SARAJEVO, SEPTEMBER 13 (ONASA) – The seventh edition of the Al Jazeera Balkans International Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC) will be opened tonight with a solemn ceremony at the Bosnian Cultural Center (BKC) Sarajevo at 7:30 p.m.
After that, there will be a screening of the film “Where Olives Weep” by the directing duo Zaya and Maurizi Benazzo. It is a heartbreaking, touching and poignant documentary about the struggle and resilience of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank.
In the following days of the festival, the audience has the opportunity to watch another 23 top-quality documentaries that tell stories about the injustices faced by Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as well as other current social issues.
As the theme of injustice and the search for justice pervades all the films that will be shown in the five selections – Takmičarska, AJB Shows, Last Minute Cinema, Smart DOC and Special Projections – so, according to the director of the AJB DOC Film Festival Edhem Foča, the theme of the festival JUSTICE? self-imposed.
The films on the program of the Seventh AJB DOC will be shown in the Bosnian Cultural Center (BKC) and Cineplexx Sarajevo, and detailed information about the program is available on the festival’s official website.
The decision on the best film of the Competition Selection will be made by a five-member international jury consisting of: Deborah London-Harrington, documentary filmmaker and head of the Production Management Department at Dogwoof; Namik Kabil, film director and writer; Mila Turajlić, documentary filmmaker; Francesco Montagner, documentarian and Myriam Francois, journalist and documentarian.
All competing films enter the competition for the award of the program jury of Al Jazeera Balkans, which awards the AJB Program Award. Also, all films shown at the AJB DOC Film Festival enter the competition for the Audience Award.
From September 14 to 16, as a special program of the AJB DOC Film Festival, the third edition of AJD Industry Days will be held, a meeting for professionals from the documentary industry that will connect decision makers with striking documentary projects.
In that period, out of the 270 documentary projects registered from approximately 50 countries, 29 projects divided into four categories – Main Pitch, Rough Cut, Balkan Star and Special Selection – will be presented, which will be evaluated on the basis of topic, relevance, originality, quality of presentation , production skills and international potential. The total prize fund for the winning projects is approximately 120,000 euros.
Also, from September 10 to 12, in cooperation with Al Jazeera Media Institute, and in partnership with Samsung and the project “Women lead on the path of peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina” and Europe House, the training “Production of documentary films with smart by phone” led by video journalist Faris Bajrić and director of Beechtobeach Ltd Jane Mote.
In addition, on September 16, starting at 11 a.m., the panel “Violence against women” will be held in Europe House, which is supported by the project “Women lead on the path to peace and security in BiH”, and is implemented with the support of the Secretary General’s Peace Building Fund of the United Nations (PBF) in partnership with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The project is implemented under the leadership of the resident coordinator of the UN in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is jointly implemented by UN Women, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
In Cineplexx Sarajevo, on September 14, starting at 1 p.m., a masterclass “Life between checkpoints” will be held, led by Emre Bastug, director of TRT Balkan and Melida Mustafić, producer on the digital channel TRT Balkan.
This year’s edition of the AJB DOC Film Festival, which lasts from September 13 to 17, is held under the auspices of BH Telecom, the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Canton of Sarajevo and the Tourist Board of the Canton of Sarajevo. The festival was also supported by UniCredit Bank, Courtyard by Marriott Sarajevo, Violeta, Meggle and AS Holding. (end)