Gatekeepers or Gardeners? How Major Festivals Cultivate and Curate the Global Film Ecosystem
From Berlin and Rotterdam to Sarajevo and New York City, film festivals now shoulder far more than premiere-week fanfare: they shape careers, steer investment, and protect cinematic diversity year-round. In this conversation, Berlin International Film Festival Director Tricia Tuttle, International Film Festival Rotterdam Artistic Director Vanja Kaluđerčić, Tribeca Film Festival Artistic Director Frederic Boyer, and Sarajevo Film Festival Director Jovan Marjanović examine how their events balance the power of gatekeeping with the responsibility of nurturing new voices.
SPEAKERS
JOVAN MARJANOVIĆ
Festival Director, Sarajevo Film Festival | BA
MODERATED BY
BEN DALTON
Senior reporter, Screen International | UK
TIME
Tuesday, August 19th, 2025
17:45 – 18:45 (CET)
LOCATION
Festival Garden
VANJA KALUĐERČIĆ
Festival Director, International Film Festival Rotterdam | NL
TRICIA TUTTLE
Festival Director, Sarajevo Film Festival | UK, DE
FREDERIC BOYER
Artistic Director, Tribeca Film Festival | FR
Frederic Boyer
Frédéric Boyer has been Artistic Director of the Tribeca Film Festival since 2012
and of the Les Arcs European Film Festival since 2009. Previously, for the Directors’
Fortnight at the Festival de Cannes, he was Artistic Director for two years and Head of Programming for six years. He was appointed Director of Programming at the Reyjkavík International Film Festival in 2020. He has sat on the juries of CPH:DOX the Sarajevo Film Festival, and the Busan, Karlovy Vary, Munich, Reyjkavík, Seattle, Thessaloniki, and Transilvania International Film Festivals,
Jovan Marjanović
For over 25 years, Jovan Marjanović has been engaged with the Sarajevo Film Festival, as one of the founders and leading figures of the professional CineLink platform. Since 2022, he has served as the Festival Director.
Marjanović has also served as an advisor and jury member at several international film festivals and institutes (including the Doha Film Institute, Torino Film Lab, Sam Spiegel FilmLab Jerusalem, and Visions du Réel in Switzerland). He earned a Master's degree in Management with a specialization in the film industry from Cass Business School, City University of London (2008). He is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s representative on the Board of Management of Eurimages, the Council of Europe’s fund for the support of European cinematographic co-productions.
In 2019, the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab awarded him the "Almost 40 Award" for his contribution to global cinema - a recognition given to bold, inspiring, and innovative individuals who have achieved excellence in the fields of film education, financing, production, and promotion.
He is the head of department and associate professor in the Department of Production and Management at the Academy of Performing Arts, University of Sarajevo.
He has produced and co-produced a number of award-winning short, documentary, and feature films, including 1395 Days Without Red (2010), Bridges of Sarajevo (2014), It Must Be Heaven (2019), The Happiest Man in the World (2021), Triangle of Sadness (2022), Club Zero (2023), Meeting with Pol Pot (2024), After the Summer (2024).
Tricia Tuttle
Tricia Tuttle has been Festival Director of the Berlin International Film Festival since 2024. She brings extensive experience from senior positions at the British Film Institute, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the National Film and Television School. At the BFI, she first served as Deputy Head of Festivals and then as Festivals Director, leading the team to deliver both the BFI London Film Festival and the BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. She also developed the BFI Flare’s LGBTQIA+ Mentorship Programme, which supported emerging filmmakers internationally. Recognised in Variety’s International Women’s Impact Report in 2019 and included on the Variety500 list in 2022, Tuttle is passionate about the unifying power of cinema and film festivals.
Vanja Kaluđerčić
Vanja Kaluđerčić became Festival Director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2020. In this role, she drives the artistic vision of the festival, championing bold cinema and supporting independent filmmakers. She shapes IFFR’s curatorial approach and leads industry initiatives that continue to develop and futureproof the festival. With twenty years of experience in the international film industry, Kaluđerčić has a deep understanding of film curation and the industry landscape. Before joining IFFR, she was Director of Acquisitions at the global streaming service MUBI and held a key role at the Coproduction Office. Her career also includes significant positions at the Les Arcs European Film Festival, the Sarajevo Film Festival, and the Netherlands Film Festival.
Ben Dalton
Ben Dalton is a senior reporter at Screen International, based in London. He reports from major international festivals including the Festival de Cannes, the Sundance and Venice Film Festivals, and the Berlin and Toronto International Film Festivals, as well as specialised events such as the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and CineEurope, and European festivals including the Sarajevo Film Festival, the International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, among others.
Dalton reports across the film chain, from development, production, sales and distribution, through festivals, markets, awards, and exhibition. He regularly writes about key industry topics around diversity and representation, training, production regulations, and new forms of exhibition, and hosts panels and discussions.
Prior to joining Screen in February 2018, he was on a four-person team at the British Independent Film Awards. He has also worked for the Sundance Institute as an advisor.