Sarajevo was designated a UNESCO City of Film on 31st October 2019, joining the global UNESCO Creative Cities Network. As a member of the creative network, Sarajevo UNESCO City of Film is committed to have film and creativity as key drivers of cultural, economic and social development of the city as well as to collaborate and partner with other UNESCO creative cities in the network.
Sarajevo UNESCO City of Film focuses on the following objectives:
• Support development of the city’s film festivals, cinemas and film museums to improve access to a high-quality and diverse film content all year round;
• Create new jobs and skills development opportunities for both youth and professionals in the film sector by expanding film and TV production;
• Contribute to a successful regional and international cooperation as a hub for film professionals in the region, particularly focusing on expanding regional co-production.
• Rejuvenate urban public spaces to enhance participation in film culture for all through cross-cutting projects connecting film with other creative industries;
• Collaborate with other UNESCO creative cities to share best practices, create joint programmes and foster exchanges of students and professionals in film projects.
In the UNESCO Creative Cities Network 21 cities in total have the UNESCO City of Film status where Sarajevo stands alongside Bitola (North Macedonia), Bradford (United Kingdom), Bristol (United Kingdom), Busan (South Korea), Cannes (France), Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Galway (Ireland), Gdynia (Poland), Lodz (Poland), Mumbai (India), Potsdam (Germany), Qingdao (China), Rome (Italy), Santos (Brazil), Sofia (Bulgaria), Sydney (Australia), Terrassa (Spain), Valladolid (Spain), Wellington (New Zealand) and Yamagata (Japan).
All these cities have been granted the UNESCO City of Film status based on their rich film history, recognisable film festivals, significant filming locations and production infrastructure as well as their commitment to develop and regenerate their cities through film, creativity and innovation.