The 26th Sarajevo Film Festival will be held as planned – from 14 to 21 August – on-site as well as online, in accordance with the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety and well-being of its guests and staff are of paramount importance to the Sarajevo Film Festival.
The festival team and members of the Civil Protection HQ of Sarajevo Canton, in co-operation with the healthcare institutions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, have been working to define epidemiological protocols for all festival locations and guests in attendance since late May. “We are fully aware of the responsibility we have as the organizer of such an event,” said Purivatra.
“COVID-19 has affected all aspects of life worldwide, and the Sarajevo Film Festival has thus been required to go through a transformation as well. That means smaller groups, fewer guests, no receptions ans parties as we know it, but as always, lots of high-quality films, great screenings and film talks. Our mission remains the same as it has been since the day our festival was founded in a besieged city – to celebrate life, humanity and the arts. Now, once again, we have an opportunity to use culture to fight adversity – by organizing a festival in line with the advice of health experts and behaving responsibly within well-defined guidelines, we can show how social cohesion can be built even when we need to maintain physical distance.”