February comes with important changes and big news for the Sarajevo Film Festival, the biggest film festival in Southeast Europe.

Mirsad Purivatra, SFF’s director for the past 27 years, has decided to step down from his position. He will instead take on the role of President of the Obala Art Centar Association, the umbrella organization behind the Festival.

Regarding his work all these years, Purivatra said, “I am proud of everything we have accomplished over the last 27 years. We started from nothing, when our city was under siege, and today we are a globally renowned institution attended by filmmakers and film industry professionals from the region and the whole world. We have faced many challenges on this journey.”

“It is a special pleasure to know that the team I have led for the past three decades has given Sarajevo a great brand that promotes it across the world as a city of culture and film. As Director of the SFF, I have had the honour and pleasure to host all the best BiH and regional filmmakers as well as some of today’s most important world-class filmmakers, who have become ambassadors for Sarajevo and the Sarajevo Film Festival,” he added.

As president of Obala Art Centar, Purivatra will continue to work on the strategic development of the festival. About his plans for the future he said: “Being the Head of Sarajevo Film Festival was a great responsibility which required my full commitment to the project. I have made the decision to change my position with a sincere conviction that this is the right move for both me and the Festival.”

Mirsad Purivatra’s successor will be Jovan Marjanović, previously in charge of the SFF Industry Department and the Festival Co-director.

According to Mirsad Purivatra, Marjanović is a brilliant choice: “I can freely say that Jovan Marjanović is a child of the Festival. He joined us as a nineteen-year-old, after graduating from high school. He grew up with the Sarajevo Film Festival, demonstrated true talent for the creative industry, graduated from prestigious schools, developed an excellent network in the film industry and I believe he will be a great leader capable of leading the team and the Festival in the right direction.”

Melissa Antonescu

Writer, photographer and videographer. For Films in Frame she writes news about the latest happenings in the film world and brings to the readers' attention the productions that can be seen at the cinema. When she's not writing articles, she's photographing people in a small studio or searching for new cake recipes.