"Everytime" wins Heart of Sarajevo; Croatian films also honored

The 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival concluded with the prestigious Heart of Sarajevo award for best feature film presented to the Austrian-German co-production "Everytime," directed by Sandra Wollner. The jury lauded the film as a "hypnotically elastic and transcendental ghostly story steeped in sadness," praising moments of "cinematic grace."

This year's festival also celebrated significant achievements in Croatian cinema. "The Mountain," a co-production involving Croatia, Serbia, France, Montenegro, and Slovenia, earned the Heart of Sarajevo for best feature-length documentary. The jury commended its "stunningly epic cinematography" and its poignant portrayal of two remarkable women and a vanishing way of life, calling it an "unforgettable journey."

Further recognition for Croatian filmmakers came with "Quiet Mass" by director Karla Jelić, although specific details of its award were not provided in the excerpt. Other major awards included best director for Ana Urushadze for "Secondary Role" (Georgia/Estonia/Turkey), best actress for Eva Kostić in "17" (North Macedonia/Serbia/Slovenia), and best actor for Adrian Văncică in the Romanian film "You Belong Here" (Nu e locul tău aici).

The festival also bestowed five Honorary Hearts of Sarajevo for outstanding contributions to filmmaking. Recipients included actresses Emily Watson and Diego Luna, actor Woody Harrelson, director Asghar Farhadi, and actor Emir Hadžihafizbegović. The closing film of the festival was a restored version of Danis Tanović's Oscar-winning "No Man's Land."