Author: Emina Helić Čamdžić, BA Dip. Eng. Arch MA
Image shows exhibition poster at the main SFF theatre square during the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF). Image © Emina Čamdžic, WAC’s Country Reporter Bosnia and Herzegovina
Country Reporter WAC for Bosnia And Herzegovina, Emina Čamdžić has attended the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) which was held from the 11th to the 19th August 2023, at which were shown 235 films from 59 countries in 18 different programmes while 23 films had a world premiere.
How the SFF contributes to the SDG Agenda 2030[1] is the question raised.
According to announcement from the conference ‘ Responsible, for the future ‘, prior to the festival have been held different activities by the SFF organizers towards achieving zero – pollution and a presentation of achieved activities as a step forward in the protection of the environment, the use of clean and renewable energy resources, about waste and urban mobility; in addition according to this SFF announcement a form of additional sustainability training was held within the realm of film and series productions.
Image shows a recycling initiative in the town of Sarajevo during the SFF. Image © Emina Čamdžic, WAC’s Country Reporter Bosnia and Herzegovina
As seen on this image, at certain SFF locations in the town of Sarajevo are placed trash cans for recycling of certain materials and those are for : metal cans, plastic bottles and mixed trash, as part of the SFF campaign for separate waste collection.
‘ With an unbreakable union of film and culture ‘, as mentioned according to the announcement on this page [2] about the festival’s recent dynamic partnership with the UNESCO, the SFF is said to confronting global challenges such as climate change with commitment to make the festival net carbon – neutral, promote sustainable practices and with an online film competition promotes climate solutions, renewable energies and urban mobility, too.
In the focus of this year’s festival was also the promotion of electrical vehicles use for the festival’s guests and public transport use as a step for visitors towards the reduction of the CO2 level. In fact, travel can be either very good for the planet with little carbon dioxide emissions per passenger transport, while carbon dioxide emissions cause pollution and not only that but affect climate change and therefore can be very damaging depending on travel type. Therefore, walking to the SFF destinations in the town of Sarajevo and in other towns where the festival’s films are shown, is a good option because of the small distance of the festival’s destinations within Sarajevo as well as other accompanying towns. Let’s see how the festival will incorporate the climate agenda towards achieving the SDG Agenda 2030 into the programme. Read more about World Architecture Community’s coverage about the climate agenda at the SFF on the link, published by WAC’s Bosnia and Herzegovina Country Reporter Emina Čamdžić.
Alongside the SFF film’s programme, the SFF typically includes a Masterclass programme, and from the 13th to the 18th August has featured open talks from film professionals: Mark Cousins (BAFTA nominated and receiver of the 29th SFF Honorary Heart of Sarajevo), Charlie Kaufman (Academy Award winner and receiver of the 29th SFF Honorary Heart of Sarajevo), Lynne Ramsay (BAFTA nominated and receiver of the 29th SFF Honorary Heart of Sarajevo) and Jessica Hausner (FIPRESCI Venice Film Festival award); while including film production, then directing, as well screenwriting, acting and other aspects of the film industry.
In fact, during the recent years film professionals such as Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Winterbottom, Tim Roth, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Isabelle Huppert, Gael GarcÃa Bernal while attending the SFF festival held Masterclasses open for students and interested accredited.
This year’s festival showed as well movies about mountains and the mountain rescue service, plastic bottle collectors, wild rivers, nature advantage with goods and appreciation, heatwaves, nature’s smallest components to wild panoramas, diminishing resources and survival of the human race, and a desert town space convention.
Top image shows exhibition poster at the main SFF theatre square during the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF). Image © Emina Čamdžic, WAC’s Country Reporter Bosnia and Herzegovina
[1] The SDG Agenda 2030 (the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) with SGDs (Sustainable Development Goals). Retrieved 24 August, 2023 from (https://sdgs.un.org/goals) Copy-Paste into your browser.
[2] United Nations and Sarajevo Film Festival: An Unbreakable Union of Film and Culture. Retrieved 24 August, 2023 from (https://bosniaherzegovina.un.org/en/241183-united-nations-and-sarajevo-film-festival-unbreakable-union-film-and-culture). Copy-Paste into your browser.