In the past year, the trend of growth and development of the cinema market in Bosnia and Herzegovina continued. In 2022, according to data for cinemas in Bosnia and Herzegovina collected and processed by Sarajevo Film Festival, there was an increase in the number of viewers, as well as an increase in revenue generated at the box office. As of 31 December 2022, there were 1,118,550 viewers in cinemas in BiH last year, and the revenue generated at the box office in 2022 is more than 7 million BAM – 7,242,319 BAM.
In 2021, there were 1,110,280 visitors in cinemas, while the revenue at the box office in 2021 amounted to 6,783,162 BAM. In the past year, a total of 215 films were screened in cinemas, of which 187 new films and 28 films from the previous year, of which 116 were American films, 82 European and 7 domestic films.
This year, too, the most watched films in BiH were American production, there was a significant decrease in the number of viewers of European production films compared to 2021, but a significant increase in viewers of domestic production films: out of the total number of viewers, domestic films were watched by 6.11% of viewers (in 2021, there were 3.31%), while American films were watched by 76.57% of viewers (in 2021, it was 54.24%), and European films in cinemas in BiH were seen by 15.02% of viewers (with a significant decrease compared to 2021, when that number was 41.1%).
The five films that generated the highest revenue in cinemas in BiH in 2022 were American films: the first place is “Avatar: The Way of Water” with 347,073 BAM of revenue. In second place is the animated film “Minions 2: The Rise of Gru” with 292,538 BAM, in third place is “Top Gun: Maverick” with 271,879 BAM, the fourth is “Batman” with 246,060 BAM, and the fifth “Spider-Man: No Way Home” with 215,983 BAM at the box office in BiH cinemas. Among the 10 films according to the revenue generated at the box office, along with 9 American films, there is also one Bosnian film: at the 8th place is the film “Amanet” with an income of 188,667 BAM.
In the top 10 most watched films in cinemas in BiH in the past year, along with films of American production, there are also two BiH films: “Amanet” by Mirza Begović and “Labor Day” by Pjer Žalica.
“Amanet” is ranked 5th with a total of 30,732 viewers, along with four American films that record the highest number of viewers in cinemas. The most watched movie in cinemas in BiH in 2022 was the animated film “Minions 2: The Rise of Gru” with 47,588 viewers. In second place is “Avatar: The Way of Water” with 39,623 viewers, the third is “Top Gun: Maverick” with 34,932 viewers, and the fourth “Batman” with 32,714 viewers. In 2022, “Labor Day” had 23,279 viewers.
There are currently 22 cinemas in BiH with 71 halls in 15 cities (Sarajevo, Mostar, Banja Luka, Bihać, Tuzla, Zenica, Višegrad, Konjic, Trebinje, Prijedor, Busovača, Foča, Maglaj, Zvornik, Gradiška).
