“I Know Your Soul,” a six-part drama series by Oscar-nominated Bosnian filmmaker Jasmila Žbanić (Where are you going, Aida?) won the highest award for television series at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival, winning Best Drama Series and sweeping almost all categories, winning Best Director and Screenwriter as well as most acting categories. Žbanić was not only the co-writer of the series, but also the producer and showrunner. In addition to Where are you going, Aida?Žbanić directed the Golden Bear-winning Grbavica (2006) and an episode of the Emmy-winning HBO series The Last of Us.

The series, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year, follows Nervena, a prosecutor who is going through a divorce process and raising her teenage son as a single mother. Her investigation into a teenager’s suicide sets off a series of events that change her personal and professional life. Jasna Duričić, who plays Nervena, won Best Actress for her performance. Co-star Jelena Kordić Kuret won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, Mirvad Kurić won Best Supporting Actor and Lazar Dragojević won the Rising Star – Drama award for the series. HBO Max received I know your soul for Central and Eastern Europe last year.

Serbian actor Žarko Laušević, who died last November, posthumously won the award for best actor in a drama series for his performance in the drama about World War I Time of death.

In the categories Comedy, Bosnian series Smash it and the Serbian series Radio Mileva shared the awards for the Heart of Zarjaevo and each received three trophies. Smash it won the award for Best Comedy, the award for Best Actor for Alen Muratović and the award for Best Screenplay for the writers Elma Tataragić, Dušan Vranić and Enes Zlatar. Radio MilevaOlga Odanović was awarded in the category “Best Actress”, Elmir Jukić was awarded for Best Direction of a Comedy and Kris Gavrić received the award “Rising Star – Comedy”.

The Sarajevo Festival considered series from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Slovenia that premiered between April 1, 2023 and April 30, 2024. The winners were selected by a professional jury of film and television professionals.

Full list of winners below:

Best Drama Series

I know your soul

Best Actress in a Drama Series
Jasna Đuričić for I know your soul

Best Actor in a Drama Series
Žarko Laušević for Time of death

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Jelena Kordić Kuret for I know your soul

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Mirvad Kurić for I know your soul

Rising Star – Drama series
Lazar Dragojević for I know your soul

Best Screenplay – Drama Series
Jasmila Žbanić and Elma Tataragić for I know your soul

Best Director – Drama Series
Nermin Hamzagić for I know your soul

Best Comedy
Smash it

Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Olga Odanović for Radio Mileva

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Alen Muratović for Smash it

Rising Star – Comedy
Kris Gavrić for Radio Mileva

Best Screenplay – Comedy
Elma Tataragić, Dušan Vranić, Enes Zlatar for Smash it

Best Director – Comedy
Elmir Jukić for Radio Mileva