Jasmila Žbanić

(1974) is a film director from Bosnia and Herzegovina and a graduate of the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. She started her directing career upon founding an artists’ association in Sarajevo called Deblokada in 1997, directing short films and documentaries.

Her debut feature film Esma's Secret (2006) won the Golden Bear in Berlin in 2006 and has since been sold to more than 45 territories world-wide and enjoyed major success and critical acclaim on the international film festival circuit. (www.havc.hr)