The mission of the festival is to present Balkan creators from Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Greece, and Turkey to the world.

The festival’s main awards bear the names of two significant auteurs: Živojin Žika Pavlović and Dušan Makavejev.

The feature films have been grouped in three cathegories: Main Competition Programme / Balkan Rising (seven titles, selected by Darko Bajić), Mysteries of Film (eight films, selected by Uroš Tomić), and Back to the Genre / Balkan Midnight (six films, selected by Vinko Brešan).

The programme also includes several masterclasses, among which is the one to be held by producer Pierre Spengler and guided by Ivan Karl, the director of Film Center Serbia.

The festival is supported by the Republic of Serbia’s office for public and cultural diplomacy, Elektroprivreda Srbije, Film Center Serbia, MTS Dvorana, Dom omladine Beograda, and Yunus Emre Institut.

Main Competition Programme:

The Things You Kill (Turkey, France, Poland, Canada)
Produced by Fulgurance Films / Remora Films
Coproduced by Lava Films, Tell Tall Tale / Les Films Band with Pictures

But What About Tomi? /És mi van Tomival? (Hungary)
Directed by Attila Till
Produced by Laokoon Filmgroup

Everybody Calls Redjo / Site go vikaat Redjo (North Macedonia)
Directed by Ibër Deari
Produced by Manufaktura Production
Supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency 

When Santa Claus Was a Communist  /  Ne skreći sa staze (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia)
Directed by Emir Kapetanović
Produced by DEPO
Coproduced by Eurofilm, and Emote, in partnership with CKA Charlama, FTV and Cinema TV
Supported by Film Fund Sarajevo, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Film Center Serbia, the Ministry of Culture and Sport of Canton Sarajevo, the Government of Central Bosnian Canton, as well as the local community of the City of Bugojno

Sun Never Again / Sunce nikad više (Serbia)
Directed by David Jovanović
Produced by Pointless Films
Coproduced by the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade
Supported by Film Center Serbia, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the town of Bor, the EU za tebe programme

Buzzheart (Greece, USA)
Directed by Dennis Iliadis

Kontinental ’25 / Continental ’25 (Romania, Brazil, Switzerland, UK, Luxembourg)
Directed by Radu Jude
Produced by Saga Film
Coproduced by RT Features, Bord Cadre films, Sovereign Films, Paul Thiltges Distributions
Supported by UPFAR – ARGOA, the Romanian cash rebate scheme