Page 17 - SFF Prilog

HOW DID THE SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL, WHICH CELEBRATES THE SEVENTH ART, COME TO EXIST

Dresses and

makeup weren’t
important back

then, and the PAŠOVIĆ:

stars of SFF were Emerged
under the
citizens who, siege and

under sniper fire favored to

and shelling, this day
rushed to cinemas the copies expected, will arrive to Film Festival in 1995, at the end

Sarajevo, even in how many cin- of the four-year siege of Sarajevo,
emas screenings will be shown, if time of madness and dimwitted,
there shall be any, but that they with a desire of helping the recon-
are doing their best, hoping it struction of civil society and thus
will be all right. preserve the cosmopolitan spirit
- Sarajevo Film Festival was, of the city.
before all, made by the citizens Two decades later, it has grown
of Sarajevo, under siege. My idea into an international film festival
to start a film festival in besieged with a special focus on the region
Sarajevo would not have been of South-East Europe (Albania,
possible if thousands of citizens Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
of Bosnia and Herzegovina’ Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
capital hadn’t literally risked their Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia,
lives to come and watch films, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia,
said Haris Pašović. Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Ro-
Dresses and makeup weren’t im- mania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey),
portant back then, and the stars thanks to which films, talents, and
of SFF were citizens who, under future projects from the region
sniper fire and shelling, rushed to reach the center of attention of
cinemas to watch movies. the international film public. With
- My Festival MESS team, com- the intention of promoting a film
posed of young people, mostly creativity and authors within the
women, who risked their lives to region Sarajevo Film Festival also
prepare films, was also a stellar founded a regional co-production
moment of the first Sarajevo Film market “CineLink”.
Festival. It is extraordinary that - Sarajevo Film Festival serves as
one project which originated a common platform for film busi-
under the siege remained popular nesses from all over the region,
even today - said Pašović. setting high standards in festival
organization, film promotion and
Regional film business presentation in South-East Eu-
However, Obala Art Centar or- rope - it was written at the official
ganized the first official Sarajevo website of the festival.

17