The Serbian minority co-production, the debut feature film 17 by director Kosara Mitić, will have its world premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. The film will be screened on February 18th, 2026, as part of the international competition selection Perspektive, intended for debut films, at the Blumax Theater hall.

17 is as a North Macedonian production with Serbian and Slovenian co-production. It follows seventeen-year-old Sara, who hides a personal secret during a school trip. When the trip gets out of control and Sara witnesses her classmate being sexually abused, they form a deep bond that will mark them forever.

The main roles are played by Eva Kostić and Martina Danilovska, while other roles are played by Dame Joveski, Eva Stojčevska, Petar Manić, Jovan Todorov, Žaklina Stevkovska Drnasin, Ana Stojanovska, Oliver Mitkovski, Saško Kocev, Aleksandra Peševska, Simeon Damevski, Irena Dimeska, Mina Jelušić, Luna Bejkov and Alina Hristovska.

The script was written by Kosara Mitić and Ognjen Sviličić, the director of photography is Naum Doksevski, the editing is by Vladimir Pavlovski, while the artistic directors are Dejan Gjoševski and Aleksandra Čevreska. The costume designer is Žaklina Krstevska Karagjozoska, the make-up is by Anđela Stojanović and Karla Lazić, and the sound engineer is Aljaž Lukan.

The producer of the film is Tomi Salkovski (Black Cat Production, North Macedonia). The co-producer from Serbia is Miroslav Mogorović, the executive producer is Stefan Mladenović from the production company Art & Popcorn, while the Slovenian co-producers are Vlado Bulajić and Lija Pogačnik from the company Decembar.

Speaking about her debut film, director Kosara Mitić pointed out that she did not perceive the film from the very beginning as a story that she could “appropriate”, but as an ethically responsible attempt to create a space for listening and understanding. “The fiction allowed me to protect those who were involved in the event and to avoid reducing the complex reality to a single narrative. The film does not offer answers – it invites the audience to take responsibility for the silences that still exist,” said Mitić.

Co-producer Miroslav Mogorović emphasized that the selection of the film in the Perspektive competition program is significant not only for the author, but also for everyone who believed in the project from the beginning. “This selection confirms that intimate, but brave and socially relevant stories have a place at the world’s biggest festivals. We are proud that film 17 opens up space for new perspectives and makes the experiences of young people visible on the international stage,” said Mogorović.

Kosara Mitić (1987, Skopje) is a director and screenwriter whose short films Stop by at Least Once, Birthday and Red Room were screened and awarded at numerous international festivals. The film 17 was developed as part of the Midpoint Feature Launch program, and was awarded and presented as part of the CineLink Work in Progress program at the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival. The director is also an alumni of the Berlinale Talents program.

17 was supported by the Film Agency of North Macedonia, Film Center Serbia, Slovenian Film Center, SEE Cinema Network, as well as CineLink Work in Progress. The worldwide distribution of the film is managed by the French company Totem Films.

The Perspektiva competition selection, established in 2025, is dedicated to feature debut films that offer new auteur voices and innovative views of the modern world. The winner of the award for the best film will be decided by a three-member international jury.

Photo / Black Cat Production