The Sarajevo Film Festival, the leading festival for South-East European cinema, unveiled the lineups for the four competition sections on Thursday, which include 21 world premieres, six international premieres, one European premiere and 23 regional premieres. The 32nd edition runs from Aug. 14 to 21.
The narrative feature films section includes nine films from South-East Europe, of which one film will have its world premiere, one its international premiere, one its European premiere, and six their regional premieres.
Elma Tataragić, the programmer of the section, said, “The selection is dominated by second and third features, alongside one debut and two fifth feature films, reflecting both the emergence of new voices and the continued development of established auteurs. Together, these nine films offer a rich panorama of contemporary regional cinema, spanning intimate family dramas, coming-of-age stories, social realism, and formally adventurous works. With six of the nine films directed by women, this year’s competition reflects not only the artistic diversity of the region but also the growing strength and plurality of voices shaping its cinematic future.”
Competition Program – Narrative Feature Film:EVERYTHING THAT’S WRONG WITH YOU, Urša Menart (Slovenia, Germany, Serbia, 2026, 97 min.) – World PremiereAfter the emotional collapse that follows her mother’s death, Maruša builds an online bond with Alja, a nurse living in a small coastal town in Germany. Bonding through humor over their shared struggles, Maruša and Alja quickly develop a friendship that is put to the test when they finally meet in person.SMALL THINGS, Zvonimir Jurić (Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, 2026, 80 min.) – International PremiereDuring a winter weekend, sisters Anica and Irena, accompanied by Irena’s two children, travel to an island to visit their father and their brother Ivan, a quiet loner. The reason for the gathering is their father’s decision to sell the family land. Confined in the worn-down family house, the members of the family are forced to confront long-suppressed tensions and difficult choices, while one of them will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.SKATEBOARDING IS NOT FOR GIRLS, Dina Duma (North Macedonia, Belgium, Slovenia, Croatia, 2026, 82 min.) – European PremiereIn Skopje, 11-year-old Adela and her elder sister Zara share a deep bond shaped by their navigation of two contradictory worlds. At school, they are typical, rebellious teens with skateboards, social media, crop tops, and boyfriends. After school, in a quiet and disciplined mode, they help their mother with cleaning jobs to make ends meet. When poverty shakes the family, Adela tries to find a way to save her sister – still a minor – from a fate that is becoming almost inevitable: an arranged marriage.17, Kosara Mitić (North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, 2026, 105 min.) – Regional PremiereSeventeen-year-old Sara is hiding a secret during a school trip. When the excursion spirals out of control and Sara witnesses her friend Lina being sexually assaulted, the two girls try to break the cycle of casual violence. This seals an everlasting bond between them.DUA, Blerta Basholli (Kosovo, Switzerland, France, 2026, 101 min.) – Regional PremierePristina, Kosovo, late 1990s. As war looms and ethnic tensions escalate, 13-year-old Dua struggles to find her place among her peers and within her changing body. After an incident shakes her community, she becomes a target herself and bonds with a fearless girl who draws her toward an unexpected form of resistance. Between the daily violence and the growing threat of exile, there is little room for quiet awakenings.EVERYTIME, Sandra Wollner (Austria, Germany, 2026, 121 min.) – Regional PremiereA tragedy brings a mother, a daughter, and a teenage boy together. Struggling with blame and forgiveness, the unlikely trio takes a trip to Tenerife for a family holiday that never happens. Under the glow of the sun, past and present quietly start to overlap.SHAME AND MONEY, Visar Morina (Germany, Kosovo, Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia, Belgium, 2026, 129 min.) – Regional PremiereA couple in their forties live with their extended family in rural Kosovo, where they make a modest living from their farm. Following a familial dispute, their livelihood is lost. They are forced to move to Pristina, where the pressure to provide for their family weighs heavily on the parents as they do their best to find work and a place to stay. A journey into a hyper-capitalist society begins.SUPPORTING ROLE, Ana Urushadze (Georgia, Estonia, Türkiye, 2026, 139 min.) – Regional PremiereNiaz Ninua has seen brighter days. Once a leading man, he stepped away from cinema some 15 years ago. When he decides to return, he discovers a landscape that no longer revolves around him. He attends a casting session for a supporting role in a debut feature directed by a young woman. The encounter bruises his pride, and he leaves unconvinced, dismissing the role as pretentious. Yet, as he replays the encounter, Niaz begins to sense a pull toward the role he so quickly dismissed. What seemed beneath him starts to reveal contours he did not anticipate.YOU DON’T BELONG HERE, Florin Șerban (Romania, 2026, 154 min.) – Regional PremiereMarius, the chief medical officer at a hospital in his small hometown, is raising his teenage son Ioan alone after the death of his wife. Marius is a confident professional who has no idea what his son gets up to at night: cycling through town vandalizing cars with a gang of masked vigilantes. Marius’ world is shaken when he learns the police have come to suspect his son of murder.
Competition Program – Documentary Feature:BEAR WITH ME, Martin Genovski (Bulgaria, 2026, 84 min.) – World PremiereGOOD PEOPLE, Milcho Manchevski (North Macedonia, 2026, 86 min.) – World PremiereTHE BALKAN COWBOY, Dragana Jurišić (Croatia, Ireland, 2026, 93 min.) – World PremiereTHE FORBIDDEN AUNT, Bojana Novaković (Serbia, Australia, 2026, 82 min.) – World PremiereWE SHALL LIVE TOGETHER, Damir Markovina (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2026, 75 min.) – World PremiereDON’T ASK ME IF I KILLED, Helena Maksyom (Romania, Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine, 2026, 103 min.) – International PremiereFRAGMENTS OF BELONGING, Tatjana Božić (Croatia, Netherlands, Germany, 2026, 80 min.) – International PremiereWHEN I GET OUT, Metod Pevec (Slovenia, 2026, 106 min.) – International Premiere32 METERS, Morteza Atabaki (Türkiye, Iran, Qatar, 2025, 83 min.) – Regional PremiereBUGBOY, Lucas Paleocrassas (Greece, France, Denmark, 2026, 87 min.) – Regional PremiereELECTING MS SANTA, Raisa Răzmeriță (Moldova, Romania, 2025, 95 min.) – Regional PremiereFOR LIFE, Ahmet Seven (Türkiye, 2026, 89 min.) – Regional PremiereTO HOLD A MOUNTAIN, Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić (Serbia, France, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, 2026, 105 min.) – Regional Premiere
Competition Program – Documentary Shorts:BRO RAM, Branko Schmidt (Croatia, 2026, 14 min.) – World PremiereFAHRUDIN, Alen Drljević (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2026, 20 min.) – World PremiereOF LIGHT GHOSTS, Isabella Fellinger (Austria, 2026, 27 min.) – World PremiereTHE CAPTAIN AND THE CASPIAN SEA, Turkan Huseyin (Azerbaijan, 2026, 30 min.) – World PremiereDEAR ORCHID, Hana Selena Sokolović (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Netherlands, 2026, 18 min.) – International PremiereASPARAGUS BEAR, Ivan Grgur (Croatia, 2025, 18 min.) – Regional PremiereHOLY DEFIANCE, Karla Jelić (Croatia, 2026, 15 min.) – Regional PremiereTHE FERRY FLOWS, Zhora Papoian (Ukraine, United Kingdom, 2026, 18 min.) – Regional Premiere
Out of CompetitionYUGO GOES TO AMERICA, Filip Grujić, Aleksa Borković (Serbia, Croatia, 2026, 87 min.) – National Premiere
Competition Program – Narrative Short FilmDITCH, Marianna Vas (Hungary, 2026, 24 min.) – World PremiereHIDDEN IN FRAME, Anna Sarukhanova (Georgia, United Kingdom, 2026, 16 min.) – World PremiereMAMAMA, Danica Dakić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2026, 8 min.) – World PremierePATCH, Luka Galešić (Croatia, 2026, 13 min.) – World PremierePORKATAL, Sis Gürdal (Türkiye, France, United Kingdom, 2026, 16 min.) – World PremiereADGWA-ATA, Zsuzsanna Krief (Hungary, France, 2026, 15 min.) – Regional PremiereCOSMONAUTS, Leo Černic (Slovenia, Italy, 2026, 14 min.) – Regional PremiereGO OUTSIDE AND HUG A TREE, Irina Alexiu (Romania, 2026, 14 min.) – Regional PremiereMOTHERHOOD, Anca Damian (Romania, Belgium, France, 2026, 18 min.) – Regional PremiereNOBODY SAID ANYTHING, Tamara Todorović (Serbia, France, Slovenia, Croatia, 2026, 15 min.) – Regional Premiere
Competition Program – Student Short FilmHYENA, Fanny Rösch (Austria, 2026, 23 min.) – World PremiereNEIGHBOR, Dan Grabnar (Serbia, 2026, 17 min.) – World PremiereSISTERS, Sara Ećimović (Serbia, 2026, 21 min.) – World PremiereTHE GO-BETWEEN, Emir Solaković (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2026, 7 min.) – World PremiereUNWELLNESS, Réka Pinczés (Hungary, 2026, 21 min.) – World PremiereWATER WALLS, Bianka Szelestey (Hungary, 2026, 34 min.) – World PremiereTHE FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS, BUT WHY NOT LEND IT TO THE SPECIALISTS?, Alexandra Schinteie (Romania, 2026, 18 min.) – International PremiereA. WANTS OUT (ON NEUTRALITY), Zorah Berghammer (Austria, 2026, 18 min.) – Regional PremiereBONEFUZZ, Márk László (Hungary, 2026, 10 min.) – Regional PremiereOVER THE THRESHOLD, Tara Gajović (Serbia, 2026, 15 min.) – Regional PremiereRABBIT DON’T RUN, Maximilian Conway, Elisabeth Jakob (Austria, 2026, 30 min.) – Regional Premiere