SARAJEVO, Aug. 11 (Xinhua)–The 23rd Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) officially opened on Friday night with a red carpet ceremony in front of the National Theater, local media reported.
The festival was officially opened by the “The Second Side of Hope” film by Finnish director Aki Karusimaki, telling a story about the Syrian refugee in capital of Finland, Helsinki. The authorities have decided to send him back to Aleppo, but he is staying in Helsinki looking for his sister, whom he lost on the Balkan route.
Director of SFF Mirsad Purivatra says that this year’s 23rd SFF is the biggest festival organized so far in capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Sarajevo.
“These days, some 1, 000 people are working to make SFF the best festival, and this year we have 4 new locations for film projections,” said Purivatra at the opening ceremony in the Open Air Cinema “Metalac”.
In the framework of SFF, fourth Somersby Bridge was opened here, an entertaining event offering visitors 8 unforgettable concerts by bands from BiH, region and the United Kingdom.
In the following days, the awarding ceremony of the award “Heart of Sarajevo” for extraordinary contribution to the art of film, will be given to director Oliver Stone and the famous British comedian Monty Python John Cleese.
In the following eight days, tens of thousands movie lovers will be able to watch 235 films in 18 different programs, featuring 43 world premieres from 54 countries.
The Sarajevo Film Festival, launched in 1995, when 37 films were presented in besieged Sarajevo, has become a leading cultural event in the Balkan region. Until now, SFF has brought more than three thousand film achievements. Some 100,000 fans were expected to visit Sarajevo during the event, according to organizers.
