakan Rushaidat, also from Croatia, won the best actor award for his role in "All for Free" by Antonio Nuic. Special Mention was presented to Romanian Radu Muntean for his "Paper Will be Blue".

Juries presented the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Short Film to "Good Luck Nedim", by Marko Santic from Slovenia, while "Facing the Day" -- directed by Ivona Juka from Croatia -- was awarded best documentary film. The Human Rights Award went to "Vukovar -- Final Cut", by Janko Baljak from Serbia.

The SFF also presented the audiences' Viewers' Choice Award to the "Road to Guantanamo", directed by Michael Winterbottom and Mathew Santiago from the UK. The movie tells the story of the "Tipton Three" -- a trio of British Muslims held in Guantanamo Bay for two years until they were released without charge. The three, who attended the festival, said the film had found "the most responsive audience" in Sarajevo.

Alongside the focus on regional production, the SFF offered a selection of 170 films from 41 countries -- over nine days at 11 locations around Sarajevo. Among the 100,000 that attended this year's event were US actor Nick Nolte and pop band U2's lead singer, Bono Vox.

The SFF was first established in 1995, by the Obala Art Centre. In the beginning, it looked like a Utopia -- no one thought that this dream of a group of film enthusiasts would grow into the single most important cinema event in the region.