Aida Begić's film 'Never Leave Me' nominated for an Oscar

SARAJevo, (Patria) - The candidate from Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Oscar award of the American Academy (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) is the film "Never Leave Me" by director Aida Begić.

The Association of Filmmakers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a certified professional organization for Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized the selection, and the commission, which included director Ines Tanović, screenwriter Elma Tataragić, screenwriter Tina Šmalcelj, director Neven Samardžić, director Alen Drljević, screenwriter Melina Alagić, producer Adnan Ćuhara, set designer Vedran Hrustanović, costume designer Lejla Graho, and director Sabrina Begović Ćorić, decided by vote on the BiH candidate.

This year's BiH candidate, the film "Never Leave Me", had its world premiere at the Antalya Film Festival last year, and today it begins its distribution in cinemas in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The film was also screened this year at the Sarajevo Film Festival within the BH Film program and the In Focus program, and to date, it has been shown at dozens of world festivals, including the renowned Edinburgh Film Festival.

"Never Leave Me" is a story about pain, the search for the meaning of life, and the friendship of orphans. Syrian boys Isa, Ahmed, and Muataz live a difficult life as refugees in the magical, mythical Turkish city of Sanliurfa. The film was shot in authentic locations in Sanliurfa and with Syrian refugee children.

Produced by Film House from Sarajevo as a co-production of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey. The director, screenwriter, and producer of the film is Aida Begić, the editing is by Redžinald Šimek, the director of photography is Erol Zubčević, the costume designer is Sanja Džeba, and the sound designer is Igor Čamo, and the producer is Adis Đapo.

The Association of Filmmakers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been nominating films for the American Academy in the category of Best Foreign Language Film for 18 years. Based on the nomination by the Association of Filmmakers, the film "No Man's Land" by Danis Tanović was nominated in 2001, and in March 2002, it was awarded the prestigious Oscar award for Best Foreign Language Film.

We remind you that, according to the rules of the American Academy, producers with BiH feature films that were distributed between October 1, 2017, and October 1, 2018, in cinemas in Bosnia and Herzegovina for at least seven consecutive days, who have DCP or 35mm film copies, and whose creative team is predominantly from BiH, had the opportunity to apply.

The Oscar award is given by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and it is one of the most significant awards in the world of film art, while the award ceremony itself is one of the most watched television programs during the year in the USA and in the world.