The origins of the Sarajevo International Film Festival are now nearly almost legendary. In October 1993, with Serbs shelling the city, the festival, then directed by Haris Pasovic, screened some 170 films on VHS at locations around the war-torn city, with Sarajevans literally risking life and limb as they dodged sniper bullets and mortars to get to the showings. The festival was started up again in 1995, this time under the stewardship of Mirsad Purivatra, director of the Obala Art Centre. Itâ€...

The 45th Thessaloniki International Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday 28 November, with its awards ceremony dishing out its main prize of the Golden Alexander to Mohsen Amiryousefi’s Bitter Dream from Iran. The competition is restricted to the first three features of directors, and the festival has shunned the so-called Class A festival status, which imposes restrictions on competitive events to give it more flexibility in its selection, part of a philosophy that makes the event popular with ...