SARAJEVO, Aug. 21 -- Although this year's Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) held online on Aug. 14-21 gave Azer Guzin an opportunity to enjoy movies at home, the film fan still missed the experience of going out to cinemas.

"There is a special magic in the darkness of movie theaters, whether you go there alone or with someone. That magic can't be replaced or sent online," said Guzin, a lawyer living in Mostar, south of Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The SFF started in 1995, towards the end of the four-year siege of Sarajevo, with an aim to revive the city's culture and art. It has been recognized as a leading film festival in the region by both professionals and audiences.

However, this year, the organizers faced a tough dilemma of whether to hold the festival amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to both protect public health and ensure the continuity of the festival, the organizers finally decided to put the event online, which disappointed many film professionals, movie fans as well as local business owners who usually look forward to the lucrative annual festival fever.

Cazim Dervisevic, a documentary filmmaker, said "the general idea of all festivals is to gather professionals from a certain industry and to inspire and motivate socializing."

"I don't think this year's SFF contributed much to that idea," said Dervisevic, who is also a videographer and journalist with almost two decades of experience in media and film.

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