Two documentary projects are selected within this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival CineLink Work -in -rogress programme. The projects will be presented to attending high-profile international industry professionals (funders, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters and festival programmers) with the aim of assisting their completion and enhancing their distribution possibilities.
“The selection encompasses a broad stylistic and genre spectrum, and narratives that are both deeply personal and socially resonant,” organisers write of the overall selection, that also includes 8 fiction projects. “Many of the selected works explore the complexities of human nature and the fragility of social consensus, and the tensions between collective expectations and personal anxieties. What unites these films is a shared sensitivity to the nuances of human relationships, between generations, individuals, and communities. At their core lies a strong drive to understand the other, affirm dignity, and explore the resilience of individuals and communities in the face of violence and inequality.”
“This edition deepens CineLink’s partner ecosystem, matching ambitious regional filmmaking with robust finishing, financing and impact resources,” organisers add.
CINELINK WORK-IN-PROGRESS DOC SELECTION
- THE FORBIDDEN AUNT by Bojana Novaković . Producer: Bojana Novaković, Sonja Božić, Milan Stojanović. Production Company: Sense Production. Country: Serbia. Synopsis: Bojana Novaković films a documentary about her mysterious aunt in rural Serbia, uncovering family secrets & confronting her own past in a darkly comedic, multi-generational portrait of women and trauma.
- SILENCE IS THE ENEMY OF THE SEA (experimental) by Evgeny Rodin, Dina Karaman. Producers: Vladimir Nadein, Anton Kurilchik, Mina Seyid-Mammadova, Evgeny Rodin. Production Companies: Dénapá. Co-production Company: Jol Filmproduktion, Mandarin Production. Countries: France, Azerbaijan, Austria. Synopsis: Nothing but the sea is visible from the barred windows of a large house. The inhabitants are lulled by marine songs broadcast day and night, so they never notice their confinement.
NEWLY INTRODUCED AWARDS IN 2025
- HBO Award: €30 000 cash. A direct license across 15 HBO territories in Central and Southeast Europe, providing completion funding and a guaranteed broadcast window. The winning project will have the opportunity to be aired on the linear HBO channel and included in the high-quality content library of the HBO Max streaming platform, helping it reach a broad international audience and positioning it among compelling storytelling.
- Avanpost Media Award: €30 000 in‑kind. Together with Avanpost’s ongoing €20 000 support for Docu Rough Cut Boutique, the company now invests €50 000 annually across CineLink’s finishing platforms offering post-production services.
RETURNING AWARDS FROM LONG‑STANDING PARTNERS
- TRT Award: €10 000 cash. A long‑standing collaboration with Turkish Radio Television. The amount is transferred to the production company by the Festival and formalised as a licence agreement for TV rights within Türkiye.
- Post Republic Award: €30 000 in‑kind. Covers colour‑grading or sound‑mix services. Berlin‑based Post Republic was among the very first supporters of CineLink Work in Progress and remains a cornerstone of the platform’s success.
- Projects from both Work in Progress and Docu Rough Cut Boutique also compete for the CineLink Impact Award, a €20 000 impact‑campaign grant presented by Think‑Film Impact Production.
