SARAJEVO: The opening of the Valter brani Sarajevo museum, dedicated to the cult film Valter brani Sarajevo / Walter Defends Sarajevo (Sutjeska Film, 1972) directed by Hajrudin Šiba Krvavac, is set for the official Day of the City of Sarajevo, 6 April 2019. The museum is planned both as an educational facility and as a tourist attraction.

Systematic neglect of film industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina, combined with strong political influences, is starting to show its ugly head, despite the tireless efforts of film professionals. Cinema Law hasn’t been adopted yet, which means that there is still no public body responsible for forming policies and the promotion of Bosnian and Herzegovinian film, and the Film Fund has cut the funds allocated for projects of the Association of Filmmakers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the third year in a row.

SARAJEVO: Total admissions increased by 7.85 percent and total box office increased by 7.07 percent in 2018, according to Sarajevo Film Festival’s Statistics and Analysis Department. Bosnia and Herzegovina also had a record-breaking year regarding the domestic film distribution.

BANJA LUKA: Film professionals underlined the urgent need for the establishment of a Film Fund of Republika Srpska at the first Film Forum Banja Luka, held on 29-30 November 2018.

SARAJEVO: Nermin Hamzagić’s debut feature film Full Moon / Pun mjesec, which was shot in 15 days during the months of August and September, entered the postproduction phase with a boost from the Film Fund of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which supported the production in its most recent grants round.

SARAJEVO: The Film Fund of Bosnia and Herzegovina distributed 650,000 EUR in its October 2018 grant round, announced on 23 October. The Fund gave grants to four feature films and four minority coproductions.

SARAJEVO: Zoran Galić from VizArt Film Production is representing Bosnia and Herzegovina at Jihlava IDFF's Emerging Producers programme. FNE spoke with Galić about the current situation for documentary filmmaking in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

SARAJEVO: Milko Lazarov’s Aga, a last look at the Inuit people living in the beautiful frozen landscape of the Russian republic of Sakha, was awarded Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film at the 24th Sarajevo Film Festival (10-17 August 2018).

SARAJEVO: Serbian writer/director Milica Tomović, who won the Heart of Sarajevo for her short film Tranzicija (EED Productions, 2016), is returning to the Sarajevo Film Festival with her debut feature project Celts. The project was selected for the CineLink Co-production Market (14-16 August 2018), running in the framework of Sarajevo Film Festival’s CineLink Industry Days.

SARAJEVO: Montenegrin writer/director Dušan Kasalica, who won the Heart of Sarajevo for his short film A Matter of Will in 2015, is returning to the Sarajevo Film Festival with his debut feature project Elegy of Laurel. The project will be presented at the CineLink Co-production Market (14-16 August 2018) in the framework of the festival’s CineLink Industry Days.