Nikšić and his entourage will walk the red carpet again, but what have they done for the SFF and the film industry to survive and endure?

(Patria) - While the film industry worldwide is booming and becoming a key tool in strengthening the identity and international recognition of peoples and countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina, unfortunately, is heading in the opposite direction, through the quiet and persistent destruction of its own film industry, says federal MP Jasmina Bišćević Tokić (SDA) for the News Agency Patria (NAP).

In recent days, the signing of contracts in the fields of sports and culture, financed by the additional dividend of BH Telecom, was presented to the public with much fanfare. But when all that moves away from the cameras and spotlights - the disturbing question remains - why was only one of all the submitted cultural projects supported?

- Where has transparency disappeared? Why, even after months of announcements, is there no clear plan for the distribution of the remaining funds, allegedly around two million KM - asks Bišćević Tokić.

The film industry, in particular, has suffered a severe blow, she adds. In a country whose directors and producers have carried the name of Bosnia and Herzegovina around the world for years - from Los Angeles, through Berlin to Cannes - today, the lights on the sets are literally going out.

- Production companies applying for international co-production funds are obliged to secure at least 30 percent of the funds from their own country. Without institutional support from the Film Fund, these projects remain dead letters on paper - points out Bišćević Tokić.

Despite the conducted tenders, despite the signed contracts during 2024, the funds have not been paid. Even the payment from the previous year has been partially withdrawn.

- And all because of the months-long "oversight" by the Budget Inspection Unit, which has no legal basis to review the legality of the Fund's operations.

Articles 25 and 26 of the Fund's Statute clearly stipulate that the competent authority, in this case, the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is exclusively responsible for overseeing legality. This authority has also been formally confirmed by the FBiH Government with its conclusion.

So, we rightly ask ourselves - why is the work of the Fund being blocked outside the law? Why is institutional obstruction being carried out to the detriment of one of the most valuable cultural sectors that BiH has? And who will be responsible for the projects that will never be realized again - says our interlocutor.

At a time when we are days away from the start of the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF), an event that has been a symbol of our country's international reputation for years, Bišćević Tokić emphasizes that the question arises - will we continue to remain silent until the last reel of domestic production ends up in the archive of bureaucratic neglect?

- The film industry does not seek special privileges. It seeks what should be basic: respect for the law, fair treatment, and systemic support. It is time to end this paralysis. It is time for the institutions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to do their job in the interest of art, culture, and the people to whom they owe responsibility.

As every year, officials of the FBiH Government will walk the red carpet of the Sarajevo Film Festival, pose for cameras, and share smiles, but the bitter question remains - what have they really done for that festival and the entire film industry to survive and endure - added Bišćević Tokić in a statement to NAP.

(D.K.)