Ticket sales for the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival have already begun, with the opening scheduled for Friday, August 14, featuring Pawel Pawlikowski's "The Inheritance."
Sarajevo is once again gearing up to become the hub of regional and global cinema. At the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, a total of 51 films will compete for the prestigious Heart of Sarajevo award across four different competition categories. Ticket sales for the festival began on Monday, August 10, 2026, and the opening itself will bring one of the most anticipated films of the year.
The festival's gala opening on Friday, August 14, is reserved for "The Inheritance" by Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski. The film has already been honored with the Best Director award at this year's Cannes Film Festival, making its Sarajevo screening one of the event's highlights. The arrival of a film of this caliber confirms Sarajevo's status as an essential stop on the European festival circuit.
Croatian cinema will have a prominent role across all competition programs. In the feature-length competition, which includes nine films, the country will be represented by "Small Things" directed by Zvonimir Jurić, arriving at the festival after its premiere in Pula. The same category also includes the Croatian co-production "Skating Isn't for Girls."
Special attention is drawn to the short fiction film category, where "The Patch" by Luka Galešić will have its world premiere. Croatia is also exceptionally well represented in the short documentary format with four titles, among which "Ram Bhai" by seasoned director Branko Schmidt stands out. The same number of Croatian films has found its place in the feature-length documentary competition.
Outdoor film enthusiasts will be able to enjoy a special open-air program. These screenings will feature the Golden Arena-winning "Chickens" and the premiere of "The Virus of Pathological Kindness" directed by Predrag Ličina. These screenings further reinforce the impression of an exceptionally strong Croatian presence at this year's festival edition.
The organizers have also revealed the recipients of the honorary awards. This year, the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo will be presented to an impressive array of film artists. Among the laureates are Hollywood star Woody Harrelson, Mexican actor Diego Luna, acclaimed Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, British actress Emily Watson, and local acting legend Emir Hadžihafizbegović.
Festival director Jovan Marijanović noted that it has become customary for films to begin their festival life at the world's most prestigious festivals. "Sarajevo is also here as a premiere venue for many of these films, which also shows that filmmakers believe in Sarajevo, believe in the platform we have created at the Sarajevo Film Festival, that their films can go out into the world from here, gaining both media visibility and visibility within the film industry itself," said Marijanović.
Journalist and film selector Milena Zajović reflected on the themes running through this year's program. "Again, we have some connections - we have those Dalmatian stories, we have immigration versus emigration, and we have, I wouldn't say a reckoning, but more an exploration of our collective identity. These are themes that run very strongly through Sarajevo this year," Zajović stated.
