In partnership with the Festival, Slano Film Days and film centers in the region, UNIQA will support the realization of film projects aimed at empowering socially engaged topics in three categories: feature, documentary and short film through a competition for female filmmakers, which will be announced in September.
"We are proud to present our plans in the environment of one of the most important events in Southeast Europe, which, with its mission of creating a better future, is an ideal ally for us in initiatives for the benefit of the community. We are convinced that by joining forces, with competent people from the world of art and culture, we will provide strong support and encouragement to female authors for future successful film productions that everyone in the region will be proud of", said Adel Bahtanović, President of the UNIQA SEE region, at the press conference.
Support for women artists is extremely important for the development of culture and art, but also for wider social changes because it enriches the overall cultural production, contributes to the creation of a more inclusive art scene, where different voices and perspectives are respected and valued. Support for women filmmakers also reflects UNIQA's commitment to gender equality, which is at the heart of the brand's strategy.
"One of the challenges we face in the film industry, despite its progressiveness, is gender inequality. We are committed to achieving equality in the film industry through the various projects we implement. With the data we have collected, we have come to the devastating fact that the representation of women in the film industry is less than 30 percent, and our goal is to equalize this ratio. In the UNIQA SEE FUTURE Foundation, we have found a partner who sees things in the same way, and with this joint initiative through financial and professional support to female artists, we will try to contribute to their better position", said the director of the Sarajevo Film Festival, Jovan Marjanović.
In addition to the project of supporting women filmmakers, the Foundation will also support the innovative project "Mentorship Initiative" in the field of culture in cooperation with the art collectives Nomad from Zagreb and Nomarts from Vienna. It is a program that is designed to support young artists, especially female artists from Southeast and Eastern Europe. The initiative includes a one-year mentorship between established artists and selected young talents, culminating in an exhibition in the relevant exhibition space and an artistic intervention in the public space.
In addition to culture, the UNIQA SEE FUTURE Foundation supports talents in sports and sustainability, such as young tennis player and Wimbledon winner Luna Vujović. UNIQA Brand Ambassador and Sports Mentor at the Foundation, Goran Ivanišević, as a special guest of UNIQA in Sarajevo, played an exhibition tennis match with famous Sarajevo actors Nadine Mičić and Boris Ler, which symbolically emphasized the general importance of supporting talents in all areas. Goran, Nadine and Boris made sure that the audience enjoyed every moment, and young tennis talents from the Sarajevo tennis club GEM also contributed to the creation of a real show for all those gathered. The bravest challengers from the audience also had the opportunity to try their hand at playing with the actors and Goran or to get an autograph and a photo to remember.
Thanking for the invitation, Goran emphasized his great pleasure to visit Sarajevo after 15 years, and for the first time as a guest of the Sarajevo Film Festival. He shared his enthusiasm for the energy and unique atmosphere in which everyone feels welcome.
"Talent, whether in sports or in art, is just a foundation that needs to be recognized, supported and developed, and this is exactly the mission of the UNIQA SEE FUTURE Foundation, which serves as a platform where young talents receive financial and professional support that their family or the state often cannot provide. I believe that with my experience I can support young people who make serious life decisions at an early age. As someone who has gone through this path to a successful sports career myself, I can contribute and help sports talents who are at the beginning. That is why I am looking forward to my mentoring role at the UNIQA Foundation, because working with young talented people has been my lifelong dream. ", said Goran Ivanišević. After supporting Luna Vujović, a young tennis player who won Wimbledon for juniors, the Foundation expanded its activities in the field of sports by supporting new tennis talents and building infrastructure by donating to the Sarajevo tennis club GEM.
Last but not least, an additional reason to be proud of UNIQA’s partnership with the Sarajevo Film Festival was given by the fact that the Romanian film "Three kilometers to the end of the world", directed by Emanuel Pârvu, received the trophy "Heart of Sarajevo" for the best feature film.
The mission of UNIQA is based on helping clients achieve a longer, better and safer life, and one of the most important values that derives from it is responsibility for the community. The UNIQA SEE FUTURE Foundation will continue its activities aimed at strongly supporting culture, sports and sustainability throughout the region of Southeast Europe.
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