In recognition of their outstanding contribution to film art, the American director and screenwriter Paul Schrader and two Oscar and two Golden Globe Awards Winner Alexander Payne was presented with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Film Festival.
According to the report of Mansour Jahani, an independent and international cinema journalist, the 30th Sarajevo International Film Festival was opened at the Sarajevo National Theater with a solemn ceremony, after which the world premiere of the new film by the Bosnian director Danis Tanović "My Late Summer" was held. At the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival, which will be held until August 23, 247 films will be shown in 18 festival programmes. There are 54 films in competition for the Heart of Sarajevo awards.
"My Late Summer" is a film story about a young woman who comes to a remote island to solve the issue of family inheritance. In a whirlwind of new emotions, through a series of unforeseen situations, Maja will finally face questions from her past. The search for inheritance becomes a search for one's own identity, but also for forgiveness.
In addition to the National Theater, the audience enjoyed the comedy drama My Late Summer all over Sarajevo in the Open Air Cinema Coca-Cola, the Open Air Cinema Stari Grad, the Open Air Cinema Centar Safet Zajko, the Open Air Cinema and the Cineplexx.
Looking to the past to build bridges and create a better future
“This jubilee year marks three decades of our dedication to showing the highest quality films to you, our audience, while at the same time we serve as a key platform for regional cinema development. Unfortunately, the world around us is not better, it is not the way we are imagined that it could be when the festival was created, however our experience over the past 30 years shows that reflection on the most difficult times through dialogue and art is not only important, but also necessary if we want peace to prevail”, said Jovan Marjanović, Director of the Sarajevo Film Festival, adding that the festival's mission from the very beginning was and remains looking to the past to build bridges and create a better future.
“This edition of the festival brings numerous novelties. We have established new locations that will hopefully become new cultural ones the center of our city, and thus of Bosnia and Herzegovina. All this we are working with the hope that we will soon have in that place contemporary space dedicated to cultural events, and you, our audience, will have the opportunity to in the future you attend the opening of the festival in such a place”, said Marjanović.
Outstanding contribution to film art of Elia Suleiman
The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo, at tonight's opening ceremony, was presented to Palestinian director Elia Suleiman in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film art.
“This is the right moment for me to receive The Heart of Sarajevo, because, as Jovan Marjanović said, we live in difficult times and we must give cinema the importance to make the world less violent. We need to share hearts and love. When I get home I will transplant this heart”, said Elia Suleiman.
Paul Schrader awarded the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo
The presentation of the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo was followed by a special gala screening of Paul Schrader's film "Oh, Canada".
"At this moment in my life, I travel the most around the world. Either because someone paid me to come, or the reason I'm here in Sarajevo, because I've never been before. I am here with you for the first time and it is very nice. I remembered for some reason, one sentence, spoken by John Houston, it simply crossed my mind. He said that prostitutes and politicians become respectable over time, only if they manage to live to old age. Maybe that's why I'm here," Schrader said.
The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo was presented to Paul Schrader by Jovan Marjanović, the director of the Sarajevo International Film Festival.
Focusing on the cinema of Southeast Europe, South Caucasus and Ukraine
Sarajevo International Film Festival is held every year with a focus on the cinema of Southeast Europe, South Caucasus and Ukraine; And in its 30th year, 247 films from directors of different countries will be screened in several sections, and of these, 57 works, including; 9 films in the competitive feature film, 21 films in the competition documentary film, 12 films in the competition short film as well as 15 films in the competition student film to receive the Heart of Sarajevo awards.
Jury members of the competitive feature film
The jury members of the competitive feature film in the 30th Sarajevo International Film Festival, which are: President of Jury: Paul Schrader, Director and writer - USA, Sebastian Cavazza, Actor - Slovenia, Una Gunjak, Director, writer and editor - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Juho Kuosmanen, Director and writer – Finland, and Noomi Rapace, Actress and producer - Sweden.
Awards:
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST FEATURE FILM
Award in the amount of €16,000, co-sponsored by the Tourism Association of Canton Sarajevo
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Award in the amount of €10,000, sponsored by the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with UNESCO
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTRESS
Award in the amount of €2,500
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTOR
Award in the amount of €2,500
Jury members of the competition documentary film
The jury members of the competition documentary film festival are: Mandy Chang, Founder and Creative Director - Undeniable, Fremantle's label - USA, Marek Hovorka, Founder and Director, Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival - Czech Republic, and Wang Xiaoshuai, Director, writer and producer - China.
Awards:
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Award in the amount of €4,000, sponsored by the Government of Switzerland
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM
Award in the amount of €2,000
HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
Award in the amount of €3,000, sponsored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Award in the amount of €2,500
Jury members of the competition short film
The jury members of the competition short film, are: Anamaria Antoci, Producer -Romania, Flora Anna Buda, Director - Hungary and Burak Çevik, Director and producer -Türkiye.
Jury members of the competition student film
The jury members of the competition student film of the 30th Sarajevo International Film Festival, are: Anna Gyimesi, Director - Hungary, Delphine Jeanneret, Film curator and lecturer, Film Department of the Geneva University of Art and Design – Switzerland and Ivan Ramljak, Director, independent curator and a short film selector for the Rotterdam Film Festival - Croatia.
Award:
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST STUDENT FILM
Award in the amount of €1,000, sponsored by the Regional Cooperation Council
The Jury of the Special Environmental Awareness Award
In order to raise climate change awareness, the Sarajevo Film Festival is introducing a new award this year: the Special Environmental Awareness Award, in partnership with the The jury members of the competition United Nations Development Program in BiH.
Special Environmental Awareness Award will be presented at the official award ceremony of the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival, on August 23. The monetary amount of the award is EUR 5,000, and the sponsor of the award is the United Nations Development Program in BiH (UNDP in BiH).
The jury members of the Special Environmental Awareness Award, are: Dörte Schneider Garcia, Editor, Assistant Director, and Green Consultant (Film and TV) - Germany, Julian Ross, Film Programmer, Researcher, and Writer – Netherlands and Misan Sagay, Screenwriter - United Kingdom.
Masterclass Programme of the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival
With the presence of some of the leading professors of cinema, educational masterclasses and a series of film discussions will be held in 30th Sarajevo Film Festival, whose names are: Cord Jefferson, Alexander Payne, Elia Suleiman, Meg Ryan and John Turturro.
Alexander Payne awarded the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo
Oscar Winner Alexander Payne, director, screenwriter and producer, was awarded with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo of the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival at the Coca-Cola Open Air Cinema in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the art of film.
"Thank you all for coming to watch a 20-year-old movie, I'm really flattered and feel special to see the audience that came to watch an old movie. This screening brings back wonderful memories of when I was in Sarajevo for the first time, nineteen years ago. The Heart of Sarajevo is an appropriate symbol, I know it will sound like a cliché, but it's true. I think that everyone who visits Sarajevo takes peace in their heart. I know I got it. When people ask me about the Sarajevo Film Festival, I say, you see, it's not Cannes, it's not Venice, it's not Berlin, thank God. Because it is a Film Festival that comes from the heart, it started during the war. I remember when I was walking through the streets of Sarajevo with Miro Purivatra, he told me about the days when the festival started and the difficult times. This is a festival full of heart and love, and to see it reach its 30th edition is truly magnificent. Thank you for making me feel like all your guests, like part of the family," said Payne.
Presenting the awarded the Honorary Heart to John Turturro and Meg Ryan
The 30th Sarajevo International Film Festival, with the awarding of the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo to the presence of world cinema stars, including; John Turturro, director and screenwriter, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the film industry and his remarkable talent, as well as Meg Ryan for of her outstanding contribution to the art of film as an actress. They give endless praise and thanks and appreciation. Payne has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award and two Golden Globe Awards as well as a nomination for a Grammy Award.
The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award was established in 2005 with the aim to give a recognition to individuals for their outstanding contribution to the affirmation and development of the film industry and the support and development of the Sarajevo Film Festival.
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