Young filmmakers bring contemporary stories and new creative energy from Srebrenica and Bratunac to international film festivals
Five young filmmakers are bringing stories created in Srebrenica and Bratunac to international audiences. Following the films’ world premieres at the Silver Frame Film Festival and their screenings as part of the Official Teen Arena Programme at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, they will now be presented at the Picentia Short Film Festival in Italy, which will take place from 24 to 27 September 2026.
The five short films were created as part of Green Film Residency, a five day creative programme of the Silver Frame Film Festival that brought together emerging filmmakers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Slovenia. Guided by experienced five mentors from the region, the participants transformed their ideas into original films exploring climate change, sustainability, community, and our relationship with the spaces we inhabit.
The programme demonstrates how Srebrenica and Bratunac can provide space for creativity, collaboration, and new connections. By taking their films to renowned festivals in Sarajevo and Italy, the filmmakers are also presenting contemporary stories from local communities shaped not only by their past, but also by the lives, ideas, and creative work of the people living there today.
All five Green Film Residency films will be screened in Italy: MELTING TOGETHER by Ilma Kalač, mentored by Boris Gavrilović; THE KITCHEN OF CARE by Rebeka Bratož Gornik, mentored by Dragan Stanimirović; LAW OF CONSERVATION by Emina Gabeljić, mentored by Corina Schwingruber-Ilić; GOING FISHING by Umma Jazvin, mentored by Isidora Ratković; and DRINA AND SAKURA by Ilhan Zerem, mentored by Almir Berkovac.
For Umma Jazvin, the residency revealed the importance of collaboration and belonging: “I learned how important teamwork is. Without the people I met, I would not have my film, but more importantly, I would not have understood the true value of community.”
Ilma Kalač describes Silver Frame as an experience that shaped her and changed the way she sees the world. After fulfilling her dream of taking part in the Sarajevo Film Festival, she sees the journey to Italy as another important milestone in her development as a filmmaker.
For Ilhan Zerem, the opportunity to present his work outside Bosnia and Herzegovina represents an important step forward: “I am especially happy that my film will be screened at the Picentia Short Film Festival in Italy. It is a new and valuable experience that I will remember for a long time.”
Rebeka Bratož Gornik sees the residency as a space that connects young filmmakers, mentors, and creatives from the region and beyond: “The journey of our films from Srebrenica, through Sarajevo, and now to Italy is extremely important because it gives young people an opportunity to enter the international film world.”
For Emina Gabeljić, the invitation to Italy carries a significance that extends far beyond a festival screening: “The fact that a story created in Srebrenica will reach a new audience beyond the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina represents a major step for me, not only as a director, but also on a personal level.”
The journey of these films, from Srebrenica and Bratunac, through Sarajevo, to Italy, demonstrates the importance of collaboration among regional artists and enables stories created in local communities to reach the international stage.
We are grateful to the Picentia Short Film Festival for the invitation and the opportunity to present the Green Film Residency films to audiences in Italy.
The Silver Frame Film Festival continues to connect film, art, emerging filmmakers, and local communities, enabling new stories created in Srebrenica and Bratunac to travel far beyond the places where they began.
