The Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) has officially unveiled the distinguished panel of professionals who will preside over its Feature Film Competition for the upcoming edition in mid-August. British cinematic icon Emily Watson has been named Jury President, leading a high-profile group of international and regional experts. Joining her are Matthijs Wouter Knol, the Director of the European Film Academy; Athina Rachel Tsangari, a visionary Greek director and producer known for her pivotal role in the Greek New Wave; Igor Bezinović, an acclaimed Croatian filmmaker; and Sara Klimoska, a rising star in North Macedonian and international cinema.
The appointment of Watson and her colleagues marks a continuation of the festival’s tradition of inviting world-class auteurs and industry leaders to evaluate the best of regional and international cinema. The Sarajevo Film Festival, established in 1995 during the closing months of the Siege of Sarajevo, has evolved from a symbol of cultural resistance into the largest and most influential film event in Southeast Europe. The jury’s primary responsibility will be to determine the recipients of the prestigious Heart of Sarajevo Awards, which will be presented during a gala ceremony on August 21.
A Legacy of Excellence: The SFF Jury Tradition
Emily Watson follows in the footsteps of a "rich constellation of auteurs" who have previously led the Sarajevo jury. The festival’s history of jury presidents reads like a who’s who of global cinema, including figures such as Mike Leigh, Jeremy Irons, Asghar Farhadi, Ruben Östlund, and Mia Wasikowska. By selecting Watson, the festival organizers emphasize a commitment to high-caliber performance and artistic integrity.
Watson’s career has been defined by a series of transformative roles that have garnered her two Academy Award nominations and widespread critical acclaim. She first gained international prominence in Lars von Trier’s 1996 masterpiece Breaking the Waves, a performance that remains a benchmark for emotional depth in modern cinema. Since then, her filmography has spanned prestigious period dramas like Robert Altman’s Gosford Park to contemporary psychological thrillers like A24’s God’s Creatures, where she starred alongside Paul Mescal.
In recent years, Watson has remained at the forefront of the industry. She recently starred as Mary Shakespeare in Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet, an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel. Her television presence is equally formidable; she currently leads the HBO/Max series Dune: Prophecy, having recently completed production on its second season. Her expertise in navigating both independent arthouse projects and massive international franchises provides her with a unique perspective for evaluating the diverse lineup of the Sarajevo competition.
The Institutional and Creative Powerhouse: Knol and Tsangari
The inclusion of Matthijs Wouter Knol and Athina Rachel Tsangari adds significant institutional and creative weight to the jury. Knol, a Dutch industry veteran, has served as the CEO and Director of the European Film Academy (EFA) since 2021. In this role, he oversees the European Film Awards and manages the Academy’s vision for audience development and film heritage. His presence on the jury signals a strong link between the Sarajevo Film Festival and the broader European cinematic landscape. Knol is no stranger to the festival circuit, having previously served on juries in Locarno, Istanbul, Jerusalem, and Buenos Aires.
Athina Rachel Tsangari represents the vanguard of contemporary European filmmaking. As a director, screenwriter, and producer, she is often cited as a founding figure of the "Greek Weird Wave." Her work frequently explores complex themes of gender, power, and class through a genre-bending lens. Tsangari’s debut feature, The Slow Business of Going (2001), is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Her follow-up, Attenberg (2010), won the Coppa Volpi at the Venice Film Festival, while Chevalier (2015) was named Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival.
Beyond her own directing, Tsangari’s impact is felt through her production company, Haos Film. She was a key collaborator on Yorgos Lanthimos’s early works, including Kinetta and Alps, and served as a co-producer on Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight. Her most recent directorial effort, Harvest, a neo-western starring Caleb Landry Jones, premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2024, further cementing her status as a major voice in global cinema.
Representing the Balkan Vanguard: Bezinović and Klimoska
To ensure the jury maintains a deep connection to the regional context of the festival, the organizers have tapped Igor Bezinović and Sara Klimoska. Bezinović is one of Croatia’s most prominent contemporary directors. His 2025 film, Fiume o morte!, has been a critical darling, winning the European Film Award for Best Documentary and sweeping the Adriatic Film & TV Awards.
Bezinović’s work often blurs the lines between fiction and documentary. His debut feature, A Brief Excursion (2017), won the Grand Golden Arena for Best Film at the Pula Film Festival after premiering at Rotterdam. His inclusion on the jury brings a documentarian’s eye for authenticity and a regional expert’s understanding of the sociopolitical nuances often found in Balkan cinema.
Sara Klimoska represents the next generation of North Macedonian talent. Her career is intrinsically linked to the Sarajevo Film Festival; she is an alumna of the Talents Sarajevo program, the festival’s initiative for emerging regional professionals. Klimoska has also participated in the Berlinale Talents scheme. In 2022, she was nominated for a Heart of Sarajevo award for her performance in the series Underneath.
Klimoska’s filmography includes high-profile international projects such as Goran Stolevski’s You Won’t Be Alone and the Venice-screened Housekeeping for Beginners. She is a frequent collaborator of the acclaimed director Milcho Manchevski, appearing in Willow, Kaymak, and the upcoming Sister Brother Manhole Cover. Her presence on the jury illustrates the festival’s success in nurturing talent that eventually returns to lead the institution.
Historical Context and Festival Impact
The Sarajevo Film Festival is more than just a cinematic event; it is a vital economic and cultural engine for Bosnia and Herzegovina. When it was founded in 1995, its creators aimed to restore civil society and provide a sense of normalcy during the Bosnian War. Today, it attracts over 100,000 visitors annually and serves as the primary platform for filmmakers from Southeast Europe to showcase their work to international distributors and critics.
The Feature Film Competition is the festival’s centerpiece. It focuses specifically on films from Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine. By focusing on this specific geographical region, the festival provides a spotlight for voices that are often underrepresented in major Western festivals.
The Heart of Sarajevo Awards carry significant weight in the industry. For many regional filmmakers, a win in Sarajevo is a gateway to the European Film Awards and international distribution deals. The jury led by Watson will be tasked with finding films that balance artistic innovation with the cultural specificities of the region.
Implications for the 2025 Edition
The selection of this specific jury suggests a focus on films that challenge traditional narratives and explore complex human conditions. With Watson’s background in intense character studies, Tsangari’s experimental sensibilities, and Bezinović’s documentary-infused realism, the 2025 awards are likely to favor cinema that pushes the boundaries of the medium.
Furthermore, the presence of Matthijs Wouter Knol highlights the festival’s ongoing efforts to integrate Southeast European cinema into the broader European industry framework. This alignment is crucial for the sustainability of regional film industries, which often rely on European co-production funds and cross-border distribution networks.
As the industry prepares for the festival’s opening in mid-August, the announcement of the jury sets the stage for a week of rigorous artistic debate. The Heart of Sarajevo remains one of the most coveted prizes in the region, and under the leadership of Emily Watson, the 2025 competition is poised to uphold the festival’s legacy as a bastion of high-quality, socially relevant cinema.
The festival’s role as a bridge-builder remains its most enduring legacy. In a global landscape that is increasingly fragmented, the Sarajevo Film Festival continues to provide a space where diverse voices from across the Balkans and beyond can meet, compete, and celebrate the transformative power of film. The 2025 jury, with its blend of Hollywood prestige, European institutional leadership, and regional expertise, is perfectly positioned to navigate the complexities of this unique and vital cinematic crossroads.
