Sarajevo at 31

Southeast Europe’s flagship festival

Aug 15, 2025

Running 15–22 August, the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival puts documentary front and centre: Rada Šešić’s Competition Programme – Documentary Film gathers 20 titles with multiple world, international, and regional premieres. Dealing with the Past returns with films interrogating memory, trauma, and the politics of history. Industry attention converges at CineLink, where a revitalised doc focus anchors market activity and showcases Docu Talents from the East, presented on Sunday 17 August. Modern Times Review will be on the ground: our Industry Editor Steve Rickinson joins the Docu Talents jury alongside representatives of Ji.hlava IDFF, DAFilms, AGITPROP, and Screen International.

Follow Editor-in-Chief Truls Lie on Telegram and Industry Editor Steve Rickinson on Twitter. Join our Facebook Group, Modern Times Review, for an uncensored conversation on all things «Modern Times». And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky.

News

Sarajevo Film Festival announces 2025 documentary activities

Docu Talents from the East 2025 unveils seven standout projects at Sarajevo Film Festival

Docu Rough Cut Boutique announces 2025 lineup of regional documentaries

31st Sarajevo Film Festival announces Documentary Competition lineup

Spotlight on Poland at Sarajevo Film Festival 2025

Films

9-Month Contract

Director: Ketevan Vashagashvili

It's not just Georgia where are women trying to find a way out of social misery through surrogacy.

Divia

Director: Dmytro Hreshko

Nature is rarely discussed in the current war effort, but Divia is not silent.

Facing War

Director: Tommy Gulliksen

If this opening film had screened 30 years ago, we would have bought this narrative. But now, we have alternative media, independent authors, investigative journalists, Wikileaks and solidarity communities outside the military media research community.