At this year’s edition of Berlinale, Sarajevo Film Academy presented its special project, short film Snow for Water, written and directed by acclaimed actor and director Christopher Villiers. The film was produced by Sarajevo Film Academy and 2020 Production Ltd (United Kingdom), in cooperation with production company Prime Time and Obala Art Centar. The executive producers are Academy award winner Cat Villiers, SFA director Emina Ganić and Adnan Čuhara (Prime Time), while the production coordinator is Mersiha Halilović. Snow for Water won the jury’s Special Mention Award, given for outstanding achievement of the project. The award was given with the following statement of the jury members: Two siblings whisk us away to a world full of fear and desolation and manage to bring it closer to us, not without a bit of hope. In this inhumane situation, the film teaches us what humanity means. The memory of this war should remain in people’s minds forever.

Let us recall that this is the third year in a row Sarajevo Film Academy is being presented at prestigious film festivals in the world with films selected to Cannes Film Festival (official Cinéfondation selection in 2016 and in 2017) and Berlinale Film Festival (official Generation KPlus selection in 2018).

In addition to the awarded film Snow for Water, at this year's Berlinale two talented former students of SFA, André Gil Mata and Marta Hernaiz Pidal premiered their feature films in Forum program, along with director Guy Maddin, guest lecturer SFA had the privilege to welcome in Sarajevo in 2013. The films were produced in BiH upon their graduation from SFA; André Gil Mata completed his DLA studies and Marta Hernaiz Pidal her MFA studies at SFA. Marta’s short film Dobro, produced by SFA and Cine Vendaval (Mexico), was selected to Cinéfondation program of the 69th Cannes Film Festival.

Aside of producing student film projects, Sarajevo Film Academy takes on special projects and unique stories with film professionals and friends from around the world. As a special SFA project, short film Snow for Water is first film in a foreign language by director Christopher Villiers. It was shot entirely in Sarajevo, in Bosnian language, with an all local professional and non-professional cast. The film found itself among the 65 titles chosen by Generation program, out of the 2,000 films submitted this year. „I am so proud that the fantastic Bosnian cast and crew of Snow for Water have had their excellent work recognized at the Berlinale, the greatest film festival in the world and that they trusted me to tell their story”, said the director Christopher Villiers.