Call for Entries
CineLink Industry Days, the industry section of the Sarajevo Film Festival, serves as a central hub for film professionals in Southeast Europe and has played a vital role in fostering cinematic co-production in the region. It is a renowned business platform that attracts professionals from across Europe seeking talent, co-production possibilities, and deeper knowledge of the region's business development. It offers year-round training opportunities and access to the extensive network and markets of the European and international film and audio-visual industries, enhancing the professional and creative capabilities of local and regional film and TV professionals.
Depending on the development stage of your project, you can apply to different CineLink strands that include the following:
CineLink Co-Production Market
We are looking for feature-length fiction projects in development and financing stages from first-time filmmakers and established authors. Projects can be at an early stage, but should at least have a producer, writer and a director/creator attached when applying. In order to apply to CineLink Co-Production Market it is required to submit the script, applications that don’t meet this criteria will not be considered for final selection.
Eligibility:
Eligible countries: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Malta, Moldavia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Expanded eligibility criteria for production company countries: Projects originating outside the Southeast European region, provided they are seeking a natural co-production partnership within the region by meeting at least one of the following criteria:
A producer attached from an eligible Southeast European country;
A story connected to Southeast Europe;
Involvement of regional talent (key creatives - director/screenwriter).
CineLink Co-Production Market is intended for feature fiction projects in all stages of development.
We will not consider projects that are intended for children, short fiction films, or documentaries.
English is the official language of the project, and all submitted material has to be in English.
Other Terms and Conditions:
No entry fee;
It is mandatory for projects that have already applied and were unsuccessful in the previous CineLink Co-Production Market Calls to elaborate on what has changed in their project from the previous application.
Projects participating in the CineLink Industry Days should - once finalised - mention their participation at the CineLink Co-Production Market in their credits; Projects participating in the CineLink Co-Production Market should offer their international premiere to the Sarajevo Film Festival - if they are not to be shown in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno or Rotterdam.
Submission of the project is considered acceptance of the CineLink Industry Days regulations.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT CINELINK CO-PRODUCTION MARKET:
Tailored consultations with top industry experts
Increased international visibility for your project
A chance to present your projects to decision makers
Opportunities to connect with potential co-producers, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, and funders
A chance to win one of several prestigious cash awards
AWARDS:
Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (€20,000)
Film Center Montenegro CineLink Award (€10,000)
Film Center Serbia CineLink Award (€10,000)
Artekino International Prize (€6,000)
Female Voices Award (sponsored by the Slovenian Film Centre and UN Women) (€20,000) – a cross-category award for both CineLink Co-Production Market and CineLink Drama.
Please note: The official language of CineLink Co-Production Market is English. All applications and materials must be submitted in English to be eligible for consideration. Applications that do not meet this requirement will not be considered.
In order to apply to CineLink Co-Production Market it is required to submit the script, have a producer and production company attached, as well as the budget and financing plan. Applications that don’t meet this criteria will not be considered for final selection.
Submissions open until February 10th
The final selection of projects will be announced by mid March 2026.
To submit a project for the CineLink Co-Production Market, please click HERE.
CineLink Drama
We are looking for series projects in development and financing stages from first-time filmmakers and established authors.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
To apply, please submit the following materials:
Project Bible
Treatment for the entire season
Pilot script for the first episode
Budget outline
Financial plan
The official language of the CineLink Drama is English, therefore the application and all other required materials must be submitted in English language.
a) Only projects from Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Malta, Moldavia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine are eligible to apply for the CineLink Drama.
b) CineLink Drama is intended for series in all stages of development.
c) English is the official language of CineLink, and all submitted material must be in English;
d) All submited material has to be in a Portable Document Format (PDF).
e) No entry fee.
WORKSHOP & INDUSTRY PROGRAMME
Selected projects will take part in an onsite development workshop in April 2026, held as part of the Exploring Synergies: Managing Intellectual Property Across Creative Industries forum. During this workshop, participants will collaborate with experienced script editors, work on financing and production strategies, shape marketing approaches, and refine the overall presentation of their projects with leading industry professionals. In addition, participants will join a tailored workshop during CineLink Industry Days in August 2026, culminating in the CineLink Drama Pitch.
BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN CINELINK DRAMA
• Project Development: Work with renowned script consultants, story editors, and other experts to further develop your project.
• Pitching Opportunity: Present your project to influential regional and European decision-makers, followed by one-on-one meetings.
• Industry Insight: Gain deeper understanding of the TV drama landscape and current market trends.
• International Exposure: Increase your project's visibility in a competitive international environment.
• Awards and Recognition: Compete for prestigious development awards.
Submissions open until February 15th
The final selection of projects will be announced by mid-March 2026.
To submit your project to CineLink Drama, please click HERE.
CineLink Work in Progress
CineLink Work in Progress selects up to 10 feature length projects in post-production to be presented exclusively to invited international sales agents, top festival programmers, distributors, representatives of public funds and post-production houses.
The section is carefully curated on both ends, thus creating an environment that boosts the chance the projects are completed and taken to the international market in the best possible way.
We encourage filmmakers from Southeast Europe, Northern Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, and Ukraine, to submit their projects (both fiction and documentary narrative ones). If an applicant intends to reapply with a project that was previously rejected in the CineLink Work in Progress Calls, it is mandatory to provide an explanation stating the changes made to the project and send it to industry@sff.ba, where CineLink Work in Progress team will determine if you are eligible to apply again.
a) Eligible countries: Southeast Europe (Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey) + MENA (Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lybia, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen) and CIS (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine)
b) Eligible projects: feature length (fiction, documentary, animation)
c) The submitted material should be a cut or an assembly cut of the different scenes of minimum duration of 30 minutes (excluded trailers & teasers).
d) No entry fee.
e) All projects must have English subtitles.
CineLink Work in Progress call will be open in June 2026!
Docu Rough Cut Boutique
Organized by the Sarajevo Film Festival and Balkan Documentary Center, Docu Rough Cut Boutique is a platform dedicated to documentary projects in the advanced editing phase. Our tailor-made training accepts only five projects from the region of South-East Europe.
The workshop will take place in three parts, and applicants must submit a minimum of 60 minutes of material.
The programme is organized in three working modules: Sofia (March), Cluj (June) and Sarajevo (August). The workshop programme includes editing tutorials, group sessions and individual meetings with renowned documentary experts and professionals. The programme culminates at the Sarajevo Film Festival where five projects will be presented to the CineLink Industry Days decision makers (funders, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, and festival programmers) to assist their completion and enhance their distribution and festival presentation possibilities.
Projects coming from the following countries are eligible to apply:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Turkey, Kosovo*.
Fees:
The fee per team* amounts to €1500 and for all three modules covers:
• Tuition
• Accommodation and subsistence
• Partial Travel bursaries
• Accreditations and access to industry events
* For the first two modules, a team consists of a director and an editor. For module three in Sarajevo, a team consists of a director and a producer.
Submissions open soon!