CineLink Drama is conceived as a co-financing forum presenting five Southeast European high-end drama series in development to key European and regional broadcasters and VoD and SVoD operators and distributors. 

One of the selected projects is a Croatian series in development, a crime drama series, The Abyss, created by screenwriter Marjan Alčevski. The Nukleus Film production is directed by Mladen Dizdar and produced by Siniša Juričić. The drama centres on the investigation of a series of gruesome, ritualistic murders of powerful men from Osijek, while the prime investigator Zora becomes faced with a dilemma whether she would rather be a good cop or a good human being.

The awards include a 15.000 EUR money prize, awarded by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, designed to stimulate further development of a selected project, as well as the TV Drama Vision Pitch Award, awarded to the project chosen for presentation at TV Drama Vision, an international conference and co-financing event held in Gothenburg early next year. Nordic Film Market and TV Drama Vision director Cia Edström, producer Nebojša Taraba (of  Drugi Plan) and film director Miroslav Terzić will sit on the panel jury. 

In addition, prior to its upcoming world premiere, Landscape Zero, the documentary directed by Bruno Pavić and produced by Ivan Perić, has been selected as one of nine feature-length documentaries to appear in the Docu Talents from the East programme, held as part of Sarajevo Film Festival. The film is an unusual take on the coexistence between people and industry in a small coastal town.

As was announced earlier, three Croatian projects: Bigger Than Trauma, directed by Vedrana Pribačić, Factory to the Workers by Srđan Kovačević and Museum of the Revolution by Srđan Keča have been chosen to participate in Docu Rough Cut Boutique, a programme jointly organized by Sarajevo Film Festival and the Balkan Documentary Center initiative from Sofia, Bulgaria. 

Due to the alarming epidemiological situation in the Sarajevo Canton, the 26th Sarajevo Film Festival (held 14th – 21st August) has been transferred entirely online. The viewers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the entire region and around the world will be able to watch all the films, programmes and contents of this year’s SFF via the ondemand.sff.ba platform. 

It has also been announced that, in addition to Mexican director, screenwriter and producer Michel Franco, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen will also receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo. The recognition is awarded to an individual for their exceptional contribution to cinematic art. During the festival, Mikkelsen will hold a masterclass, which the festival audience will be able to watch online.

All other information about Sarajevo Film Festival may be found at the festival’s official website.