Competition Programme – Student Short Film 2026

Preselectors: 

Arman Fatić, main preselector
Berina Mušanović
Zoja Perović

Asja Krsmanović Imamović, programmer of the Competition Programme – Student Short Film, selected 11 films for the programme, of which six will have their world premiere in Sarajevo, one its international premiere, and four films their regional premiere.

 

“The Competition Programme - Student Short Film has always been a space for discovery and a first platform for emerging voices from the region. This year is no exception. Students from regional film academies demonstrate a remarkable maturity in developing and articulating complex ideas and translating them into visual narratives. Some display a confident command of the short film form, experimenting boldly with ideas and concepts, while in the work of others one can already sense an inclination towards feature-length storytelling and the creation of nuanced dramatic characters, making this year's selection both dynamic and exciting. Equally striking are the themes these young filmmakers choose to explore. The complex challenges of today's world are seen through the eyes of a generation that does not merely observe them from a distance, but experiences them firsthand,” said Krsmanović Imamović.

 

 

Award in the amount of €1,000, sponsored by the Regional Cooperation Council

 

HYENA / HYÄNE, Fanny Rösch (Austria, 2026, 23 min.) – World Premiere

 

Cast: Marie-Luise Stockinger, Moritz von Treuenfels, Lilith Hässle, Julian Looman

 

On vacation with Sam, Phoebe is first an observer – then a disruptor. Amid the heat, lethargy, and transgression, something emerges within her. Something animalistic that can no longer be restrained.

 

NEIGHBOUR / KOMŠIJA, Dan Grabnar (Serbia, 2026, 17 min.) – World Premiere

 

Cast: Milan Marić, Arsenije Arsić, Boško Puletić, Nenad Gvozdenović

 

As student protests sweep through a deeply divided Belgrade, a police officer recognises the young man he is beating during a violent clash. The encounter haunts him, growing into an obsession that forces him to confront the fragile line between professional duty and personal conviction.

 

SISTERS / SESTRE, Sara Ećimović (Serbia, 2026, 21 min.) – World Premiere

 

Cast: Petra Dimitrijević, Isidora Poledica, Ana Popović, Ana Pindović

 

After her elder sister Isidora attempts suicide following an argument between the two of them, eleven-year-old Petra spends the day in the hospital, hiding from a social worker. Unable to deal with the situation that has befallen her, she wanders through the corridors for hours, thinking about her relationship with her sister and about their family.

 

THE GO-BETWEEN / POSREDNIK, Emir Solaković (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2026, 7 min.) – World Premiere

 

Cast: Dajlan Bašić, Amina Begović, Džana Džanić, Aldin Omerović

 

After school, nine-year-old Almir meets a stranger whose seemingly harmless request draws him into a world of unspoken violence. From a child’s perspective and using subtle visual cues, THE GO-BETWEEN explores silence, fear, and the hidden consequences of domestic abuse.

 

UNWELLNESS, Réka Pinczés (Hungary, 2026, 21 min.) – World Premiere

 

Cast: Réka Pelsőczy, Eszter Bánfalvi, Zsanett Andrádi, Attila Barát, István Dankó 

 

The rigid Ildikó is in the thick of menopause while attending an accountancy training at a spa hotel, when a hearing-impaired woman unexpectedly triggers her to rediscover her long-suppressed desire for physical intimacy.

 

WATER WALLS / FÜSTFAL, Bianka Szelestey (Hungary, 2026, 34 min.) – World Premiere

 

Cast: Blanka Mészáros, Bence Béres, Mari Nagy, Zoltán Bezerédi, Mari Varga

 

When Vera’s home suddenly burns down, her only purpose becomes to find her cat — likely lost in the fire. The search through the ruins and Vera’s journey through the night forces her to confront not only loss but also the suffocating dependence on parent figures that has defined her life so far.

 

THE FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS, BUT WHY NOT LEND IT TO THE SPECIALISTS? / VIITORUL ȚI-L FACI CU MÂNA TA, DAR DE CE SĂ NU ÎL LAȘI PE MÂNA UNOR SPECIALIȘTI?, Alexandra Schinteie (Romania, 2026, 18 min.) – International Premiere

 

Cast: Ilinca Manolache, Nicodim Ungureanu, Tudor Chirilă, Radu Stoian, Gabriel Spahiu

 

At the Lepădatu Esthetique clinic, Beatrice becomes the subject of radical transformations, driven by the pressures of her partner, Virgiliu, and the surgical interventions of Doctors Victor and Moreau. As the lines drawn on her body deepen, her need for validation and desire for control begin to surface.

 

A. WANTS OUT (ON NEUTRALITY) / A. WILL RAUS (ÜBER NEUTRALITÄT), Zorah Berghammer (Austria, 2026, 18 min.) - Regional Premiere

 

Cast: Arthur Berghammer, Finn Peter Kranzler, Julia Gunka, Sonja Rois

 

A., a young man from Vienna, has decided to join the military. He says goodbye to his studies, his family, his job, and his girlfriend. He shaves his head. The people around him react with incomprehension and tell stories about the army and war, sharing their ideas and opinions on the subjects.

 

BONEFUZZ, Márk László (Hungary, 2026, 10 min.) – Regional Premiere

 

Cast: Ágoston Kenéz, Márton Patkós, Júlia Jakab

 

Vajk, a deaf teenager, controls his connection to the world through his hearing aid. His older brother drags him out of his comfort zone and takes him to a concert by a mysterious band. The experience changes their lives forever.

 

OVER THE THRESHOLD / PREKO PRAGA, Tara Gajović (Serbia, 2026, 15 min.) – Regional Premiere

 

Cast: Zoja Klinko, Stefan Nikolić, Milica Janevski, Vahid Džanković, Bojan Dimitrijević

 

Newlywed teenagers Danijela and Branko find themselves overwhelmed by wedding traditions. When they feel they can no longer breathe, they decide to run away from their own wedding party into the cold night.

 

RABBIT DON'T RUN / HASENFUSS, Maximilian Conway, Elisabeth Jakobi (Austria, 2026, 30 min.) – Regional Premiere

 

Cast: Christoph Kohlbacher, Lorena Emmi Mayer, Ida Beier, Luise Morawetz, Savita Brosenbauer

 

Toni, a nurse, steals drugs from the nursing home so he can keep on playing football. When his substance abuse threatens the well-being of his family, Toni is challenged to come clean.