#FILMS FOR FUTURE – ZENICA
The international documentary film festival for climate action #FilmsForFuture aims to draw attention to the pressing problems of climate change and environmental pollution
The international documentary film festival for climate action #FilmsForFuture aims to draw attention to the pressing problems of climate change and environmental pollution worldwide and especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to invite people to engage in dialog about global, regional and local challenges and to call for immediate action. The project of the EUNIC Cluster Bosnia and Herzegovina will be carried out in 2024 in cooperation with local environmental organizations, environmental experts and climate activists in Zenica in May, in Tuzla and Višegrad in September and in Sarajevo in November.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is confronted with massive environmental pollution and destruction as a result of the Bosnian war of 1992-1995, overexploitation of nature, a lack of environmental awareness among the population and a lack of state regulation, which is exacerbated by the effects of climate change and is currently reaching threatening proportions. Industrial air pollution, tons of (plastic) waste in the rivers, the destruction of nature by hydropower plants and deforestation of primeval forests are just some of the environmental problems that endanger the health of humans and animals and the ecological balance of nature. Local environmental organizations, experts and activists are fighting, sometimes desperately and under threat, against the perpetrators of environmental sins and the ignorance of the government and the population.
#FilmsForFuture aims to use the medium of documentary film to raise awareness of specific environmental problems among the population in cities severely affected by pollution and to place them in a national, regional and European context.
At the same time, the project aims to encourage citizens – especially young people – to think critically and call on them to take an active role in combating pollution and helping to solve the problem.
From May 10th to 12th 2024, the documentary film festival for climate action #FilmsForFuture will take place at the Cinestar cinema in Zenica – organized in cooperation with Eko Forum Zenica.
The festival programme includes impressive documentary films from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, France, Croatia, Austria, Serbia and Spain from the past four years, panel discussions with European filmmakers and local environmental experts, a workshop for schoolchildren on developing environmental projects and a mini fair by local environmental organizations.
Friday, May 10th, 2024
 |
17:00
GENERATION CHANGE – WHO SAVES THE WORLD? / GENERATION CHANGE – WER RETTET DIE WELT? AUT, DEU, POL, PRT, ESP, ITA, CZE, FRA 2022 / 82 min Director: Vanessa Bötcher Generation Change follows Austrian activist Sarah on a captivating train journey through Europe. Confronted with political inertia towards the climate crisis, Sarah travels from Portugal to Poland in search of individuals offering real solutions to the challenges of our time. This rail journey between crisis and hope offers encounters and insights that inspire and provoke thought. |
 |
19:00
BOTTLEMEN / FLAŠAROŠI SRB, SLO 2023 / 84 min Director: Nemanja Vojinović In the outskirts of Belgrade, Serbia, lies one of Europe’s largest landfills atop the remains of the ancient Vinča civilization. Bottlemen, who collect plastic bottles from this toxic landscape, now face new threats with the landfill’s imminent privatization. Trapped between technological modernization and a lacking social care system, their uncertain future unfolds against an unknown environmental impact. Awards: Sarajevo Film Festival 2023 – Best Documentary; Belgrade Documentary and Short Film – Best Camera, Best Documentary Film; Free Zone Film Festival – Best Film; Festival Dei Popoli – Best Film Nominations: Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival 2024 – Grand Prix/Documentary Feature Film; Zurich Film Festival 2023 – Best International Documentary Film; FDF – Festival dokumentarnoga filma –Human Rights Award/Best Documentary Film; ZagrebDox – Regional Competition, Best Documentary; Festival of European films in Paris – Best Film |
| 20:45
Panel with film directors and local activists |
Saturday, 11 May 2024
 |
17:00
ABOVE WATER / MARCHER SUR L’EAU FRA, BEL 2021 / 90 min Director: Aïssa Maïga Above Water sheds light on the challenges of water scarcity in communities worldwide, with billions lacking access to safe drinking water. In Tatis, Niger, 12-year-old Houlaye treks kilometers daily for water, a struggle exacerbated during dry seasons. Yet, beneath the surface lies a hidden water source, beyond their imagination. Houlaye’s aunt Suri’s efforts lead to an NGO building a well, offering hope for a new life to those who’ve long faced this challenge. Nominations: Cannes Film Festival – Golden Eye; Prix Alice Guy – Best Female-Directed French od Francophone Film |
 |
19:00
LANDSCAPE ZERO / NULTI KRAJOLIK CRO 2020 / 71 min Director: Bruno Pavić In a small coastal community marred by industrial presence, lives intersect in a struggle for survival or a fragile harmony with their surroundings. Landscape Zero, merging reality with staged scenes, delves into the complex interplay of nature, humanity, and industry along the Adriatic shores. Through evocative visuals alone, it portrays the challenges faced by locals and issues a compelling call to address environmental degradation. Awards: Split International Festival of New Film – Ivan Martinac Award; Liburnia Film Festival – Best Cinematographer, Best Sound Designer; Festival International Signes de Nuit – Special Mention (Documentary Competition) Nominations: Trieste Film Festival – Best Documentary; Cinema Vérité Iran International Documentary Film Festival – Best Documentary; Astra Film Festival Sibiu – Best Central and Eastern European Documentary |
| 20:30
Panel with film directors and local activists |
Sunday, 12 May 2024
 |
14:00
DOMINGO DOMINGO ESP, ITA 2023 / 71 min Director: Laura García Andreu The comedy Domingo Domingo sheds light on the relentless pursuit of profit by agricultural corporate giants. As farmer Domingo (trans. Sunday) challenges their dominance over oranges, he devises a secret plan to cultivate a new variety. Can his wit and determination outwit the multinationals? In this David versus Goliath battle, Domingo’s ingenuity and humor might just be the winning combination, allowing him to savor each day as if it were a Sunday. Nominations: Berlanga Awards – Best Documentary; Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival – Newcomers Competition |
 |
17:00
TRANSFORMING TOMORROW BIH 2020 / 48 min Director: Dino Mustafić Transforming Tomorrow, ironically named after the operational motto of the multinational company Mittal Steel in BiH, unveils the ruthless pursuit of profit at any cost. The film tells the chilling story of a corporation that conceals evidence of mass atrocities at the Omarska camp and is implicated in the widespread poisoning of Zenica’s citizens. These individuals unknowingly inhale the carcinogenic “smoke of profit,” threatening not only their health but also the environment. Awards: AJB DOC Film Festival – Jury Award; Green Montenegro International Film Fest – Grand Prix |
 |
18:30
LONELY OAKS / VERGISS MEYN NICHT DEU 2023 / 100 min Directors: Fabiana Fragale, Kilian Kuhlendahl, Jens Mühlhoff 30 meters above ground, a new community has emerged in Hambach Forest. Amidst Germany’s environmental debates in 2018, people built treehouses to prevent deforestation. Film student Steffen Meyn documented their struggle for two years with a 360° helmet camera. Tragically, during a police eviction, he fell from a tree and died. Using Meyn’s footage, the directors of Lonely Oaks explore his doubts and determination. Interviews with deeply affected activists raise questions about the limits of activism. Awards: Emden International Film Festival – Focus Future Award; Filmkunstfest MV – Best Documentary, Best Cinematography in Documentary Nominations: Berlin International Film Festival – Compass-Perspektive Award (Best Film), Berlinale Documentary Award; German Film Awards – Best Documentary |
| 20:30
Panel with film directors and local activists |
#FilmsForFuture is a project of the EUNIC Cluster Bosnia and Herzegovina, supported by the Goethe-Institut, the Austrian Cultural Forum, the Institut Français, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain and the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with Eko Forum Zenica, Zemlja Voda Zrak Tuzla, and other environmental organizations. EUNIC – European Union National Institutes for Culture – is the European network of national cultural institutes and organizations with 36 members from all EU member states and associated countries. The EUNIC Cluster Bosnia and Herzegovina aims to build strong and sustainable links between cultural actors in the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina by engaging in activities that respond to global challenges such as climate change and environmental protection.
