30th Sarajevo Film Festival concludes in BiH

SARAJEVO, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) — The 30th Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) concluded on Friday night in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Sarajevo, after showcasing more than 240 films from 70 countries and regions.
The festival’s closing ceremony, held at Sarajevo’s Eternal Flame, featured the prestigious “Heart of Sarajevo” awards, with 57 films competing for the top honors.
Romanian director Emanuel Pârvu’s Three Kilometres to the End of the World won the Heart of Sarajevo in the best feature film category.
In this year’s SFF, American actress Meg Ryan, actor-director John Turturro and others were awarded the “Honorary Heart of Sarajevo” for their outstanding contributions to the art of cinema. Several new films, including the film My Late Summer by BiH director Danis Tanović, had their premieres during the festival.
This year, the festival introduced a new award in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in BiH — the Special Award for Environmental Awareness — aimed at highlighting the importance of environmental protection and climate change.
Founded in 1995, the Sarajevo Film Festival has grown into one of Southeast Europe’s most significant cultural events. This year’s eight-day festival featured a diverse range of competitions, including categories for feature films, documentaries, short films, and student films. ■