BELGRADE: The Italian/Serbian coproduction Balcanica, the debut feature film of the Italian director Nicola Sorcinelli, starring Matilda De Angelis, will have its world premiere in the competitive programme of the 23rd Giornate degli Autori within the 83rd Venice International Film Festival (2 – 12 September 2026).
The film was entirely shot in Serbia in April and May 2026, mostly in Sjenica and on the Pešter Plateau, whose unique landscapes provided one of the key visual elements of the film.
The film is set at a time when music was banned in Afghanistan. The conductor of an orchestra, played by Babak Karimi, and his son, a tuba player played by Ivar Vafaei, set out on the Balkan route in search of a new beginning. During a long and uncertain journey, their fates intersect with the fate of an Italian doctor, played by Matilda De Angelis. That meeting will forever change their lives.
The project was realised with the involvement of a Serbian film crew and filmmakers, and the Serbian coproducer is This and That Productions. The film was supported by the Film Center Serbia in the cofinancing of production of minority coproductions contest strand in 2024.
The Serbian coproduction team was led by coproducer Snežana van Houwelingen, executive producer Milica Putnik Lukovac and film director Ivan Krstović, whereas among the key authors of the Serbian part of the crew are director of photography Damjan Radovanović, set designer Dragana Baćović, sound recordist Filip Popadić and mask designer Višnja Karaulić.
„From the very beginning, we wanted to offer Nicola Sorcinelli and the Italian team the best that Serbia has: unique locations, a top film crew and production support. Filming on the Pešter Plateau, in Sjenica and around Belgrade was a wonderful experience for all of us, and we believe that this authenticity and energy is also felt on the screen. We are proud to have been part of this European coproduction and to have created a film together that will have its world premiere in Venice“, Snežana van Houwelingen told FNE.
Balcanica is a production of the Italian companies Nightswim and Wildside, a part of the Fremantle Group, in coproduction with the Serbian company This and That Productions. Ines Vasiljević and Stefano Sardo are the producers and Snežana van Houwelingen is the coproducer.
The film was produced with the support of the Fund for the Development of Investments in Cinema and Audiovisual of the Italian Ministry of Culture – Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual, with the support of Lazio Innova – Lazio Cinema International, and also with the support of Film Center Serbia.
The film is expected to premiere in Serbia during the fall of 2026.
Production Information:
Producers:
Nightswim (Italy)
Wildside (Italy)
Coproducer:
This and That Productions (Serbia)
Credits:
Director: Nicola Sorcinelli
Scriptwriters: Nicola Sorcinelli, Andrea Brusa
DoP: Damjan Radovanović
Cast: Matilda De Angelis, Babak Karimi, Ivar Vafaei, Giovanni Toscano
