Sarajevo Film Festival

The Sarajevo Film Festival is the leading film festival in Southeast Europe, founded in 1995 during the final days of the Siege of Sarajevo and running continuously each August since. The festival has grown from a small local event into a significant international platform for regional cinema, now attracting filmmakers, distributors, and press from across Europe and beyond.

Programme and sections

The festival operates competitive sections for feature films, documentary films, and short films, with a regional focus on Southeast European, South Caucasus, and Central Asian cinema. The Competition Programme awards the Heart of Sarajevo prizes across these categories. Alongside the competition, the festival runs out-of-competition programme sections, retrospectives, and industry events.

Open-air screenings at Sarajevo’s Raiffeisen Open Air Cinema — a large-capacity outdoor venue near the city centre — are one of the festival’s most attended elements. The combination of warm August evenings and Sarajevo’s distinctive urban atmosphere makes the open-air programme particularly memorable.

The festival has an active industry component: the CineLink Co-Production Market and Work-in-Progress sections draw producers and commissioners looking for Southeast European projects in development.

Practical information

Public screening tickets are available through the official festival website and at box offices across Sarajevo during the festival. Open-air screenings are generally accessible at lower ticket prices than indoor venues. The festival’s website publishes the full programme in advance of the opening — check it for specific screenings and booking information.

Sarajevo is accessible by bus from Mostar (approximately 2.5 hours), Split (around 4.5 hours), and Belgrade (approximately 6 hours). The city has an international airport with connections to several European hubs. Accommodation should be booked well in advance for the festival period — Sarajevo’s capacity is limited relative to the number of visitors the festival draws.

Tips for visitors

The open-air cinema is the easiest entry point for casual visitors who want to experience the festival atmosphere without advance planning. Arrive early for popular screenings to secure a seat. A light jacket is worth bringing for late evening screenings, even in August.

Sarajevo is a city with significant historical depth — the old bazaar (Bascarsija), the Latin Bridge, and the surrounding hills all merit time outside of the festival screenings. The contrast between the city’s recent history and its current cultural vitality is part of what makes the Sarajevo Film Festival feel unlike festivals held in cities with less complex pasts.

For more on visiting Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, see our destinations section.