The world premiere of Predrag Ličina's new film is scheduled for August 19, 2026, at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, and the plot of this black comedy about time travel takes place in Zagreb in 1983.
The feature film "Virus of Pathological Kindness" by director Predrag Ličina will have its world premiere on August 19, 2026, as part of the Open Air program at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival. The festival runs from August 14 to 21, and this Serbian-Croatian co-production brings the first regional satirical sci-fi black comedy about time travel.
The film is set in Zagreb in 1983. In the middle of a snowy night, a naked man bursts into the apartment of Zorka Vasiljević, claiming to have arrived from the future, specifically from 2031. His mission is to prevent the pandemic of the "Virus of Pathological Kindness" that threatens humanity. Zorka initially believes he is a con man, but his predictions begin to come true as the evening progresses.
The film satirically parodies phenomena of the present, events from the recent past, and a future world where kindness could become the most dangerous virus. The screenplay was written by director Predrag Ličina himself, based on his own short story of the same name from the collection "Bljuzga u sumrak" published in 2022.
"I am truly happy and satisfied that my 'Virus of Pathological Kindness,' made as a Serbian-Croatian co-production, will have its world premiere right in Sarajevo, because the team there knows that the best joke is one at your own expense," Ličina said for Kurir.rs.
The cast is led by Hristina Popović as Zorka Vasiljević and Nikola Đuričko as Luka Radivojević. They are joined by Gordan Kičić (Zigi Vasiljević), Tihana Lazović Trifunović (Officer Sutjeska), Goran Bogdan (Officer Bogdan), and Rade Šerbedžija (Slobodan Novak).
The film is produced by Đorđe Vranješ, co-produced by Vanja Sremac, with associate producer Aleš Pavlin. It was made by Stiglitz Productions from Serbia and Terminal 3 from Croatia.
The project was co-financed by the Film Centre of Serbia (FCS) and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC). Financial support was also provided by the Office for Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities of the Government of the Republic of Croatia through the Serb National Council, further emphasizing the importance of this regional cooperation.
The directors of photography are Saša Petković and Dragan Radetić, the editor is Vanja Kovačević, and the sound designers are Igor Suzić and Zoran Maksimović. The music is composed by Jura Ferina and Pavao Miholjević. The production design is by Dušan Radoičić, costume design by Selena Orb, and makeup by Aleksandra Pavelkić Janković. Visual effects were handled by David Gatarić, and color grading by Goran Todorić.
Filming lasted three weeks in Pančevo, and the theatrical release is expected in November 2026 in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
This is Predrag Ličina's second feature film, continuing his recognizable screenwriting and directing satirical style with elements of science fiction, known from his award-winning feature debut "The Last Serb in Croatia" and the short film "Teleport Zovko."
