Sarajevo Film Festival

A documentary about the close ties that grew between Sarajevo rock musicians and the Irish band U2 during the Bosnian capital's 1992-1995 siege has opened the city's annual film festival, with U2 members Bono and The Edge as star guests.

Twenty-three-year-old artist Aida Zahirovic is proud that her first short film was premiered at the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival, but like many young creative people in the Balkans, she struggles to find resources.

Beside red carpets, movie screenings, panel discussions and glitzy parties, in its "Dealing With the Past" programme, the Sarajevo Film festival lets visitors learn about the past, reconciliation and how different societies deal with conflicts and their consequences. 

The 9th Bosphorus Film Festival will be open to visitors in Istanbul from Oct. 23 to Oct. 30, organizers said.

The festival will not be held online and is set to be attended by people from Turkey and abroad, according to Emrah Kılıç, the event's artistic director.

Two feature films dealing with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on peoples' lives and economy on Aug. 13 opened the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF), the largest film showcase in a region spreading from Vienna to Istanbul.

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Director Jasmila Zbanic's Oscar-nominated 'Quo Vadis, Aida?', about a Bosnian translator for the United Nations trying to save her family amid the violence and chaos of the Srebrenica genocide, is one of several films focusing on armed conflict that will be screened at the 27th Sarajevo Film Festival, which opens on Friday.

Nine feature films and one short film addressing the subjects of conflict and reconciliation will be screened online and at the Meeting Point cinema in the Bosnian capital from April 24-30 as part of the Sarajevo Film Festival's 'Dealing with the Past' programme.

The programme was launched in 2016 with the aim of initiating an honest dialogue about the recent past in the Balkans.

With October 1 approaching as the deadline for film institutions in countries around the world to submit their entries for 92th Academy Awards, five Balkan states have already decided on the movies they hope will reap success at next year's Oscars in Hollywood.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: 'The Son'

Bulgaria's Irini Jambonas Wins Best Actress Award at Sarajevo Film Festival, BTA reported.

Turkey's Emin Alper won the Heart of Sarajevo award on Aug. 22 for best director at the 25th Sarajevo Film Festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina.