Ena Sendijarević (born 1987) is a Bosnian-Dutch[1] filmmaker and screenwriter known for her distinctive blend[2] of surrealism,[3] satire, and sharp social commentary and exploration of themes such as power, identity, sexuality[4] and migration.[5] Her notable works include Import (2016), which premiered at the Cannes Directors' Fortnight;[6]Take Me Somewhere Nice (2019), winner of the Heart of Sarajevo Award for Best Feature Film;[7] and Sweet Dreams (2023), a satirical exploration of Dutch colonialism that premiered to critical acclaim.[8]
In 2013, Sendijarević wrote and directed her first short film, Reizigers in de Nacht (Travellers in the Night). The film was selected for the VERS Award and won the VEVAM Go Short Award for Best Dutch Short at the Go Short International Short Film Festival 2014. She directed the short film Fernweh (2014), which premiered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.[12]
Sendijarević's 2016 short film, Import, premiered at the Cannes Directors' Fortnight.[13] The film tells the story of a Bosnian refugee family in the Netherlands and its experience of integrating.[13] In September 2016, it was selected at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival in Short Cuts section.[14]
On December 20, 2024, it was announced that Sendijarevic's English-language debut The Possessed has been greenlit for a 2026 shoot. The film is described as a "dark, surrealist exploration of a love triangle between two women fleeing the European witch hunts and the man who becomes their captive." [23]
^ ab"Winnaars Gouden Kalveren 2023" [43rd edition of the Dutch Film Festival: Winners of the Golden Calves 2023]. Dutch Film Festival (in Dutch). 29 September 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
^ ab"Nominaties Gouden Kalveren 2023 bekend" [43rd edition of the Dutch Film Festival: Nominations for Golden Calves 2023 announced]. Dutch Film Festival (in Dutch). 24 September 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.