The Brief: Sarajevo Film festival celebrates 25 years - remembering its roots in conflict but expanding horizons
ADVERTISEMENTSarajevo film festival — a film festival born from war — is now celebrating its 25th anniversary with a slew of international film stars. A testament to the power of art to shape the future, without forgetting the past.
It's a red carpet with a difference.
Stars of the silver screen will walk across a traditional ornamented Bosnian carpet at this year's Sarajevo Film Festival.
A nod to its unique location, but it has an equally unique history.
The first edition took place in a city under siege — a way to show culture could thrive in times of conflict.
Film director Danis Tanović was there when the festival was first set up.
"It started in the war, it started as a kind of fight against madness we were all living in."
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the festival has grown from showing 37 films in 1995 to some 270 films from 56 countries this year, over the space of 8 days.
It also attracts cinema's top talent.
Oscar-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu will receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo award. An honour also extended to French actress Isabelle Huppert and Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski.