In 1995, while Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) was in the throes of a brutal interethnic conflict, it hardly seemed likely that Sarajevo could host an international film festival -- let alone one that would become a key event in the cultural life of the whole region.
Dok je Bosna i Hercegovina još uvek bila u raljama brutalnog međunacionalnog rata 1995, niko nije zamišljao da bi Sarajevo moglo da bude domaćin međunarodnog filmskog festivala, a kamoli da bi takav festival mogao da postane ključan događaj za kulturni život čitavog regiona.