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Sarajevo Film Festival’s industry section CineLink has revealed the first projects selected for its co-production market.

CineLink has selected eight feature film projects from Southeast Europe to take part in the CineLink Workshop, running from June 16–20, with one additional project set to join the others in the CineLink Co-Production Market, running Aug. 16–21. The program aims to connect filmmakers with decision-makers in production, financing, distribution and sales. In addition, the program offers script development support through tailored consultations and expert-led sessions.

This year’s projects are thematically connected through their “exploration of trauma, drawing parallels between contemporary struggles and historical events,” according to a statement. “They delve into the tension between the need for belonging and the quest for individual identity, offering a search for meaning amid chaos, and inviting audiences to discover beauty in vulnerability and strength in connection.”

The statement adds: “Seeking a responsible and thoughtful way to speak about the present moment,...

It’s Christmas Time at Fantastic Fest! This year, the festival programmers seem to have gotten the holiday spirit a bit early, and there are a number of holiday horror films on the program. In addition to The Sacrifice Game, I have seen a handful of others that are not only enjoyable, but each have a unique take on the Yuletide Spirit.

The Uncle 5/5

Some films are to be savored. You walk in knowing little about the plot, outside of a simple premise. The lights go down, the movie starts, and you find yourself asking….”What the Hell is going on here?”

That’s the joy of The Uncle. It keeps you guessing. It drops information like breadcrumbs. Bit by bit, we gain more understanding of our characters and the strange situation they find themselves in.

At the beginning of the film, a family prepares for their Christmas celebration. The turkey is roasting,...

The 22nd edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival kicked off Friday night in the city of Cluj-Napoca with the international premiere of Northern Comfort, a comedy directed by Icelandic filmmaker Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, and with a tribute to the film’s star, Timothy Spall.

The famed British character actor, known for his roles in Mike Leigh’s Topsy-Turvy and Mr. Turner, Cameron Crowe’s Vanilla Sky, Edward Zwick’s The Last Samurai, Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech and the Harry Potter films, received this year’s lifetime achievement award at the festival’s opening gala.

The Icelandic-uk-German co-production Northern Comfort is part of the massive Nordic Focus at the festival this year, with more than 40 films from Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, as well as live music performances and cine-concerts. Some of the Nordic highlights include Ruben Östlund’s 2022 Palm d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness, Lars von Trier...

The Romanian film festival runs June 9-18.

Transilvania International Film Festival has announced the line-up for its 22nd edition which takes place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

The official competition is made up of 12 features while the documentary strand, entitled What’s Up Doc?, will screen 10 titles. All of the films are from first and second-time directors.

Among the competition selection is Ion Bors’ Carbon which premiered in San Sebastian’s New Directors strand last year, having won the festival’s Wip Europa Industry and Wip Europa awards the previous year. The dark comedy, surrounding the Transnistrian conflict of the 1990s, is...