Brešan and Botica Brešan Awarded in Tivat
The Croatian film duo received recognition for their long-standing collaboration at the inaugural Tivat Film Wave festival, while a Hollywood star is soon to receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo.
The Croatian film duo received recognition for their long-standing collaboration at the inaugural Tivat Film Wave festival, while a Hollywood star is soon to receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo.
Croatian director Vinko Brešan and editor Sandra Botica Brešan have won the TFW Outstanding Collaboration in Film Award. It was ceremoniously presented to them at the closing of the inaugural Tivat Film Wave festival, held from July 29 to 31, 2026, in Donja Lastva near Tivat.
They received the award for their years of joint creative work that has left a deep mark on contemporary European cinema. The festival's artistic director, Ivan Marinović, emphasized that this award aims to highlight the importance of creative partnerships in the film industry and to bring to the forefront authors who have collaborated on projects for years.
Upon accepting the award, Brešan noted that film is a collective art form built on authorial collaboration. "Sandra Botica Brešan and I are deeply honored to be recipients of an award that celebrates the long-term collaboration of two authors. We are especially pleased to be the first author duo to receive this award," Brešan stated, as reported by Večernji list.
In honor of the laureates, a short film about their body of work was screened, prepared by the multi-award-winning Croatian editor Vlado Gojun. Over the three festival days, discussions were held with a number of film authors and artists, including Nikola Đuričko, Lidija Kordić, and Mišo Obradović. Visitors also had the opportunity to participate in a workshop for young authors in the editing phase, "Between the Cuts," as well as an acting masterclass led by Nikola Đuričko.
The first edition of the Tivat Film Wave festival was organized by the production company Adriatic Western, with patronage from the Tivat Culture Center. Organizers have confirmed that the event will continue in the coming years, with the aim of strengthening the connection between filmmakers and audiences.
While impressions from Tivat are still settling, Sarajevo is preparing for the arrival of another major star. American actor Woody Harrelson will be a special guest at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, where he will receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo for his outstanding contribution to the art of film. The festival runs from August 14 to 21, 2026.
Festival director Jovan Marjanović described Harrelson as an actor who is believable even in the most improbable roles. "That incredible ease of acting presence is actually the hardest thing to achieve in front of the camera, and he manages it film after film," Marjanović said for Hype TV.
A three-time Oscar nominee, Harrelson is known to audiences for his roles in "The People vs. Larry Flynt," "The Messenger," and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." As part of the festival, the 1997 film "Welcome to Sarajevo," directed by Michael Winterbottom, which deals with the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and features Harrelson in one of the leading roles, will also be screened. The screening will take place at the Coca-Cola Open Air Cinema as part of the Open Air program.
This year, alongside Harrelson, the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo will also be awarded to Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, Mexican actor and director Diego Luna, and Emir Hadžihafizbegović, a regional film star.
