"FIRST FRAME" UNDER THE MOTTO "CENSORSHIP"

The 19th International Film Festival “First Frame” will take place from November 3 to 7 in Zvornik and East Sarajevo, under the motto “Censorship.”

Art director and festival selector Aleksandra Mitrić Štifanić stated that this year’s edition aims to highlight that film does not belong to censorship — it is a space of freedom, expression, and courage.

She emphasized that 50 films have been selected for the 2025 program, showcasing works by filmmakers who bravely confront the present, nurture the culture of remembrance, and tell stories of ordinary people that celebrate life, death, and the future.

The films will compete in seven official categories, with the introduction of a new section titled “New Wave.”

“The goal of this section is to foster networking and development among young filmmakers, encouraging their creativity and visibility by presenting fresh perspectives and powerful stories through the vision of talented young artists,” said Mitrić Štifanić, as reported by RTRS via Srna.

The jury will include Andrew Norton, distributor and founder of leading film distribution company Raina; Branko Lazić, director and editor of documentary programming; and Luka Papić, an award-winning documentary filmmaker.

As part of the educational segment of the festival — the Young Talents Academy — two film workshops for high school students will be held: “Behind the Frame” (a documentary film workshop) and “The Art of Watching” (a film criticism workshop), led by mentor Jelena Radenović. Audiences can also look forward to a rich accompanying program.

The laureate of this year’s festival, recipient of the “Key of Catara” Award for outstanding contribution to the development of film art, is director Slobodan Šijan.

The festival in Zvornik will open on November 3 at 7:00 PM with Vuk Ršumović’s latest feature film “Among the Gods.” In East Sarajevo, the opening event will be held on November 5 at 7:00 PM with the feature documentary “Children of Bradina” by Stevan Salatović.

The festival is financially supported by the Audio-Visual Center of the Republic of Srpska, the City of East Sarajevo, the City of Zvornik, and the municipalities of East Ilidža and East New Sarajevo.