Sarajevo Film Festival has unveiled the seven projects selected for their Female Filmmakers Support Program this year.
Announced at Slano Film Days in Croatia on Saturday in the presence of filmmakers, producers and festival reps, the UNIQA See Future Foundation — in cooperation with Sarajevo Film Festival and Slano Film Days — confirmed which female directors will be receiving tailored financial and professional support through production and post-production.
Launched in 2024, the cause empowers filmmakers from six Southeast European countries where the UNIQA Insurance Group operates: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania and Bulgaria.
The program was created to “strengthen the presence and visibility of women in the regional film industry, offering financial support, mentorship, and opportunities for professional development,” said the Sarajevo Film Festival. Selected participants also gain access to industry training and the fest’s skills program.
The 2026 projects include Marta Popivoda’s Body in Plural, a portrait of two dancers hailing from Serbia and the U.S., as well as Citizens of Beauty, a documentary from Serbia’s Mila Turajlić, and Romanian director Ilinca Calugareanu’s legal doc called Anatomy of Indifference.
Una Gunjak’s How Melissa Blew a Fuse, following a woman who steals 200,000 Euros from her German workplace, buys a car and heads to her hometown in Bosnia, was also selected, alongside Katarina Bulajić’s feature film Leech out of Montenegro and Jelena Maksimović’s Until the Day Ends, about two Serbian teenagers who flee while protesting political repression. Rounding out the selection is The Swamp from Croatian filmmaker Daria Blažević, an anthology of five horror stories set in the Neretva River Valley.
“Two years ago, we launched the Female Filmmakers Support Programme as one of the very first steps of the UNIQA See Future Foundation,” said Petra Šolman, manager of the UNIQA See Future Foundation, who added that she is proud to see how far the scheme has come in its second generation.
“What fills me with joy is that this initiative is steadily becoming a tradition we are building together with our partners, and I sincerely hope it will continue to thrive, as every new generation brings a wave of fresh, exciting, and unforgettable projects… I am deeply honored that our efforts have been recognized, and I am especially grateful that we are regarded as a foundation that empowers female filmmakers.”
“None of this would be possible without the extraordinary partnership of Slano Film Days and the Sarajevo Film Festival, and I thank them genuinely for their support,” she added. “This year’s recipients are truly inspiring. Their talent gives me great hope for the future of cinema.”
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