PROGRAM ANNOUNCED FOR THE NINETEENTH ANNUAL BOSNIAN-HERZEGOVINIAN FILM FESTIVAL, BEING HELD IN-PERSON APRIL 12TH - APRIL 15TH AT SVA; TICKETS ON SALE SOON

New York City, March 2023 — The Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival (BHFF) in New York City is excited to announce the lineup for its 2023 edition. From a large number of films submitted to BHFF for consideration, a total of twelve films were selected into the festival’s final program. The 19th Annual festival will also include a series of interactive Q&A’s and discussion events with filmmaker guests, running from Wednesday, April 12th through Saturday, April 15th in person at the SVA Theatre in New York City. Tickets go on sale soon.

This year's film selection showcases the range and depth of the filmmaking achievements stemming from Bosnia-Herzegovina, the region, and Bosnian diaspora worldwide. BHFF is excited to announce that, for the first time, the overwhelming majority of the directors featured in this year’s festival are women. Moreover, the stories and themes covered by this year's selected films suggest an enviable range, as do the cinematic styles and formal aesthetics on display. As a small film industry that continues to face issues around funding and infrastructural support, Bosnian cinema is as resilient and as vibrant as ever, despite these challenges. Once again, BHFF is honored to continue to be an important showcase platform for the work of both established and emerging filmmakers.

"We are thrilled to share this year’s exciting and diverse film slate with our audiences. Additionally, we are more than delighted that this year’s program is composed of majority female directors and screenwriters, as greater diversity and inclusion has long been a key focus and priority of our festival. Likewise, the range of themes showcases the urgency with which local and diasporic filmmakers continue to engage with important social issues: from LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, to ongoing stigmas around disability, and the continued importance of addressing war trauma and ways of healing in a post-conflict environment” said the BHFF Director Amir Husak and BHFF Programming Director Dijana Jelača.

The nineteenth annual BHFF will consist of three narrative feature films, five narrative shorts, and four documentary films. The twelve films selected to screen at the 19th annual BHFF are eligible to win the BHFF Jury Awards for Best Documentary Film, Best Short or Animated Narrative Film, Best Feature Narrative Film, Best Acting Performance, and the Jury Special Mention, as well as the BHFF Audience Award for Best Picture.

The films screening at the nineteenth annual BHFF are:

BHFF 2023 PROGRAM

PRESENTATION 1, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 7:30PM

A BALLAD
Aida Begić | 120 min
Feature Narrative
Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director Aida Begić.

Merjem-Meri (30), an unambitious housewife and mother of the girl Mila (8), returns to her family after ten years of married life. Soon after returning to her parents' house, Meri realizes that she is trapped in a vicious cycle of provincial laws and rules, as well as in the complex relationship between her ambitious mother and her spoiled younger brother. Her hope of getting custody of her daughter is diminishing every day, because she has no chance to find a permanent job. The only thing that makes her happy, and for which everyone judges her, is going to an audition for a movie that is being made in the neighborhood.

PRESENTATION 2, THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 7:30PM

YELLOW CAMEL
Alma Cocaj | 18 min
Short Narrative

As a foreigner passing the quarantine in Bosnia & Herzegovina, the temptation of isolation and the need to communicate with society makes Alma follow her neighbors from the window of her room. At the same time thoughts about the past and childhood flash before her eyes. The only communication she has with her family is by phone screens. Alma’s mother is not happy with her daughter’s new look, after she sees that Alma cut her hair. In an expedition to retrieve her lost wallet and buy cigarettes, Alma has a chance encounter with a seemingly like-minded person.

SOME NEW BROADWAY
Denis Bojić | 88 min
Documentary

The film follows six people with Down syndrome in Bosnia and Herzegovina who, overcoming numerous obstacles, are among the first in Southeast Europe to become students in a professional acting school, thus breaking down prejudices and barriers about the possibilities and abilities of people with Down syndrome. An amazing story about the steadfastness of the human spirit and faith in your own abilities will take you on a journey after which you will not be the same.

PRESENTATION 3, FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 6PM

RIBS
Farah Hasanbegović | 8 min
Documentary

Can we be born guilty? Starting from the account of a medical condition, the author uses animation to search for the origin of the elements of the story we tell ourselves about our life. Through eloquent pencil strokes, Ribs is a sensorial mediation on the material dimension of our feelings.

RE-MEMBERING: MEDITATION ON A TRIPTYCH
Amra Hećo | 10 min
Documentary

A chance encounter with discovered video footage from 1983 of the Bosnian town Tešanj triggers unexpected emotions as the filmmaker recognizes her grandfather who died in the 90's during the war. This opens old wounds, but also creates opportunities for healing.

OUR FAMILY GARDEN
Smirna Kulenović | 40 min
Documentary

Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director Smirna Kulenović.

Our Family Garden is a powerful documentary that follows the journey of 100 women from Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, and various European countries who came together in August 2021 to plant 1000 calendula plants in abandoned war trenches on the front line of defense on Zlatište hill, Sarajevo. The women, survivors of the siege, reject constant victimization and instead choose peace and solidarity with all kinds of life in the traumatized ecosystem. Through this artistic-activist project, the film explores the role of women as bearers of new changes and the possibility of healing both society and the environment. With new wars drawing violence into the collective consciousness and environment, Our Family Garden is a timely exploration of the possibilities of overcoming war trauma.

PRESENTATION 4, FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 8:30PM

THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH
Teona Strugar Mitevska | 95 min
Feature Narrative

Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the screenwriter Elma Tataragić.

Asja, a 40-year-old single woman lives in Sarajevo. In order to meet new people, she ends up spending her Saturday in a speed dating event. She is matched with Zoran, a 43-year-old banker. However, Zoran is not looking for love, but forgiveness.

PRESENTATION 5, SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 6PM

A PIECE OF FREEDOM
Sara Ristić | 8 min
Short Narrative

During a chaotic cleaning of their apartment because of impending guests, mom Esma is berating her daughter Ena for not cleaning the “proper” way. Ena is sent to buy groceries, but on the way from the market, she gets whisked away into a magical world as she searches for the origin of a mysterious sound.

SCRAP
Isam Karahasanović | 14 min
Short Narrative

Armin, a car scrapyard worker, gets robbed at gunpoint by an older man. The two men develop a strange relationship and start acting like father and son while waiting for the police to arrive. As the police arrive and the old man is ready to give himself in, Armin makes a surprising decision.

FRIDA
Aleksandra Odić | 22 min
Short Narrative

Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director Aleksandra Odić.

The encounter between the young nurse and her seriously ill patient Frida, who is the same age, on the borderline between professional distance and the desire for closeness.

A POCKET ANGEL
Siniša Grabež | 25 min
Short Narrative

The main rule of angels is that they must not interfere with man's free will. The punishment for disobeying this rule is to trap an angelic being in the transience and decay of the human body. Imbued with love and care for his protégé, one of the guardian angels decides to break this old rule.

PRESENTATION 6, SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 8:15PM

MAY LABOR DAY
Pjer Žalica | 113 min
Feature Narrative

The screening will be followed by the BHFF Awards Ceremony.

After ten years of absence, Armin comes to Bosnia to surprise his father with good news. But there’s a real surprise waiting for him at home. His father is arrested as a suspect for war crimes. Armin wants to find out the truth, while others find that it’s easier to live in oblivion.

OBJAVLJEN PROGRAM DEVETNAESTOG PO REDU FESTIVALA BOSANSKO-HERCEGOVAČKOG FILMA, KOJI SE ODRŽAVA UŽIVO 12. - 15. APRILA U SVA TEATRU; USKORO POČINJE PRODAJA ULAZNICA

Njujork, mart 2023. — Bosanskohercegovački filmski festival (BHFF) u New Yorku sa zadovoljstvom objavljuje program za 2023. godinu. Od velikog broja filmova prijavljenih BHFF-u na razmatranje, u finalni program festivala odabrano je ukupno dvanaest filmova. Devetnaesti po redu festival će takođe imati i seriju interaktivnih diskusija sa gostima festivala, koje će trajati od srijede, 12. aprila do subote, 15. aprila uživo u SVA teatru u New Yorku. Prodaja ulaznica počinje uskoro.

Ovogodišnja selekcija filmova dočarava opseg i širinu filmskih ostvarenja koja potiču iz Bosne i Hercegovine, balkanskog regiona i bosanskohercegovačke dijaspore širom svijeta. BHFF sa zadovoljstvom objavljuje da su, po prvi put, ogromna većina reditelja na ovogodišnjem festivalu žene. Štaviše, priče i teme filmova koji su odabrani ove godine sugeriraju zavidan raspon, kao i raznovrsne kinematografske stilove, estetiku, i format. Kao skromna filmska industrija koja se i dalje suočava s problemima finansiranja i slabe infrastrukture, bosanska kinematografija uprkos izazovima nastavlja da cvijeta. BHFF ima čast da i dalje bude važna platforma za afirmaciju rada kako etabliranih tako i novih filmskih stvaratelja.

"Oduševljeni smo što možemo podijeliti ovogodišnji uzbudljiv i raznoliki filmski program sa našom publikom. Pored toga, izuzetno nam je drago što se ovogodišnji program sastoji od većinom žena redatelja i scenaristica, jer su raznovrsnost i inkluzija već dugo ključni fokus i prioritet našeg festivala. Isto tako, veliki raspon tema pokazuje koliko je lokalnim, kao i filmskim stvaraocima iz dijaspore bitno da se nastave baviti važnim društvenim pitanjima: od LGBTQ+ prava, ženskih prava, do i dalje prisutne stigme sa kojom se suočavaju osobe sa posebnim potrebama, kao i kontinuirane potrebe za razgovore o ratnim traumama i načinu zacjeljivanja u postkonfliktnom okruženju”, rekli su direktor BHFF-a Amir Husak i programska direktorica BHFF-a Dijana Jelača.

Devetnaesti godišnji BHFF sastoji se od tri dugometražna igrana filma, pet kratkih igranih filmova i četiri dokumentarna filma. Dvanaest filmova odabranih za prikazivanje na 19. po redu BHFF-u takmiči se za nagrade žirija BHFF-a za najbolji dokumentarni film, najbolji kratki ili animirani igrani film, najbolji dugometražni igrani film, najbolju glumačku izvedbu, posebno priznanje žirija, kao i BHFF nagradu publike za najbolji film.

Filmovi koji će biti prikazani na devetnestom godišnjem BHFF-u su:

PROGRAM BHFF 2023

PREZENTACIJA 1, SRIJEDA, 12. APRIL, 19:30H

BALADA
Aida Begić | 120 min
Igrani Film
Nakon projekcije uslijedit će Q&A razgovor s rediteljkom Aidom Begić.

Merjem-Meri (30), neambiciozna domaćica i majka djevojčice Mile (8), poslije deset godina bračnog života vraća se kod svojih. Ubrzo nakon povratka u roditeljsku kuću Meri shvaća da je zarobljena u začaranom krugu provincijskih zakona i pravila, kao i u kompleksnim relacijama između ambiciozne majke i razmaženog mlađeg brata. Njena nada da će dobiti skrbništvo nad kćerkom je svakim danom sve manja, jer nema priliku da nađe stalni posao. Jedino što je čini sretnom, a zbog čega je svi osuđuju, je odlazak na audiciju za film koji se snima u susjedstvu.

PREZENTACIJA 2, ČETVRTAK, 13. APRIL, 19:30H

ŽUTA DEVA
Alma Cocaj | 18 min
Kratki Igrani Film

Dok kao strankinja čeka u karantinu u Bosni i Hercegovini, izazovi izolacije i želja za komunikacijom potiču Almu da prati živote susjeda kroz prozor svoje sobe. U isto vrijeme joj nailaze sjećanja na djetinjstvo. Jedina komunikacija koju ima sa svojom porodicom je preko telefonskog ekrana. Almina majka nije sretna sa novim izgledom svoje kćerke, nakon što primjeti da je Alma skratila kosu. U ekspediciji da pronađe svoj izgubljeni novčanik i kupi cigarette, Alma slučajno upoznaje osobu sa kojom ima puno toga zajedničkog.

NEKI NOVI BROADVEJ
Denis Bojić | 88 min
Dokumentarni Film

Film prati šest osoba sa Downovim sindromom u Bosni i Hercegovini, koji, prevazilazeći mnogobrojne prepreke, postaju jedni od prvih osoba sa posebnim potrebama u jugoistočnoj Europi koji su članovi profesionalne škole glume, čime krše predrasude i barijere vezane za mogućnosti i sposobnosti ljudi sa Downovim sindromom. Nevjerovatna priča o istrajnosti ljudskog duha i vjeri u sopstvene mogućnosti, ovaj film vas vodi u avanturu nakon koje nećete biti isti.

PREZENTACIJA 3, PETAK, 14. APRIL, 18H

REBRA
Farah Hasanbegović | 8 min
Dokumentarni Film

Možemo li biti rođeni krivi? Polazeći od detalja vezanih za fizičko zdravlje, autor koristi animaciju u potrazi za korijenima elemenata priča koje govorimo sebi o sopstvenim životima. Kroz elokventne pokrete olovke, Rebra su čulna meditacija o materijalnim dimenzijama naših osjećaja.

PODSJEĆANJE: MEDITACIJA NA TRIPTIH
Amra Hećo | 10 min
Dokumentarni Film

Slučajni susret s video-snimkom bosanskog grada Tešnja iz 1983. godine izaziva neočekivane emocije jer režiserka prepoznaje svog djeda koji je poginuo 90-ih godina tokom rata. To otvara stare rane, ali i stvara mogućnosti za zacjeljivanje.

NAŠA PORODIČNA BAŠTA
Smirna Kulenović | 40 min
Dokumentarni Film

Nakon projekcije uslijedit će Q&A razgovor s rediteljkom Smirnom Kulenović.

Naša porodična bašta je dirljiv dokumentarac koji prati priču stotinu žena iz Bosne, Srbije, Hrvatske, i različitih europskih zemalja koje se okupljaju u augustu 2021. godine da zasade hiljadu biljaka nevena u napuštenim ratnim rovovima na prvoj liniji odbrane na brdu Zlatište u Sarajevu. Žene koje su preživjele opsadu Sarajeva odbijaju stalnu viktimizaciju i umjesto toga biraju mir i solidarnost sa svim oblicima života u traumatiziranom ekosistemu. Kroz ovaj umjetničko-aktivistički projekt, film se bavi ulogom žena kao nosiocima promjena i mogućnosti zacijeljenja društva i sredine. U vrijeme kad novi ratovi vraćaju nasilje u našu kolektivnu svijest, Naša porodična bašta je blagovremena eksploracija o mogućnostima prevazilaženja ratne traume.

PREZENTACIJA 4, PETAK, 14. APRIL, 20:30H

NAJSRETNIJI ČOVJEK NA SVIJETU
Teona Strugar Mitevska | 95 min
Igrani Film

Nakon projekcije uslijedit će Q&A razgovor sa scenaristicom Elma Tataragić.

Asja je četrdesetogodišnja slobodna žena koja živi u Sarajevu. U želji da upozna nekog novog, na majčin nagovor, jedne subote odlazi na organizirane brze spojeve. Spajaju je sa Zoranom, četrdesetogodišnjim bankarom. Međutim, Zoran ne traži ljubav, već oprost.

PREZENTACIJA 5, SUBOTA, 15. APRIL, 18H

KOMADIĆ SLOBODE
Sara Ristić | 8 min
Kratki Igrani Film

U procesu kaotičnog čišćenja stana dok iščekuju goste, majka Esma grdi kćerku Enu jer ne čisti “kako treba”. Ena je potom poslana da kupi namirnice, ali na putu prema trgovini, pažnju joj skreće magični svijet u kojem traži izvor misterioznog zvuka.

OTPAD
Isam Karahasanović | 14 min
Kratki Igrani Film

Armina, radnika na auto otpadu, pljačka stariji čovjek sa pištoljem. Dok čekaju da pristigne policija, dva muškarca ostvaruju čudnu povezanost i počinju komunicirati kao otac i sin. Kad policija konačno sitgne i stariji muškarac je spreman da se preda, Armin donosi iznenađujuću odluku.

FRIDA
Aleksandra Odić | 22 min
Kratki Igrani Film

Nakon projekcije uslijedit će Q&A razgovor s rediteljkom Aleksandrom Odić.

Susret mlade medicinske sestre i njene teško bolesne pacijentice Fride, koja je istih godina kao i ona, na granici između profesionalne distance i želje za bliskošću.

DŽEPNI ANĐEO

Siniša Grabež | 25 min
Kratki Igrani Film

Glavno pravilo anđela je da se ne smiju miješati u čovjekovu slobodnu volju. Kazna za nepoštivanje ovog pravila je zarobljavanje anđeoskog bića u (smrtno) ljudsko tijelo. Prožet ljubavlju i brigom prema svom štićeniku, jedan od anđela čuvara odluči prekršiti to staro pravilo.

PREZENTACIJA 6, SUBOTA, 15. APRIL, 20:15H

PRAZNIK RADA
Pjer Žalica | 113 min
Igrani Film

Nakon projekcije uslijedit će dodjela nagrada BHFF-a.

Nakon deset godina provedenih u Njemačkoj, Armin u gluhoj noći dolazi u Bosnu. Prvomajski su praznici, tek je oženjen, želi da iznenadi oca Fudu. Nema ga kod kuće. Komišija kaže: uhapsiše Fudu, ko zna zašto. U mahali nemir. Fudo da je zločinac?! Armin želi doznati istinu, a komšiluk proslaviti Praznik rada.

For more information email us at info@bhffnyc.org

Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival

Forward

Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival is committed to protecting your privacy. Your contact information is only used to inform you of our new programs, services, and announcements. We do not sell, trade, rent or otherwise disclose your personal information for commercial marketing purposes. We apologize for any cross-posting. For more information visit www.bhffnyc.org

Copyright © Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival 2023. All rights reserved.

unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences

DONATE

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

Website