Sandra Wollner Says Sarajevo’s “History” Resonates as Austrian Filmmaker’s ‘Everytime’ Travels the Festival Circuit

Sandra Wollner, an Austrian filmmaker behind the competition-circuit film ‘Everytime,’ told The Hollywood Reporter that the Sarajevo festival atmosphere carries a weight that filmmakers and audiences can feel in person. Speaking in connection with her film’s appearance on the festival circuit, Wollner said she believes the city’s history shows up in the experience of watching and discussing a movie there, adding that it is part of what makes festival travel more than just scheduling and promotion.

Wollner’s remarks come as European-language filmmaking continues to navigate an uneven media landscape shaped by streaming distribution, shifting budgets, and changing audience behavior. In her interview, she framed culture as something embedded in everyday social life rather than a discretionary luxury, arguing that “culture is an ‘added value,’ a kind of luxury item” is the wrong way to think about its role. Instead, she said culture helps a society understand itself.

The director also discussed casting as a matter of feasibility and audience reach. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Wollner is open to the idea of involving a Hollywood name in future projects, while describing her willingness to consider pragmatic steps that could help European films connect with broader audiences and sustain production.

In the interview, Wollner’s perspective reflects a wider debate within European cinema about how to balance artistic identity with industry realities, including financing constraints and the need for films to find audiences beyond their home markets. While festival circuits offer visibility, they also highlight the competitive environment in which emerging and established directors must place their work.

Wollner’s comments on Sarajevo, and her emphasis on culture as a social function, place ‘Everytime’ within a broader conversation about what festivals can communicate beyond entertainment. For directors, festival selection can shape funding opportunities, distributor interest, and critical attention, but it can also function as a public forum in which filmmakers explain what their work is trying to do.

The Hollywood Reporter interview does not provide additional details in the published summary about awards or specific outcomes tied to ‘Everytime’ in Sarajevo. It does, however, underline that Wollner sees the festival experience itself as part of her films’ message, including the idea that viewers bring historical awareness into how a story is received.

As ‘Everytime’ continues to move through festivals, Wollner’s remarks suggest she expects European filmmaking to keep adapting to shifting industry conditions while remaining anchored in the cultural questions she says films should address. The interview points to an ongoing effort to keep European cinema sustainable without treating culture as optional, and it ties that goal to decisions on everything from project planning to casting possibilities.