The SAA at the Sarajevo Film Festival

The Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from 14 to 21 August. The SAA is delighted to be co-organising two panels in partnership with CineLink.

Information will be published on CineLink Industry Days.

1st panel: AI in the film and audiovisual sector: a threat or a tool?

The panel will discuss authors’ role as the cornerstone of creativity and culture in the film and audiovisual sector: how to build a sustainable industry by focusing on original creation and developing authors’ rights. Speakers will present the positive impact of good copyright protection on audiovisual authors’ work and earnings, and cultural resilience, while local voices will reflect on what is missing. Film professionals will discuss the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption, and possible differences between Western Europe and South-East Europe.

Speakers:

Sonja Prosenc, screenwriter and director, Slovenia
Joanna Syzmanska, producer, Poland
Jana Vozarova, Director of LITA, Slovakia
Sashko Potter Micevski, Director of the North Macedonia Film Agency (TBC)

Moderator: Joshua Dedman, consultant, Olsberg SPI, UK

2nd panel: Authors’ rights: copyright law, collective management and the road to a fair ecosystem

The panel will explore what makes an effective copyright infrastructure: the laws needed to achieve recognition, protection and enforcement of authors’ rights, and the role of collective management organisations (CMOs). In Western Balkan, CMOs depend on licences from local authorities and tariff approval before they can collect and distribute royalties. Yet in too many territories, audiovisual authors still don’t get a fair share of revenues generated by their works, and struggle to achieve parity with music authors. Speakers will share good practices, address the most pressing barriers, and discuss what it will take to build a solid ecosystem in the region.

Speakers:

Gregor Štibernik, Managing Director of AIPA, Slovenia
Lidia Radlińska, Head of Legal and Public Affairs of ZAPA (Polish Filmmakers Association)
Melina Alagić, Member of the Association of Filmmakers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (UFR)
Kiril Gjozev, Secretary General of AZAS, North Macedonia
Borana Ajazi, Copyright Directorate of Albania (TBC)

Moderator: Cécile Despringre, SAA Secretary General