The Sarajevo Film Festival has announced a new prize, the Prix Cineplexx, which will be handed out for the first time at its 32nd edition, running from 14 to 21 August 2026. The award recognises the best film in the festival's Open Air Premiere programme and, unusually, is decided by the festival audience rather than a jury. It matters because it channels significant commercial backing towards regional cinema, giving winning films practical support for their theatrical release.

The prize is worth a total of 20,000 euros (roughly $22,900), made up of 15,000 euros in marketing services within Cineplexx theatres to aid distribution, plus 5,000 euros in cash for the film's producer. It has been established in partnership with Cineplexx, the leading cinema chain in South-East Europe, which operates around 70 theatres and more than 500 screens across a dozen countries. The Open Air Premiere section, split from the wider Open Air programme last year, showcases the most anticipated new works from across the former Yugoslavia at a venue whose capacity was recently doubled. Festival director Jovan Marjanović and Cineplexx co-owner Christof Papousek both stressed the award's value in supporting regional films beyond the festival itself.