Film Fest Openers: Sarajevo, San Sebastian, and Venice – Festival Briefs

Danis Tanović’s ‘My Late Summer’ To Open Sarajevo

Sigourney Weaver To Be Handed Venice Lifetime Achievement Award

Bosnian director Danis Tanović’s “My Late Summer” will open the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival this August. The film is billed as a comedy-drama about a young woman named Maja who comes to a remote island to solve a family inheritance issue. In a whirlwind of new emotions and unpredictable situations, she will finally face questions from her past. The search for inheritance becomes a search for her own identity, but also for forgiveness.

Tanović is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most acclaimed directors. He broke out internationally with his Bosnia War-inspired “No Man’s Land,” which clinched the Oscar and Golden Globe for best foreign language film in 2002. He has also won the Berlinale’s Silver Bear for “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” (2013) and “Death in Sarajevo” (2016).

“My Late Summer” is produced by Propeler Film (Croatia) and co-produced by Tangaj Production (Romania), Obala Art Centar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Baš Čelik (Serbia) and Tramal Films (Slovenia). The 30th Sarajevo Film Festival runs from August 16 to 23.

San Sebastian Details Spanish Selections

The San Sebastian Film Festival has detailed the Spanish works that will play in its 72nd edition in September. Iciar Bollain’s “I’m Nevenka,” Pedro Martín-Calero’s “The Wailing,” Pilar Palomero’s “Glimmers,” and Albert Serra’s “Tardes de Soledad” will compete for the festival’s top Golden Shell award in the main competition.

It will mark Serra’s first time in Official Selection at San Sebastian. His new film is described as a non-fiction work about bullfighting, studying the mental and spiritual states of the bullfighter in the ring.

In other sections, Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s series “Querer,” exploring the sensitive topic of rape within marriage, will be given an Out-of-Competition screening. In total, 17 Spanish titles will play across the program, spanning 12 feature films, one mid-length film, one short, and three series.

The 72nd San Sebastian Film Festival runs from September 20 to 28.

Alberto Barbera Renewed As Venice Film Festival Artistic Director For 2025 and 2026

Venice Unveils Horizons Short Film Section

After world premiering his latest feature “When The Light Breaks” in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard this year, Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson heads to Venice next with the short film “O,” which has been selected for the short film competition of the festival’s Horizons (Orizzonti) sidebar. Rúnarsson was Oscar-nominated for “On The Farm” early on in his career in 2006 and has remained loyal to the format ever since.

The 13-title Horizons shorts selection, announced by Venice on Friday, will also showcase Cansu Baydar’s “Almost Certainly False” (Turkey), Rand Beiruty’s “Shadow” (France, Jordan), Roberto Catani’s “Il Burattino e La Balena” (France, Italy), Tian Guan’s “The Poison Cat” (China), Atefeh Jalali’s “Ajar” (Iran), Oliver McGoldrick’s “Three Keenings” (UK, Ireland, U.S.), Moara Passoni’s “My Mother Is A Cow” (Brazil), Mariachiara Pernisa, Luca Ferri, and Morgan Menegazzo’s “René Va Alla Guerra” (Italy, Slovenia), Andres Rodríguez’s “James” (Guatemala, Mexico), Arshia Shakiba’s “Who Loves The Sun” (Canada), Jeannie Sui Wonders’s “Moon Lake” (U.S.), and Joe Weiland and Finn Constantine’s “Marion” (France, UK).

Venice runs from August 28 to September 7.

with Caroline Noguès-Larbère, Radouan Leflahi, Laurent Fernandez, Manuel Severi, Chloé Bugard / France, UK / 13’

Cate Blanchett To Receive San Sebastian’s Donostia Award

Source: Deadline, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter