Short film production in Bosnia-Herzegovina has been given a welcome boost by the decision of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) on the eve of this years Sarajevo Film Festival (August 17-25) to guarantee $28,995 (SEK 300,000) backing for the Goteborg Film Festival's CineBosnia fund.

Launched in 2000, the CineBosnia fund hands out $9,665 (SEK 100,000) each year to one single short film project which is selected by a jury of representatives from the Goteborg and Sarajevo film festivals. The first payment by CineBosnia was made during the 24th Goteborg Film Festival at the beginning of this year to the young Sarajevo-based filmmaker Jasmila Zbanic from the five submitted projects.

Her project - currently entitled Chandelier and to be produced by Damir Ibrahimovic - will have its premiere at the next edition of the Goteborg festival in 2002.

SIDA s support means that the CineBosnia fund will now be able to select further short film projects from Bosnian filmmakers in 2002, 2003 and 2004 for premiering at the festival in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

"We want to show that this is a long-term initiative to support the region's filmmakers", declared Magnus Telander, project manager at the Goteborg Film Festival, "The money can be used in a very flexible way - it can be used for pre-production, production or postproduction".

The first $9,665 (SEK 100,000) which was awarded this year to Zbanic had been collected as the result of a fund-raising initiative on the 20th anniversary of the Goteborg Film Festival in 1997 when donations were received from private individuals, artists and companies in Sweden with a common aim of supporting the future of film in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

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