The Sarajevo Film Festival‘s CineLink Industry Days spotlighted eight exceptional documentaries from Central and Eastern Europe, culminating in the Docu Talent from the East Awards 2024. This year’s standout, Baltic UXO, a Lithuanian-German-Latvian co-production, directed by Agnė Dovydaitytė and Alexander Belinski, emerged victorious. The film’s potential to influence contemporary dialogues on environmentalism, militarism, and opaque political decisions was particularly praised. The award includes a $5,000 financial prize sponsored by Current Time TV.

Additionally, the #DAFilms.com Distribution Award, valued at €3,000 in-kind, was conferred upon The Big Chief, directed by Tomasz Wolski and produced by Anna Gawlita. The film promises a thrilling exploration of a little-known, controversial figure through rich archival footage, aimed at both cinema and online viewers. The DAFilms.com Award ensures the film’s international visibility, securing a two-year VOD release across multiple continents.

This year’s event also marked the announcement of the Emerging Producers 2025. Among the 17 European producers selected, the program will feature Canada as the guest country, with Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre representing Canadian talent. The Emerging Producers will participate in workshops in Ji.hlava IDFF in October 2024 and during the EBerlinale in February 2025.