Sarajevo Film Festival is to open with the world premiere of Dino Mustafic’s shadowy comedy The Pavilion on August 15. It marks the second featu
Sarajevo Film Festival is to open with the world premiere of Dino Mustafic’s shadowy comedy The Pavilion on August 15.
It marks the second feature of the Bosnian director, whose 2003 debut Remake remains one of the most-watched films in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
More than two decades later, he returns with a film about a group of residents in a retirement home who, after years of abuse and humiliation, decide to stage an armed revolt. Armed with illegal weapons, they take over the home, hold the staff hostage, and clash with the authorities.
Mustafic said the film “brought together a large regional cast of well-known actors” and that both the authors and producers come from across the Balkans. “This is a film about the oldest generation who have chosen to act according to their conscience in today’s world,” he added. “They rise up in rebellion. And rebellions, by nature, come in all forms. This one is different. Once you see the film, you’ll understand why.”
The Pavilion was produced by Bosnia and Herzegovina outfit Panglas, in co-production with Croatia’s Cineplanet, North Macedonia’s Krug Film, Serbia’s Monte Royal Pictures, Montenegro’s Natenane Productions, and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Realstage.
The screenplay is written by Viktor Ivancic, with Emir Imamovic Pirke as co-writer. The cast includes Rade Serbedzija, Zijah Sokolovic, Miralem Zubcevic, Ksenija Pajic and Jasna Diklic.
Producers are Mustafa Mustafic, Ishak Jalimam, and Rusmir Efendic; while co-producers include Igor Vranjkovic, Dejan Krajcevski, Bojana Maljevic, and Dušan Kovacevic.
The film was made with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Sarajevo Canton, the Sarajevo Film Fund, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the North Macedonia Film Agency, the Film Center Serbia, the Film Centre of Montenegro, and in co-production with BH Telecom.
Mustafic is known for documentaries such as The Runway Of Life, Let There Be Light, Miracle In Bosnia, An Artist’s View of the Past and Transforming Tomorrow. Debut fiction feature Remake premiered at Rotterdam, where it was named one of the top five films, and went on to play a raft of international festivals. He is also known as a renowned theatre director.
The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival is set to take place from August 15-22. The opening ceremony will be hosted by Bosnian actor Lidija Kordic, who starred as Ilona Slater in biographical drama Diva Futura.
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