The seventh Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), which will be held from 13th to 17th September in Sarajevo, brings 24 documentaries that bear witness to the violence against Palestinians and address world's economic and political turbulences, all under the theme "JUSTICE?". The program is available on the official Festival website, and all films will be screened in the Bosnian Cultural Center (BKC) and in the Sarajevo Cineplexx Cinema.
From nearly 300 films submitted to the Festival, the programmers selected 24 documentaries that will be shown in four programme selections: Competition Programme, AJB Screening, Last Minute Cinema and SmartDoc, with four additional Special Screenings. There will be nine international premieres, 12 regional ones and five B&H premiers.
The emphasis is on the issue of Gaza and Palestine.
Edhem Fočo, the Festival director, says this year’s theme came about naturally.
The theme “JUSTICE?” arose naturally. We know that there is no justice in the world. It’s no secret that, historically, there never has been any justice. American Indians have been completely unjustly erased from their land, as have Australian Aborigines. But, today, we are witnessing live what is happening in the world. We are witnessing all kinds of injustices inflicted upon the Palestinians, and it really bothers us that the world tolerates these injustices, especially those who promote human rights and values. It truly bothers us, as it should bother every normal human being, not just documentarists. So, the theme of the festival came about naturally. We wanted to focus on the issue of Gaza and Palestine. It pains us that other film festivals have somewhat overlooked this topic, as if it were not the most important issue today. We will have many films and guests from Palestine. Some films are made by Palestinian authors, some are not, but their topic is what is important. We need to talk about the ongoing and historical injustices, and we will also screen some historical films about Palestine. Of course, this year’s films are not only about Palestine. We have films from around the world, awarded at other festivals. As always, some films will have their premieres at our festival. We believe this festival has reached a new level, and we hope this edition will be the best one yet. We invite the audience to come and attend our festival," said Fočo.
Speaking about the Festival's program, programmer Sead Kreševljaković pointed out that two films from Bosnia and Herzegovina are in this year’s Competition Programme.
"We are specially honored to have two films by Bosnian-Herzegovinian authors in this year’s Competition Programme, "Forgive us our Debts " by Sergej Kreso, a Bosnian based in the Netherlands, and "Prison Beauty Contest" by Srđan Šarenac. We are especially proud that these two films are featured in this selection. It is a fact that Al Jazeera Balkans and AJB DOC Film Festival have always paid special attention to regional and BiH films. This year, as in the previous six festival editions, the AJB Screening selection will bring four films, one of Croatian production, and three from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Out of a total of 24 films, 8 are BiH productions," emphasized Kreševljaković.
The decision on the best film in the Competition Programme will be made by the international five-member-jury: Deborah London-Harrington, documentary filmmaker and Head of Production Management at Dogwoof, Namik Kabil, film director and writer, Mila Turajlić, documentary filmmaker, Francesco Montagner, documentary filmmaker, and Myriam Francois, journalist and documentary filmmaker.
All films from the Competition Programme will also compete for the AJB Programme Award, presented by the Al Jazeera Balkans Programme Department Jury. All films screened at the Festival will have a chance to win the Audience Award.
Rich program for documentarists, young Authors, and the audience
As in previous years, in cooperation with the Al Jazeera Media Institute and in partnership with Samsung and the project "Women Leading the Way to Peace and Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina," a three-day training titled "Smartphone Documentary Film Production," led by Faris Bajrić and Jane Mote, will be held for young authors from the region.
Now traditionally, under the auspices of the AJB DOC Film Festival, the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel organizes the 3rd AJD Industry Days - meetings for professionals in the documentary industry that will connect decision-makers with notable documentary projects.
According to the Festival PR Nadira Dacić, AJD Industry Days is becoming one of the leading global platforms for the industry, outside of the major global centers.
"270 documentary projects from nearly 50 countries have been submitted, and 29 of them have been selected to be presented in four categories. The prize fund of over 120,000 euros will be distributed to winning projects, and the focus is on international cooperation and support for young authors. It is important to note the AJD Industry Days will be attended by over 80 decision-makers from major film festivals such as Sundance, Berlinale Forum, DOK Leipzig, IDFA, as well as by directors and representatives from ARTE and other major public broadcasters from Austria, the Czech Republic, and Croatia, which will also award their prizes.
This year's edition will put an emphasis on documentary films that tell human stories, address pressing social issues, and promote universal values, with a focus on regions that are underrepresented in the documentary film industry. By encouraging cultural exchange, the aim of this event is to foster a deeper understanding of different perspectives.
In addition to documentary film screenings, the Seventh AJB DOC Festival offers a rich accompanying program, including a masterclass titled "Life Between Checkpoints" and a panel discussion on "Violence Against Women."
The seventh edition of the AJB DOC Film Festival will be held under the auspices of BH Telecom, the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Sarajevo Canton, and the Tourist Board of the Sarajevo Canton Visit Sarajevo.
The training is carried out in cooperation with the Al Jazeera Media Institute and with the support from Samsung and the project "Women Leading the Way to Peace and Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina," which is implemented with the support of the United Nations Secretary-General's Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) in partnership with the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project is implemented under the guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and jointly carried out by UN Women, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
