The 32nd edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival has officially drawn to a close, cementing its reputation as one of the most vital cultural anchors in Southeast Europe. As the curtains fell on this year’s competition, the festival once again proved itself a crucible for auteur-driven cinema, honoring works that challenge formal boundaries and delve deep into the human condition.
At the center of this year’s accolades was Austrian filmmaker Sandra Wollner, whose feature Everytime secured the coveted Heart of Sarajevo for Best Narrative Feature Film. Following a highly successful circuit that included a triumphant run at the Cannes Film Festival, Wollner’s latest work has solidified its status as one of the most significant cinematic achievements of the year.
The Narrative Feature Winners: A Reflection on Grief and Identity
The jury, chaired by two-time Academy Award nominee Emily Watson, faced the daunting task of selecting winners from an exceptionally competitive slate of international films. Their decision to award Everytime the top prize was described as unanimous, with the jury praising the film’s unique ability to capture the ephemeral nature of memory and sorrow.
"Moments of cinematic grace float through this mesmerically elastic and transcendental grief-soaked ghost story," the jury stated in their official citation. Everytime explores the fractured dynamics of a mother, her young daughter, and a teenage boy, all bound by a singular, crushing tragedy. The narrative, which follows a long-delayed family trip to the Canary Islands, uses the shimmering, sun-drenched landscape to juxtapose the warmth of the present against the cold, lingering ghosts of the past. Variety’s chief film critic, Guy Lodge, noted that the film "confirms the Austrian director’s formidable formal control and imagination," suggesting that this project is poised to be Wollner’s most widely distributed work to date.
Equally celebrated was Georgian director Ana Urushadze, who took home the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Director for her film Supporting Role. Already a favorite on the international circuit following successful outings in Rotterdam, Urushadze’s work was lauded by the jury for its "irreverent blending of the banal and the oneiric." The film, which follows a lumbering movie star navigating a surreal, melancholic journey through the streets of Tbilisi, captures the quintessential search for meaning in a world that often feels absurd.
Acting Honors: The Emergence of Raw Talent
The festival’s acting awards highlighted performances that moved beyond traditional character work, focusing instead on visceral, high-stakes emotional storytelling.
The Best Actress award was presented to Eva Kostić for her breakthrough performance in 17, the debut feature from North Macedonian director Kosara Mitić. The film, which centers on a teenager dealing with the traumatic aftermath of a sexual assault during a class trip, demanded a level of vulnerability that the jury found truly remarkable. Describing her performance as "raw, visceral and deeply instinctive," the jury suggested that Kostić’s turn in 17 marks the arrival of a rare and powerful voice in contemporary European cinema.
In the Best Actor category, Adrian Vancică was recognized for his role in You Don’t Belong Here, directed by Florin Șerban. As the lead in this Locarno Golden Leopard winner, Vancică portrays a respected doctor whose life unravels when his son becomes a suspect in a high-profile crime. The jury highlighted his "tenacity and understated rigor," noting how his performance anchored the film’s deliberate, wide-shot aesthetic, allowing the tension of the narrative to unfold naturally without the need for excessive artifice.
Documenting the Human Experience: The Heart of Sarajevo for Non-Fiction
The documentary competition at Sarajevo continues to be a bellwether for global non-fiction storytelling. The top prize for Best Documentary Feature went to the directing duo Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić for To Hold a Mountain.
A film defined by its epic cinematography and intimate focus, To Hold a Mountain chronicles the lives of two women living in the Montenegrin highlands. Having already secured the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the Grand Prix at Poland’s Millennium Docs Against Gravity, the film has solidified its place as a masterclass in observational cinema. The jury’s citation praised the film for being "an unforgettable journey," specifically noting how the filmmakers successfully captured a "disappearing way of life" with both empathy and structural brilliance.
Chronology of the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival
The festival began under a cloud of high expectations, with industry professionals and cinephiles descending upon Sarajevo to witness a program that spanned diverse geopolitical perspectives.
- Opening Days: The festival kicked off with a series of premieres that signaled a focus on "transition and truth," with special screenings dedicated to emerging filmmakers from the Balkan region.
- Mid-Festival Peaks: The mid-point of the festival was dominated by the buzz surrounding Everytime and Supporting Role, with critics and attendees alike noting the technical proficiency and thematic cohesion of these entries.
- The Jury Deliberations: Under the guidance of Emily Watson, the jury spent the final 48 hours of the event in intensive sessions, aiming to balance regional representation with artistic excellence.
- Closing Ceremony: The awards night, held in the historic National Theatre, served as a showcase for the diverse talent that the festival has cultivated over three decades.
Official Responses and Jury Citations
The jury’s remarks throughout the closing ceremony emphasized a shift toward films that are not merely observational but are "experiential." Regarding 17, the jury explicitly stated that it was a "fearless emergence of a young talent," highlighting not only the acting but the direction of Kosara Mitić, which earned a special award for the promotion of gender equality.
This emphasis on gender equality and youth perspectives was a recurring theme. The Special Youth Perspectives Award went to Skateboarding is Not for Girls, directed by Dina Duma, further underscoring the festival’s commitment to providing a platform for underrepresented voices and stories of societal resistance.
Implications for the Future of European Cinema
The results of the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival suggest a broader trend in European cinema: a move away from hyper-stylized melodrama toward quiet, atmospheric, and character-led dramas that address the complexities of modern identity.
The success of Everytime and Supporting Role indicates that international distributors are increasingly interested in films that defy easy categorization—works that hover in the space between the surreal and the mundane. For the filmmakers involved, these awards act as a significant career accelerator, providing them with the necessary visibility to secure funding for future projects and reach wider audiences.
Furthermore, the recognition of films like To Hold a Mountain underscores the enduring power of documentary filmmaking to preserve cultural heritage. By highlighting a disappearing way of life in the Montenegrin highlands, the festival has effectively acted as an archive, ensuring that these stories resonate far beyond their local origins.
A Complete Look at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival Winners
The full list of winners reflects a diverse range of categories, ensuring that excellence is acknowledged across various formats:
Narrative Feature Film
- Best Narrative Feature Film: Everytime (Dir. Sandra Wollner)
- Best Director: Ana Urushadze (Supporting Role)
- Best Actress: Eva Kostić (17)
- Best Actor: Adrian Vancică (You Don’t Belong Here)
Documentary Film
- Best Documentary Feature Film: To Hold a Mountain (Dirs. Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić)
- Best Short Documentary Film: Holy Defiance (Dir. Karla Jelić)
- Special Jury Award: The Ferry Flows (Dir. Zhora Papoian)
Narrative and Student Shorts
- Best Narrative Short Film: Nobody Said Anything (Dir. Tamara Todorović)
- Special Mention: Porkatal (Dir. Sis Gürdal)
- Best Student Short Film: Unwellness (Dir. Réka Pinczés)
Special Awards
- Special Award for Promoting Gender Equality: 17 (Dir. Kosara Mitić)
- Special Mention: Don’t Ask Me if I Killed (Dir. Helena Maksyom)
- Special Youth Perspectives Award: Skateboarding is Not for Girls (Dir. Dina Duma)
- Katrin Cartlidge Foundation Award: Lana Daher
As the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival concludes, the message to the global film community is clear: the spirit of independent, daring, and empathetic cinema is alive and thriving in the heart of the Balkans. Through the lens of these winning films, we are reminded that whether in the form of a ghost story set in the Canary Islands or a surreal soul-search on the streets of Tbilisi, the power of film remains our most effective tool for navigating the complexities of the human heart.
