OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES – Talents Sarajevo 2025 Fellowship for Roma in Film

OPEN CALL FOR ROMA IN FILM

ERIAC Serbia x Sarajevo Film Festival Fellowship to Join Talents Sarajevo 2025

ERIAC Serbia is proud to announce a new partnership with the Sarajevo Film Festival and Talents Sarajevo, aimed at supporting emerging Roma filmmakers and creatives. This collaboration provides opportunities to gain industry experience, build professional networks, and strengthen authentic Roma representation in film. As part of this initiative, two Roma participants will receive a fellowship to attend the Sarajevo Talents programme during the Sarajevo Film Festival in August 2025.

We are seeking emerging talents with relevant industry experience, a strong motivation to learn and grow, and a commitment to sharing their knowledge with others. The selected participant will be expected to act as a knowledge multiplier, bringing back insights gained from the program and sharing them within the ERIAC network at a dedicated meeting. Applications will be reviewed by an international jury of industry professionals.

About Talents Sarajevo 2025 Program

Talents Sarajevo is a platform for emerging filmmakers from Southeast Europe and the Southern Caucasus to connect, learn, and grow within the film industry. The nineteenth edition, FILMING AS CARING, will take place from August 16 to 21, 2025, alongside the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival, with some sessions starting online beforehand. This year’s program will focus on mental health in filmmaking, recognizing that industry changes—whether technological or structural—deeply affect professionals’ emotional well-being. By fostering dialogue among emerging and experienced filmmakers, Talents Sarajevo advocates for collective responsibility in creating a more supportive and sustainable work environment. To learn more about Talents Sarajevo click HERE.

With a commitment to inclusivity, ERIAC Serbia and the Sarajevo Film Festival are launching a fellowship for Roma in film. Roma in film, from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo*, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine are encouraged to apply. This initiative provides two fellowships for Roma participation in Talents Sarajevo across 6 key modules:

Acting Studio

Emerging performers from Southeast Europe will explore the ways in which the ongoing pandemic challenges the art of acting. A series of workshop sessions, discussions, master classes, and screenings will help them enrich their craft, experience and knowledge while traversing and challenging contemporary tendencies in acting for the cinema.

Directors Summit

A playground for directing Talents, the Directors Summit is a series of master classes, panels, screenings and discussions with some of the most renowned directors.

Camera Studio

Talents Sarajevo’s cinematography module brings together up-and-coming cinematographers from Southeast Europe and the Southern Caucasus, to share their experience and insights with their peers and expand their artistry and skills.

Producers Summit

The participants of the Producers Summit participate in a series of lectures, discussions and presentations throughout the Sarajevo Film Festival, with an emphasis on involvement with the activities of CineLink Industry Days, the festival’s industry platform.

Editing Studio

The Editing Studio brings together emerging editors from Southeast Europe and the Southern Caucasus who are ready to explore their artistry from different perspectives. A series of workshops, case studies and master classes elucidate editing as a creative process. Special attention is given to the editor’s close collaboration with other members of the creative team.

Talent Press

Talent Press is a platform for up-and-coming film critics and journalists from Southeast Europe and the Southern Caucasus to deepen their knowledge of current trends in primarily regional cinema. Participants review films and events throughout the festival, articulating their impressions and insights in a variety of media formats – from written articles and interviews to those more specific to social media apps and platforms.

The fellowship consists of:

• Travel reimbursement of up to 250,00 € (WB6) and 400,00 € (other countries) and accommodation arranged by the organizer (8 nights covered) in Sarajevo
• Sarajevo Film Festival accreditation
• Benefit from the online and onsite workshops specially prepared for Talents Sarajevo 2025 selected participants
• Participation in other activities organized for Talents Sarajevo participants at the Sarajevo Film Festival.

Applicants have to make sure to have the necessary legal documents (for ex. VISA, valid passport/ID etc) in place.

Your application will be processed only if you meet the following requirements:

• You publicly declare as Roma
• You are fluent in the English language.
• You are a citizen of one of the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldavia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
• You have not previously participated in Talents Sarajevo.
• You fill in the application form completely and in English. If you are selected to participate, please be aware that some of the data you provide will be published on ERIAC website or in other Talents Sarajevo information material.
• You work or study in the following areas: production, directing, acting, editing, cinematography or film criticism.
• You have done one of the following: You have worked on at least one short or feature film that was awarded a prize or has been invited to an international film festival OR
• You are a student of final two years at a film school and have worked on several short films or
• You are a professional in other fields of audio-visual media and are currently preparing a short or feature film project. For Film Critics: you have published at least 3 articles in the last two years or
• You are a student of final two years at School of Humanities/Journalism and
• You have submitted a complete application, including your biography with filmography, motivation letter and a sample of work.

 Deadline for applications:

Friday, March 28, 2025, CoB

Applications should be submitted via  the following LINK

Schedule:

• May 2025 – notification of the selected participant
• 15-22 of August 2025– main activities of Sarajevo Film Festival and Talents Sarajevo 2025

* This label does not prejudge the status of Kosovo and is in accordance with Resolution 1244 and the opinion of the ICJ on Kosovo’s declaration of independence  

Please note that in case you get selected, you will be required to complete the official application via Berlinale Talents website.