22nd CineLink Industry Days Awards €203,500 to Projects from Southeast Europe and MENA at Sarajevo Film Festival
The 22nd CineLink Industry Days, held during the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival, highlighted the best in film and television projects from Southeast Europe and the MENA region. Over the course of the event, awards totaling €203,500 were distributed across multiple categories, offering significant support to emerging and established filmmakers alike.
The Eurimages Co-Production Development Award, valued at €20,000, was one of the most prominent prizes, awarded to the Serbian project "Big Women," directed by Milica Tomović and produced by Dragana Jovović and Jelena Radenković. Another €20,000 Eurimages Special Co-Production Development Award was granted to "Times New Roman," directed by Philip Sotnychenko, representing Ukraine and Lithuania.
The CineLink Co-Production Market also recognized several other projects, with the Film Center Montenegro CineLink Award going to "Hystéra" from Greece, Slovenia, and France, and the Film Center Serbia CineLink Award presented to "Air in a Bottle," a joint production from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Both awards amounted to €10,000 each.
In the drama category, the Croatian Audiovisual Center Drama Award, offering €15,000, was presented to "Pray for Us," a collaborative effort between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Montenegro. The TV Drama Vision Pitch Award was won by the Romanian and Czech co-production "Angelmaker."
Further recognition was given through the Female Voices CineLink Award, supported by the Slovenian Film Center and UN Women Bosnia and Herzegovina. This award, worth €20,000, was given to "Lullaby," directed by Keti Machaviarani from Greece and Georgia.
In the Work in Progress section, the Turkish National Radio Television Award of €25,000 was won by "Honey Bunny," a Croatian and Serbian co-production. Additionally, the Post Republic Award, providing €30,000 in kind, went to the Turkish project "Hear the Yellow."
The CineLink Impact Award, focused on projects with social significance, was awarded to "Divia," a collaboration between Poland, Ukraine, and the Netherlands, with a prize of €20,000 in kind.
Finally, the Docu Rough Cut Boutique honored several documentary projects. "In Hell with Ivo," a Bulgarian-American production, received multiple accolades, including the HBO Award, the Avantpost Award, and the East Silver Caravan Award. The Moldovan-Romanian project "Electing Miss Santa" also received recognition, including the DOK Leipzig Preview Award and the Movies That Matter Award.
This year’s CineLink Industry Days not only celebrated regional talent but also reinforced the importance of international collaboration in the film industry.
List of Awarded Films:
- "Big Women" / Director: Milica Tomović / Country: Serbia / Award: Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (€20,000)
- "Times New Roman" / Director: Philip Sotnychenko / Countries: Ukraine, Lithuania / Award: Eurimages Special Co-Production Development Award (€20,000)
- "Hystéra" / Director: Asimina Proedrou / Countries: Greece, Slovenia, France / Award: Film Center Montenegro CineLink Award (€10,000)
- "Air in a Bottle" / Director: Aida Begić / Countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia / Award: Film Center Serbia CineLink Award (€10,000)
- "Uptight Ass" / Director: Matija Gluščević / Country: Serbia / Award: ARTEKino International Prize (€6,000)
- "Pray for Us" / Creator: Filip Jokanović / Countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro / Award: Croatian Audiovisual Center Drama Award (€15,000)
- "Angelmaker" / Creator: Cristina Groșan / Countries: Romania, Czech Republic / Award: TV Drama Vision Pitch Award
- "Lullaby" / Director: Keti Machaviarani / Countries: Greece, Georgia / Award: Female Voices CineLink Award (€20,000)
- "Honey Bunny" / Director: Igor Jelinović / Countries: Croatia, Serbia / Award: Turkish National Radio Television Award (€25,000)
- "Hear the Yellow" / Director: Banu Sıvacı / Country: Türkiye / Award: Post Republic Award (€30,000 in kind)
- "Divia" / Director: Dmytro Hreshko / Countries: Poland, Ukraine, Netherlands / Award: Think-Film Impact Production (€20,000 in kind)
- "In Hell with Ivo" / Director/Producer: Kristina Nikolova / Countries: Bulgaria, USA / Awards: HBO Award (€2,000), Avantpost Award (€20,000 in kind), East Silver Caravan Award (€3,500 in kind)
- "Kartli" / Directors: Tamar Kalandadze, Julien Pebrel / Countries: Georgia, France / Award: CAT&Docs Award (€2,000)
- "Electing Miss Santa" / Director: Raisa Razmerita / Countries: Republic of Moldova, Romania / Awards: DOK Leipzig Preview Award, Movies That Matter Award