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Source: Magali Dougados

Alisa Kovalenko

Nine feature-length projects in the CineLink Work in Progress selection of Sarajevo Film Festival include the new feature from Ukrainian filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko.

Kovalenko will present Frontline, a documentary filmed during her four-month stint in the Ukrainian army following the increased Russian invasion in February 2022.

Scroll down for the full list of Work in Progress projects

The project has previously participated in Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival’s Inspiration Forum, and the IDFA Forum, both in 2022.

It is produced by Kasia Kuczynska for Poland’s Haka Films, with Monica Hellstrom of Strom Pictures as co-producer.

Kovalenko has previously directed four documentaries including 2023’s We Will Not Fade Away, which debuted in the Generation section at the Berlinale.

It is the one documentary project in CineLink. The eight fiction projects include Supporting Role from Georgian filmmaker Ana Urushadze.

It follows a once-famous star of Georgian cinema who embarks on an odyssey of self-transformation after a casting session with a young female director. The film wrapped shooting earlier this year; it is Urushadze’s second feature after 2017’s Scary Mother, which won best first feature at Locarno and best film at Sarajevo.

The projects will compete for a €30,000 post-production award and a €25,000 award presented by Turkish National Radio Television; as well as being eligible for the CineLink Impact Award, the €20,000-in-kind award introduced last year for all films in the Work in Progress and Docu Rough Cut Boutique strands.

The CineLink jury consists of TRT Sinema’s Esra Demirkiran, The Post Republic’s Petra Gobel, Cannes Critics’ Week’s Ava Cahen, Curzon’s Eleonora Pesci and mk2 Films’ Olivier Barbier.

“Collectively, these films examine the individual’s position in contemporary society, building on diverse themes and creativity to explore fresh perspectives,” said new CineLink head Ishak Jalimam.

Sarajevo Film Festival runs from August 16-23.

Frontline (Pol) dir. Alisa Kovalenko; prod. Kasia Kuczynska for Haka Films

Harakiri (Rom) dirs. Adrian Sitaru, Vlad Popa; prod. Iriana Adnana for 4 Proof Film

Hear The Yellow (Tur) dir. Banu Sivaci; prods. Yusuf Aslanyurek, Orkun Huylu for Aslanyurek Film

Honey Bunny (Cro-Ser) dir. Igor Jelinovic; prod. Rea Rajcic for Eclectica, Bas-Celik

Kriegsausgabe (Tur) dir. Tarik Aktas; prods. Gunes Sekeroglu, Tarik Aktas for Hay Film

Lust (Bul-Den-Swe) dir. Ralitza Petrova; prods. Poli Angelova, Nikolay Todorov, Ralitza Petrova, Eva Jakobsen, Anna Byvald for Aporia Filmworks, Screening Emotions, Snowglobe, Silver Films

My Turn! (Hun) dir. Ge Zhang; prods. Katalin Csenyi, Sissy Cui for Cyd Films

One Month (Bul) dir. Maya Vitkova-Kosev; prod. Maya Vitkova-Kosev for Viktoria Films

Supporting Role (Geo-Est-Tur) dir. Ana Urushadze; prods. Davit Tsintsadze, Ivo Felt, Sophio Bendiashvili, Bacho Meburishvili, Zeynep Atakan, Andrey Epifanov, Eleonora Granata, Dato Bakhtadze for Zazafilms, Allfilm, Enkeny Films, Zeyno Film, Cinetrain, Melograno Films

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