Romanian director Emanuel Pârvu’s film Three Kilometers to the End of the World emerged as the standout at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival, clinching the top prize. The film, a contender for the Palme d’Or at Cannes, explores the aftermath of a homophobic attack on a 17-year-old in a Romanian Danube Delta town, and won the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film.
The festival’s jury, led by acclaimed U.S. writer-director Paul Schrader and featuring Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen, Sarajevo-born Una Gunjak, and Slovenian actor Sebastian Cavazza, awarded Pârvu for his poignant portrayal of personal and institutional prejudice.
In other notable awards, Greek filmmaker Yorgos Zois received the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Director for his fantasy-drama Arcadia. The film, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, stars Angeliki Papoulia as a neurologist confronting her fears at a mysterious seaside resort.
Anab Ahmed Ibrahim won Best Actress for her role in Mo Harawe’s The Village Next to Paradise, a film that marked Somalia’s first feature at Cannes. Ibrahim’s performance as a woman grappling with infertility and personal autonomy was praised for its depth.
Doru Bem was honored as Best Actor for his role in Andrei Cohn’s historical drama Holy Week. Bem’s portrayal of a Jewish innkeeper navigating racial tensions in 19th-century Romania was acclaimed for its emotional intensity.
Here’s the complete list of winners from the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival:
- Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film: Three Kilometers to the End of the World (Romania)
- Heart of Sarajevo for Best Director: Yorgos Zois, Arcadia (Greece, Bulgaria, USA)
- Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actress: Anab Ahmed Ibrahim, The Village Next to Paradise (Austria, France, Germany, Somalia)
- Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actor: Doru Bem, Holy Week (Romania, Switzerland)
Documentary Film Awards:
- Heart of Sarajevo for Best Documentary Film: A Picture to Remember (Ukraine, France, Germany)
- Heart of Sarajevo for Best Short Documentary Film: Like a Sick Yellow (Kosovo)
- Human Rights Award: Your Life Without Me (Hungary, Switzerland)
- Special Jury Award: What We Ask of a Statue Is That It Doesn’t Move (Greece, France)
Short Film Awards:
- Heart of Sarajevo for Best Short Film: Absent (Türkiye)
- Special Mention: Tako Tsubo (Austria, Germany)
Student Film Awards:
- Heart of Sarajevo for Best Student Film: The Smell of Fresh Paint (Serbia)
- Special Environmental Awareness Award: The Sky Above Zenica (Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Special Award for Promoting Gender Equality: Cent’Anni (Slovenia, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Austria)
The festival celebrated a diverse array of cinematic achievements, highlighting powerful storytelling and social themes from around the globe.
