On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, on the occasion of the 104th anniversary of the National Theater in Sarajevo, the Annual Awards Ceremony celebrated outstanding artistic achievements. Among the honorees was Assoc. Prof. Branko Vekić, MFA, from the Visual Arts and Visual Communications Design (VACD) study program at the International University of Sarajevo (IUS), who received the Special Award for Poster Design for the National Theatre Drama plays in the 2024/2025 season.
Professor Vekić is a distinguished academic graphic designer, film and theater director, and master printmaker with decades of professional and teaching experience. His artistic versatility and innovation have marked numerous fields of visual and performing arts.
Throughout his career, he has worked as a director and art director on four Eurovision Song Contest entries for Bosnia and Herzegovina and created the first Bosnian computer animation transferred to film stock, as well as the titles for two Sarajevo Film Festivals. He also contributed as a graphic designer and animator to the Academy Award-winning film “No Man’s Land.”
Professor Vekić occasionally serves as a guest lecturer in conceptual design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, teaching Product Design students. He directed the first Bosnian character animation on 35mm film, Love and Tolerance for SFOR, and worked in Paris on the documentary Les Reflections d’Enfer, featuring renowned actors Emmanuelle Béart, Guillaume Canet, Mariam D’Abo, and Aline Bonetto. His directorial work in theater includes productions such as Copy by Joana Owsianko and Agatha Christie’s timeless classic The Mousetrap.
The award stands as a well-deserved recognition of his lifelong commitment to visual storytelling, creativity, and mentorship.
