The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival – the largest film event in the Balkans and one of the most influential in Europe – has recently concluded, according to the Ukrainian Institute’s website.
Fifty films competed in four categories in the Heart of Sarajevo competition: feature films, documentaries, short films and student films. Among them were four Ukrainian films, three of which were winners of the Ukrainian Institute’s proMOTION programme, which supports the international promotion of Ukrainian cinema.
The festival featured:
- Cuba & Alaska, directed by Yehor Troyanovskyy. A 93-minute documentary co-produced by Suspilne, France and Belgium. It tells the story of Ukrainian paramedics – a narrative of resilience and inner light even in the darkest times. The national release took place on 14 August.
- Divia, directed by Dmytro Hreshko. A 79-minute documentary co-produced with Poland, the Netherlands and the United States. It explores the impact of war on the environment and premiered at Karlovy Vary on 6 July 2025. It also took part in the Heart of Sarajevo competition on 21 August
- Militantropos, directed by Alina Horlova, Yelyzaveta Smith and Semen Mozhovyy. A 111-minute documentary meditation co-produced with Austria and France. The title combines the Latin word milit (soldier) and the Greek word antropos (human) – reflecting on the transformation of human nature during war.
- Curfew, directed by Yelyzaveta Toptyhina. A student film and the only representative of Ukraine among the 11 contestants in the student programme.
ProMOTION is a long-term initiative of the Ukrainian Institute, supported by Eurimages, that provides up to €8,000 for the promotion of films abroad. The programme will continue in 2025, with three selections and up to seven supported projects planned throughout the year. Films included in the programme receive not only financial support, but also access to an international promotion network, participation in prestigious festivals and the opportunity to collaborate with international experts.
At the Sarajevo Film Festival, Ukrainian films competed for the following major awards:
- The Heart of Sarajevo for best feature film went to the Serbian film Wind, Talk to Me by Stevan Đorđević, which had its regional premiere in Sarajevo on 17 August.
- In the documentary film category, the winner was the Austrian film Unsere Zeit wird kommen (Our Time Will Come).
- In the short film category, the laurels went to Winter in March and several others, while the student category was won by the Serbian film Tarik.
Although none of the Ukrainian films claimed the main trophy this year, their presence in the main competitions is already a significant achievement.