Honorary Heart of Sarajevo

Mark Cousins, director and screenwriter
Lynne Ramsay, director, screenwriter, and producer
Charlie Kaufman, screenwriter, director, and producer

The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo is awarded in recognition of exceptional contribution to the art of film.

COMPETITION PROGRAMME - FEATURE FILM
President of the Jury:
Mia Wasikowska (Actor, Director, Australia)
Members of the Jury:
Zlatko Burić (Actor, Croatia, Denmark)
Danica Čurčić (Actor, Serbia, Denmark)
Juraj Lerotić (Director, Actor, Croatia)
Josh Siegel (Curator of MoMA’s Department of Film, USA)

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST FEATURE FILM
BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY
Georgia, Switzerland
Director: Elene Naveriani
Producer: Britta Rindelaub, Thomas Reichlin, Ketie Danelia
The monetary prize in the amount of €16,000 is co-funded by the Tourism Association of Canton Sarajevo.

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Philip Sotnychenko, LA PALISIADA
Ukraine
The monetary prize in the amount of €10,000 is sponsored by the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with UNESCO.

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTRESS
Ekaterine Chavleishvili, BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY
Georgia, Switzerland
Monetary prize in the amount of €2,500.

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTOR
Jovan Ginić, LOST COUNTRY
Serbia, France, Croatia, Luxembourg, Qatar
Monetary prize in the amount of €2,500.

COMPETITION PROGRAMME - DOCUMENTARY FILM

Jury:
Iva Dimitrova (Program Manager at Chicken and Egg Pictures, USA)
Niklas Engstrom (Artistic Director at CPH:Dox, Denmark)
Péter Kerekes (Director, Producer, Slovakia)

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
BOTTLEMEN
Serbia, Slovenia
Director: Nemanja Vojinović
The monetary prize in the amount of €4,000 is sponsored by the Government of Switzerland.

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM
VALERIJA
Croatia
Director: Sara Jurinčić
Monetary prize in the amount of €2,000.

HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
SILENCE OF REASON
North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Director: Kumjana Novakova
The Human Rights Award is presented for the best film from the Competition Programme - Documentary Film that addresses human rights issues. The monetary prize in the amount of €3,000 is sponsored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

SPECIAL JURY AWARD
FAIRY GARDEN
Hungary, Romania, Croatia
Director: Gergő Somogyvári
Monetary prize in the amount of €2,500.

COMPETITION PROGRAMME - SHORT FILM

Jury:
Turai Balazs (director, animation artist, Hungary)
Nina Rodriguez (Head of Programming at Guanajuato Film Festival, Mexico)
Wim Vanacker (Programmer at Cannes Official Competition Short Film, France)

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT FILM - eligible for Oscar® nomination
27
Hungary, France
Director: Flóra Anna Buda
Monetary prize in the amount of €2,500.

COMPETITION PROGRAMME - STUDENT FILM

Jury:
Kumjana Novakova (Programmer, Professor, Producer and Filmmaker, North Macedonia)
Tomek Popakuł (Director, Animation Artist, Poland)
Damir Šagolj (Journalist, Photographer, Director of Photography, Professor at Academy of Performing Arts Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST STUDENT FILM
FALLING
Hungary, Belgium, Portugal
Director: Anna Gyimesi
The monetary prize in the amount of €1,000 is sponsored by the Regional Cooperation Council.

JURY SPECIAL MENTION
SHORT CUT GRASS
Croatia
Director: David Gašo

SPECIAL AWARD FOR PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY

Jury:
Jay Van Hoy (Producer, USA)
Nashen Moodley (Director of the Sydney Film Festival, Australia, South Africa)
Mila Schlingemann (Head of Programming at Eye Filmmuseum, Netherlands)

DE FACTO
Austria, Germany
Director: Selma Doborac
The monetary prize in the amount of €7,500 is sponsored by Mastercard.

List of Heart of Sarajevo Awards for TV Series HERE.
List of Partners' Awards HERE
List of 21st CineLink Industry Days Awards HERE.

Download the press release HERE.

Press Office - Sarajevo Film Festival
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www.sff.ba

 Elma Tataragić, programmer of the Competition Programme – Feature Film will present 11 titles. The selection in the competition programme features two world premieres, one international and five regional premieres. The programme includes two gala and one special screening.

„We live in extremely turbulent times. And that feeling, unfortunately, is global. What is true for this year's selection of the Competition programme is that it reflects the author's attitude not only towards the region but also towards the world. That is why this selection is a selection of regional films, but it reflects the one global spirit of the time in which we live. There are different themes, from love topics to identity, globalization, the meaning of life, political engagement, and adulthood. What characterizes this selection are the extremely strong heroes and heroines, as well as the way the authors allow us to approach them without any reservations,“ said Elma Tataragić.

Films in the Competition Program - Feature film of the 29th Sarajevo Film Festival are in competition for 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

WORLD PREMIERES

EUROPA
Austria, United Kingdom, 2023, 100 min.
Director: Sudabeh Mortezai
Cast: Lilith Stangenberg, Jetnor Gorezi, Steljona Kadillari, Mirando Sylari, Tobias Winter

Beate is an ambitious executive working at Europa, a mysterious corporation looking to expand into the Balkans region. Seemingly promoting philanthropy and investment in underdeveloped areas, Europa actually needs to buy off lands from locals in a remote valley in Southern Albania using Beate as the main negotiator for the ambiguous mission. But things don’t go as planned when she is challenged by Jetnor, a stubborn and spiritual farmer who refuses to leave the land of his ancestors.

MEDIUM
Greece, Bulgaria, 2023, 100 min.
Director: Christina Ioakeimidi
Cast: Aggeliki Beveratou, Nikolakis Zeginoglou, Katerina Zisoudi, Konstantinos Aspiotis, Martha Frintzila, Natassa Xintaveloni

Sixteen-year-old Eleftheria, a stranger in a strange world, meets Angelos, a mysterious neighbour, who invites her into his fascinating grown-up world. Roaming the streets of the scorching-hot August city on his bike, Eleftheria embarks on a journey to discover herself through the ferocity of first love.

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

LIBERTATE
Romania, Hungary, 2023, 109 min.
Director: Tudor Giurgiu
Cast: Alex Calangiu, Cătălin Herlo, Ionuț Caras, Iulian Postelnicu, Alexandru Papadopol, Leonid Doni, Andi Vasluianu, Toma Cuzin, Mirela Oprișor

In the chaotic days of the December 1989 revolution that overthrew the Communist regime in Romania, the Transylvanian city of Sibiu becomes the scene of a violent assault on a police unit that quickly escalates into a bloody confrontation between soldiers, policemen, civilian protesters, and representatives of the secret police. In a desperate attempt to escape the siege, police captain Viorel is captured by the army and thrown into an empty swimming pool along with hundreds of prisoners accused of terrorism.

REGIONAL PREMIERES

ANIMAL
Greece, Austria, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, 2023, 116 min.
Director: Sofia Exarchou
Cast: Chronis Barbarian, Ilias Chatzigeorgiou, Danai Petropoulea, Dimitra Vlagopoulou, Flomaria Papadaki, Ahilleas Hariskos, Voodoo Jürgens

Under the hot Greek sun, the hosts at an all-inclusive island resort prepare for the busy tourist season. Kalia is the leader of the pack. Paper decor, glitzy costumes, and dance shows fill the stage. As summer intensifies and the work pressure builds up, nights become violent and Kalia’s struggle is revealed in the darkness. But when the spotlights come up again, the show must go on.

BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY / SHASHVI SHASHVI MAKVALI Georgia, Switzerland, 2023, 110 min.
Director: Elene Naveriani
Cast: Ekaterine Chavleishvili, Teimuraz Chinchinadze

Etero, a 48-year-old woman living in a small village in Georgia, never wanted a husband. She cherishes her freedom as much as her cakes. But her choice to live alone is the cause of much gossip among her fellow villagers. Unexpectedly, she finds herself passionately falling for a man, and is suddenly faced with the decision of pursuing a relationship or continuing a life of independence. Etero must grapple with her feelings and decide how to find her own path to happiness. BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY is based on the novel of the same name by Tamta Melashvili.

DAY OF THE TIGER / TIGRU
Romania, France, Greece, 2023, 80 min.
Director: Andrei Tănase
Cast: Cătălina Moga, Paul Ipate, Alex Velea

Vera is a small-town veterinarian from Transylvania, whose marriage to actor-director Toma is going through a difficult period since the couple lost their new-born son. Vera becomes obsessed with providing him with the proper Eastern Orthodox burial rituals and spends more and more time at work. On a particular day, while a new tiger is brought to the zoo where she works, Vera finds out her husband is hiding something.

LA PALISIADA
Ukraine, 2023, 100 min.
Director: Philip Sotnychenko
Cast: Stepan Barabash, Serhii Luzanovskyi, Oleksandr Mavrits, Andrii Zhurba, Novruz Pashayev, Oleksandr Parkhomenko, Valeria Oleinikova, Olena Mamchur, Oleksandr Maleev

Ukraine, 1996. Five months before the moratorium on capital punishment, two old friends, a police detective and a forensic psychiatrist, investigate the murder of a colleague. A long time ago, both of them were in love with the widow of the deceased. Immersed in the complicated case and long-forgotten memories, the friends create a future in which their children will have to live, and will inherit the unrealised aspirations of their parents.

LOST COUNTRY
Serbia, France, Croatia, Luxembourg, Qatar, 2023, 98 min.
Director: Vladimir Perišić
Cast: Jovan Ginić, Jasna Đuričić, Miodrag Jovanović, Lazar Ković, Pavle Čemerikić

Serbia, 1996. During the student demonstrations against the Milosević regime, fifteen-year-old Stefan has to go through the hardest revolution of all. He has to confront his beloved mother, spokesperson for and accomplice of the corrupted government his friends are rising up against.

GALA SCREENING, OUT OF COMPETITION

EXCURSION / EKSKURZIJA
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, France, Norway, Qatar, 2023, 94 min.
Director: Una Gunjak
Cast: Asja Zara Lagumdžija i Nađa Spaho, Maja Izetbegović, Mediha Musliović, Izudin Bajrović, Muhamed Hadžović

As her ninth-grade class prepares for an excursion, Iman attracts the attention of an older boy. After a game of truth and dare, rumors spread in school that Iman is pregnant, and this jeopardizes the excursion. Iman finds herself in a storm of expectations and limitations, and the events she has caused are getting out of control.

GUARDIANS OF THE FORMULA / ČUVARI FORMULE
Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, 2023, 118 min.
Director: Dragan Bjelogrlić
Uloge: Alexis Manenti, Radivoje Bukvić, Lionel Abelanski, Jérémie Laheurte, Olivier Barthélémy, Ognjen Mićović, Jovan Jovanović, Anne Serra, Alisa Radaković, Jean-Louis Coulloc'h, Cédric Appietto, Miki Manojlović, Dragan Bjelogrlić

In the midst of the Cold War crisis, a group of scientists at the Vinča Institute is implementing a secret project led by Professor Dragoslav Popovic. Due to unforeseen circumstances, they are exposed to a lethal dose of radiation, which is why the Yugoslav secret police are taking them to the Curie Clinic in Paris for treatment. A French team of doctors led by Professor Georges Mathé concludes that their condition is critical and that their days are numbered. Although Professor Mathé has devoted his entire life to the fight against nuclear weapons and deeply despises the project on which Yugoslav scientists worked, he proposes that a delicate and uncertain intervention of replacing the bone marrow of irradiated patients be carried out for the first time in history. Whether it is an experiment on living human beings, or whether he really wants to help them – becomes a tormenting question for Yugoslav scientists.

WORLD PREMIERE, SPECIAL SCREENING, OUT OF COMPETITION

RUMI
Television series, Türkiye, 2023.
Director: Can Ulkaj
Producers: Ahmet Okur, Kerim Ayyildiz
Cast: Devrim Özkan, Kaan Yildirim, Ushan Çakir, Bülent Inal, Ilker Aksum

In 13th century Anatolia, as the Mongol threat looms and internal turmoil rages, Rumi, a wise spiritual figure, emerges to assuage people's fears. His timeless words unite reason and compassion, inspiring change.

The 29th Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from 11th do 18th of August 2023.

Download the press material HERE.

Press Office - Sarajevo Film Festival
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www.sff.ba

This year’s American Film Festival’s visual identity is accompanied by the American agricultural landscape, and so with a clear conscience we can say: time to kick off the cinematic harvest! Today we start selling passes and media and industry accreditations, which will allow you to experience all states of cinema to the fullest. We invite you to this year’s edition of the festival, which will take place from November 7-12, traditionally at Wrocław’s New Horizons Cinema.

We’re also pleased to announce today that the program of the 14th AFF will include Pedro Almodóvar’s film, Strange Way of Life, presented at Cannes. The Spanish maestro has created his own variation on one of the most important American genres – the western, and has invited Ethan Hawke – one of the biggest stars of US cinema – and Pedro Pascal – perhaps the most sought-after actor of the season, in front of the camera.

Purchase a pass
Order a media accreditation
Order an industry accreditation

Strange Way of Life, dir. Pedro Almodóvar

Strange Way of Life: the Wild West with a Spanish temperament

Don’t let the short length fool you: in his latest work, Pedro Almodóvar has fit a dose of emotion that would successfully fuel several longer formats. Throughout the film, we follow the meeting of two gunslingers: Silva (Pedro Pascal), who, after 25 years, visits Jake (Ethan Hawke), now acting sheriff. An initially inconspicuous meeting turns into an exciting excursion into their fiery and tumultuous past.

Strange Way of Life was created in the “most American” part of Europe: the Tabernas Desert in the Spanish province of Almería. It’s a place that deceptively resembles the Southwestern parts of the United States, which has led to dozens of westerns being filmed here since the 1950s, including famous spaghetti westerns.

14th American Film Festival: a bountiful harvest of good cinema

The festival’s program will traditionally feature the latest and best independent films from the US, blockbusters from world festivals (including the recently concluded Venice Film Festival), Hollywood top-shelf films, cult classics and works of known-unknown maestros of cinema. One of these maestros was Robert Altman, whose films about the essence of America we had the pleasure of screening at last year’s AFF. This year, we are excited to present the second part of a retrospective of his work, which focuses on women immersed in gender-determined stereotypes, creating alternative communities and constructing their own language of communication. The program will include 3 Women; Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean; Images; That Cold Day in the Park; and A Wedding, featuring talented actresses such as Sandy Dennis, Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Susannah York, Cher, and Glenn Close. We will be revealing more program information in the coming weeks, with the full program announcement scheduled for October 24 at noon. A day later (at the same time), single ticket sales for on-site screenings will begin. This year, the online portion of the event will once bring the American Film Festival into your homes. We will provide details about the virtual installment of the festival soon.

Passes and accreditations

Passes, as well as journalist and industry accreditations (granted to journalists and active film industry professionals), can be purchased via the americanfilmfestival.pl website until October 20 or until they are sold out. Passes and accreditations allow you to experience the festival to the fullest, granting access to up to 26 on-site screenings. Please note that passes and accreditations do not grant access to the online part of the festival. For online screenings, you are welcome to purchase single tickets or access packages (more details coming soon).

Prices:

Pass: 315 PLN
Pass for New Horizons Cinema Friends Club Card holders: 295 PLN
Industry accreditation: 315 PLN
Media accreditation: 225 PLN

Guidelines for using passes and accreditations

Sales regulations

Over the past weeks, 130 students, aged 9 to 11, have been given a unique experience to learn about film through a hands-on approach. Over a ten-day programme, students learnt about cinema, film production, scriptwriting, storyboarding, acting, filming and editing. The culmination of each programme was the shooting of a short film which the students got to develop from a script they cowrote. 

The engaging hands-on curriculum for the programme was developed in collaboration with FACETS, a US based Film Education organisation which was also entrusted with training and mentoring of the film educators delivering the programme. 

This summer camp is one of the various film education initiatives being developed by the film commission with the aim to inspire a new generation of filmmakers while increasing awareness about opportunities in the film industry. 

“Education is the key to future proof Malta’s film industry. It is crucial to start integrating the art of film within our education system for all those who aspire to become Malta’s film makers. The Government together with the Malta Film Commission will continue working hard to offer more new avenues through which more people can enter and work in Malta’s film industry,” outlined Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo. 

Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech insisted that, “we are giving more opportunities to our children in film education to increase awareness about the art of film and the potential of the film industry.  We are incentivizing work in film because we want to create more opportunities for all, where our children can reach their dreams and can have careers in our film industry.” 

This summer camp was made possible through the collaborations of the Malta Film Commission with the Foundation of Educational Services (FES) and the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST).

Animated feaure film Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light was honoured with the Contrechamp Jury Award at the closing ceremony of the 47th Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The feature film debut of director Filip Pošivač made in co-production of Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary was presented at the festival in international premiere at the Contrechamp competition. Moreover, a short film in development titled Period Drama directed by Michaela Mihalyi, presented at this year's Mifa Pitches, was awarded the Open Workshop Prize. 

Contrechamp Jury Award for Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light

Stop-motion puppet animation feature film debut of director and illustrator Filip Pošivač Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light tells a story of the eleven-year-old Tony, who has a unique feature he was born with - he glows. He spends his days at home in his blanket bunker under the guidance of his controlling parents and dreams about having a friend. Before Christmas, a peculiar girl named Shelly moves into his house and turns his world upside down. Together, they embark on an adventurous search for the origin of the mysterious tufts of darkness which suck the sunshine out of their house. Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light is a film about what it's like to be different, about friendship and imagination, and also about light and darkness.

The film received the Contrechamp Jury Award, which is one of the two prizes awarded in the Contrechamp competition, consisting of 12 feature films this year. The Contrechamp competition in a way complements the Official Competition and it was first introduced in 2018.

Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light is a coproduction of Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary with Pavla Janoušková Kubečková of nutprodukce and Jakub Viktorín of nutprodukcia being the main producers. Czech Television, Gábor Osváth from Filmfabriq, Kouzelná animace and Radio and Television Slovakia are the coproducers. The world sales and festivals are handled by Danish sales company LevelK.

"We are thrilled that a film from the CEE region attracted so much attention in Annecy and resonated not only with the French audience but also with the viewers from other countries including for example Japan. The negotiations about the distribution of the film in several countries are already happening, and so we believe that the film will reach audiences not only in the Czech Republic. The local theatrical release is planned for December of this year", shared after the ceremony producer Pavla Janoušková Kubečková.

The Czech Film Fund provided the support of EUR 622 00 and it was also supported by Slovak Audiovisual Fund, Creative Europe – MEDIA, Eurimages, Zlín Region and National Film Institute Hungary.  As a feature film in the making, Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light was presented at various platforms including Cinekid Junior Co-production Forum in 2018, Animarkt Stop Motion Forum 2020 and Cartoon Movie 2022.

Czech animation has been widely present in Annecy this year with six other short films screening in various sections of the festival. Similarly, in 2021 the animated feature film of Michaela Pavlátová called My Sunny Maad also received the Jury Award of the Official Competition. 

Open Workshop Prize for Period Drama

Moreover, Mifa, the Annecy’s film market, gave floor to the upcoming Czech-Slovak short film project Period Drama within the Mifa Pitches and the professional jury awarded the project with the Open Workshop Prize. The prize consists of 2-6 month residency at The Animation Workshop (Viborg, Denmark) and a 3,000 EUR grant for an animated short film project.The new short film of director Michaela Mihályi and producer Jakub Rálek of BFILM.cz explores in four chapters the topic of first menstruation, with plot points referencing the biological events that occur during the phases of the menstrual cycle. Menstruation connects the vignettes like a secret thread. Through the humorous gaze of a character, the film analyses menstruation's essential and often baffling presence in life. While commenting on adolescence, gender politics, sexuality, motherhood and Orlando Bloom, the main character takes us on a surreal trip that begins with her first period and continues as she, much like an egg, matures. Michaela Mihályi, together with Dávid Štumpf, stood also behind the successful animated short Sh_t Happens (2019), screened in Venice, Tallinn or Sundance.

At the occasion of the Cannes International Film Festival, it was announced that ESFUF will be reinforced by the contributions of two new EFAD members, the Norwegian Film Institute and the British Film Institute's UK Global Screen Fund bringing the number of contributing countries to 15.

Norway

The Norwegian Film Institute has, with additional funding suggested by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality to be formally adopted in Parliament in June, extended support for Ukranian filmmakers through the ESFUF

Kjersti Mo, CEO, NFI said: “Telling stories through film is one of the most powerful ways there are to convey a nation`s culture and to keep the country together through common experiences. This is especially important for a country in crisis, both for the country and its inhabitants but also for the outside world to learn what is happening and inspire action. We stand with our European partners in supporting Ukranian filmmakers and are proud to support this endevour.”

The United Kingdom

The UK Global Screen Fund (UKGSF), financed by the UK Government’s Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) and administered by the BFI, has extended support to Ukrainian Filmmakers through the ESFUF.

Ben Roberts, CEO, BFI said: “The role of filmmakers in telling stories and bringing perspectives that inspire people the world over has never been more important or urgent than it is today. We stand with our partners in Europe in supporting Ukrainian filmmakers through the UK Global Screen Fund that we manage on behalf of the UK Government.”

Their precious contributions will allow more projects to be supported in the second round of selection, which will be launched this summer.

In the same occasion, the results of the first selection round of the European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films were announced by the Jury President, Marianne Slot. A total of 11 projects for a global amount of 523 000 € will receive support to development and finalization. The list of the selected projects is available on the ESFUF website, here.

Background
ESFUF, launched in Berlin 2023, is an initiative proposed by the CNC to the other EFAD members during the Cannes General Assembly in May 2022. After having supported various other actions for Ukraine at national and European level, EFAD and its members wanted to unite forces to launch a dedicated support for Ukrainian filmmakers, to help them completing their films or developing new projects, while fostering co-productions. With an initial budget of one million euros, it aims at financing Ukrainian cinematographic works at development and finalization stages, supporting projects selected by a jury of five independent experts, through two calls for projects launched in 2023.

The 52nd edition (25 January – 5 February 2023) of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, one of the world's renowned festivals, will feature a world premiere of new Slovak drama Power and three digitally restored films from the collections of the National Film Archive of the Slovak Film Institute.

Director Mátyás Prikler premiered his feature debut Fine, Thanks in Rotterdam 10 years ago, now he is back with his second feature film, Power in Rotterdam’s Harbour section. At an informal hunt, somewhere on the border of two Central European countries, a boy is accidentally killed. One of the politicians involved is the hot candidate for the important international post of Water Commissioner, who is expected to find a solution to the increasing water shortage across Europe and elsewhere in the world.

This year's programme also include three short animated classics by Jaroslava Havettová, one of the pioneers of Slovak animation. Her films, known for a unique poetic style, deal with topics of destiny, sacrifice and the role of individuals in society. The Cinema Regained section will show a music video with pop art motifs The Song (1969), a film inspired by Haban pottery and Slovak proverbs Until the Pitcher Is Broken at Last (1971) and the minimalist Contacts (1980) about power and its abuse.

The Trieste Film Festival is one of the largest festivals dedicated to Central and Eastern European cinema. The 34th festival’s edition (21 – 28 January 2023) will screen a total of seven feature-length and four short Slovak films.

Minority co-productions The Visitors (d. Veronika Lišková) and Fragile Memory (d. Igor Ivanko) will compete in the Documentary Competition, while Revelation of John (d. Andrej Kolenčík) and Money and Happiness (d. Ana Nedeljković, Nikola Majdak Jr.) will vie for the award in the Short Films section. The Out of Competition section will present Victim (d. Michal Blaško), which had its world premiere last year at the Venice International Film Festival. A special screening awaits the historical feature film Il Boemo (d. Petr Václav). In the section dedicated to children’s audiences, the TSFF of the Little Ones will present the 3D animated film Journey to Yourland (d. Peter Budinský).

In addition to the presentation of the best films made during the year in Central and Eastern Europe, each year there is a retrospective programme, this year dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the independence of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The programme entitled Beyond the Boundaries: The Fringes of Czech and Slovak Cinema was curated to reflect the main trends in the development of Czechoslovak cinema from 1930s to 1960s. Karel Plicka’s ethnographic documentary The Earth Sings (1933) will present the Slovak countryside of the 1930s, while Dušan Trančík's short film Photographing the House Dwellers (1968) will bring together the most beautiful and the most tragic moments in the life of a rural family. The short film Old Shatterhand Came to See Us (1966) gives a sarcastic report on living in an enclosed reservation behind the Iron Curtain, and the documentary Pictures of the Old World (1972) presents vivid portraits of old people from the Slovak regions of Liptov and Orava. Both films were directed by Dušan Hanák.

President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen to accept the Award
 
During the 35^th European Film Awards on 10 December in Reykjavík Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, will accept the newly introduced European Sustainability Award – Prix Film4Climate 2022 on behalf of the European Commission. The award is given to the ambitious and revolutionary programme “European Green Deal”, that was launched by the Commission under von der Leyen’s Presidency.

The European Sustainability Award – Prix Film4Climate aims to award a European institution, company, or film for an “Outstanding European contribution to sustainability in film”. The initiative is a partnership between the European Film Academy and the World Bank Group’s programme for creative communications and climate action, Connect4Climate. The World Bank Group is the largest multilateral financier of climate action in developing countries. Through Connect4Climate, with its network of over 500 partners worldwide, the programme implements creative campaigns, amplifies impactful stories, elevates the voices of young people and mobilizes audiences through specific initiatives, including Film4Climate.Believing that powerful storytelling on both big and small screens can spark meaningful social change, Film4Climate works with filmmakers, producers and organizations to champion climate and environmental action in the film industry through both content and production.
 
The objective of the European Sustainability Award – Prix Film4Climate is to celebrate more than just films that are produced according to the most state-of the art sustainable standards, but to encourage the film industry to drive its influential impact towards a sustainable approach to economy, society and environment, promoting real impact in individuals' lives. The winner will receive a native tree from the country hosting the European Film Awards ceremony, that will be planted locally after the Award ceremony.
 
The Award is being presented by three European teenagers
 
The European Sustainability Award – Prix Film4Climate will be presented to the President of the European Commission by 3 young Europeans, Raluca from Romania, Ahmad from Sweden and Vilhjálmur from Iceland. They represent the younger generation that will be the most impacted by policies, decisions and actions taken today. Two of the presenters, Raluca and Ahmad, are part of the Youth Council that are co-creating the European Film Club, a programme to encourage teenagers to watch more European films. They have been planning sustainability measures within the European Film Club, such as the screening of films focusing on environmental issues such as climate change and the biodiversity crisis. The European Film Club will be launched in 2023 and aims to be a carbon-neutral programme.
 
The first European Film Award bestowed every year on a European film is the Young Audience Award, which is part of the European Film Club. This year’s award was given on 13 November by thousands of young jury members from all over Europe to the film ANIMAL by Cyril Dion. The film addresses the worries of young people about the 6^th mass extinction of animal life that is currently taking place in nature, due to the behaviour of humankind.

European Film Academy strongly commits to sustainability
 
The Award ceremonies of the European Film Academy are strongly committed to promoting sustainability. Together with the hosting country Iceland, the Academy strives to reduce the carbon emission impact of all its events in 2022. With the organisation of the award ceremony in Reykjavík, also Iceland will showcase its leading role in sustainability. The event will happen within a sustainable event infrastructure that considers the best practices in terms of resource use, waste management, transportation, and catering for major events.

The European Film Academy is also raising awareness among Academy members and guests traveling to Iceland. The Academy is offering options to attendees who will be flying to offset their carbon emissions by donating an amount based on the estimated carbon offset for a return economy flight to Iceland with an average distance of 3,000 kilometers within Europe, which will support the planting of trees in the European Film Forest located in Iceland. This is coordinated by the Icelandic Forestry Association.
 
The introduction of the Month of European Film is another sustainability measure in the portfolio of the European Film Academy. By enabling European audiences to enjoy films in local cinemas or online in the month prior to the Awards ceremony, the impact of the celebration of European cinema is not limited to a one-location event anymore. The Month of European Film will expand and bring films from Europe closer to all Europeans, disregarding the place where they live and when or how they prefer to see films. Local initiatives with cinemas that are promoting sustainable solutions for the experience of watching films, will be prioritised as partners by the European Film Academy.
 
Hosting country Iceland leading in cultural, social and environmental sustainability
 
Iceland itself is a recognised and respected leader in cultural, social and environmental sustainability. The country has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030, becoming climate neutral by 2040, and fossil fuel free by 2050. Its ambitious goals are reinforced by its current energy production, which enables the supply of 100% of renewable energy for electricity and heating needs, mixing hydropower and geothermal energy.
 
In October 2020, the Icelandic Film Centre (IFC) published  the “Icelandic Film Policy from 2020 to 2030”, disclosing important strategic actions set to boost the country’s audiovisual sector. Regarding sustainability and green shooting, the policy document mentions Iceland’s effort to build a brand to attract international film production by systematically developing a year-round film industry based on sustainability values, social responsibility, and equality, to meet the expectations of foreign production. The action started in January 2021, and the responsible parties are the IFC, the film industry, and the Foreign Service.

The ceremony of the European Film Awards – the most renowned and prestigious award for European film – is presented by the European Film Academy and European Film Academy Productions.