17-08-2021

FNE at CineLink Sarajevo 2021: Crime, Culture, and Identity Meet in Two CineLink Drama Projects

By
    Jinx by Mario Kozina and Maja Pek-Brünjes Jinx by Mario Kozina and Maja Pek-Brünjes

    SARAJEVO: CineLink Drama, which is running 14-19 August 2021 under the umbrella of the Sarajevo Film Festival, brings two teams of newcomers into its selection. Mario Kozina and Maja Pek-Brünjes are the creative team behind the Croatian project Jinx, while the Bosnian and Herzegovinian writer/short film director Tina Šmalcelj is developing Treasure of Veleš, a series dedicated to young audiences.

    Based on a bestselling novel by Kristian Novak, Jinx tells a story of a young Romani detective Roksana, who is investigating a murder in a Croatian-Romani community. As she pushes on with her investigation, despite the media frenzy transforming the case and both police and locals turning their back on her, Roksana uncovers much more abhorrent crime involving the pillars of the local community.

    Jinx is produced by Danijel Pek of Antitalent, the Croatian producer of Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović’s Murina, which won the Camera d’Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. The budget is estimated at 2.4 m EUR with 20,000 EUR in place. The series will consist of six 45-minute episodes, and the treatment and the project bible have already been developed.

    At CineLink, the producers are looking for a German, Nordic or French coproducer, broadcasters and/or streaming platforms, as well as world sales.

    Treasure of Veleš by Tina ŠmalceljA certain underdog of this year’s selection, the Bosnian and Herzegovinian project with only one creator attached, Treasure of Veleš, is a coming of age story connecting mystery, crime and an imaginary cult based on an old local religion. The series tells the story of 17-year-old Dany and his geeky and genius 11-year-old sister Anja, who are dragged by their mother from London to her native village in Bosnia and Herzegovina because of the pandemic. They quickly meet Lada and a reluctant trio is formed when they realise that they will never uncover what is hiding behind many local stories if they don’t start working together.

    The story is set to be told in eleven 30-minute episodes. The treatment, the project bible and the pilot script have been developed so far and Šmalcelj is looking for possible coproducers, broadcasters and networks that might be interested in the project.

    Jinx:
    Production Information:
    Producer:
    Antitalent (Croatia)
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    Credits:
    Author of the novel: Kristian Novak
    Writers: Mario Kozina, Maja Pek-Brünjes
    Producer: Danijel Pek

    Treasure of Veleš
    Production Information:
    Producer: Tina Šmalcelj (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    Credits:
    Writer: Tina Šmalcelj