Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) has always been a meeting place, but also a platform for the development of film art, says Jovan Marjanovic, director of the Festival, before the start of its 30th edition.
In an interview with, Marjanovic talks about the jubilee, news, plans and the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)cinematography and the importance of the Festival for regional film production.
SFF, which lasts from August 16th to 23rd, will present 250 films from all over the world, which, in addition to Sarajevo, will also be shown in Mostar and Tuzla. In the competitive selection, the Heart of Sarajevo awards will be awarded for the best films, series and authors.
Interviewer: SFF celebrates its 30th birthday this year. How much has it changed and grown in these three decades?
Jovan Marjanovic: I think that from the first moment, from its first edition, the Festival fulfilled two goals, namely to show the best films to our audience in Sarajevo and to be a platform for the development of cinematography for all those involved in it.
Of course, things grow, change, in 30 years the context has completely changed and that is a fact, but it is important that the concept of the Festival is solid and that it is still focused on the region of Southeast Europe, as a place from which it draws inspiration for what we show to the audience and whose needs, in principle, it wants to service.
Development of BiH cinematography with SFF
Interviewer: In a way, the festival also supports the development of the film industry in BiH. It is the best place to promote domestic production. And this year we have several BiH achievements in the program. How important is the Festival for the BiH cinematography?
Marjanovic: Big festivals are always linked to big film industries. Look at Cannes, Berlin, Venice. These are festivals in countries that have industries with a long tradition. Tradition may exist in our country, but size certainly does not, so it is somewhat unusual that a relatively small cinematographyactually has such a large festival.
SFF is certainly among the 10 best in Europe, in terms of its influence and importance, so that is something that is unusual.
Another thing, the focus of SFF is on the region, and then, when you look at the whole region, there really is a large number of smaller cinematographies that are connected in some way, that is, that is what the Festival helps. We are, in fact, in a way, a platform for that cooperation.
Varied program of the Festival
Interviewer: The Festival program includes an overview of the new production, but also a lot of titles dedicated to current world events. There are films that make us think, such as the selection of the program Devoted or Facing the Past.
Is that, in a way, the role of festivals and film art, to make us think and talk about wars, violence, the struggle of ordinary people?
Marjanovic: The film has the ability to observe things from a distance, as you said, which are current and important in order to get a full picture of the society in which we live. The film is in contrast to the news, to this instant media, to social networks that we have been living with for the past decades.
The film is in contrast to that, because it takes more time for a film, a year, two or three, that is the time during which things are processed, some nuances are sought and, I think, it is looked at much more deeply. This is what film as a medium makes possible.
The festival, as a meeting place, enables both talking about it and thinking about it. So I think that is the role of the festival. The festival brings people closer through all these programs you mentioned, Facing the Past, Dedicated, Human Rights Day, etc.
Therefore, it is not only the films that the Festival shows, but also the people that the Festival brings to meet. These are young people from different countries of the region, who need a dialogue, which, in principle, leads them through the film in a much easier and more structured way.
New locations for the 30th birthday
Interviewer: The festival is still developing, you have prepared some novelties for the jubilee edition, what is it about and what are you striving for in the coming period?
This year, the festival is undergoing some reflection and development of the infrastructure in the city of Sarajevo. It’s something we’re looking forward to for decades to come. We have moved some events to Marindvor, also in the city center, there we have a new space, a new meeting place, a festival garden.
The industrial program is also in that part of the city, there are eight cinema halls Cineplexx, and right across the street is now the new Open Cinema Centar.
During the SFF, the street next to the cinema will be a pedestrian zone with many activities and programs that will take place there.
The Unitic towers are also a new location, some projects that are still in the production phase will be presented there, so now that part of the city is the new center of the Festival, there is politics, business, shopping, and now culture and entertainment.
I believe that this is a serious step forward for the Festival, this year in the light of the jubilee, but also that we will continue to work and expand the Festival in this direction every year, RSE writes.
