In a post-apocalyptic Earth, the discovery of a cryogenically suspended woman provokes fear in a desperate village, sending a young warrior and the mysterious woman on a quest for a lost city and answers that could restore humanity.

Filip Kovačević, Filip Jevtić and Vladimir Mančić penned the script, while Dutch actor Jonas Smulders, Canadian actress Nina Kiri, Serbian actors Predrag Bjelac, Darko Perić, Miloš Timotijević, and Klara Karaulić, English actor Riaze Foster-Elba, Serbian actress Marija Karan, Bosnian actor Adnan Hasković, and British actor Paul Leonard Murray are in the cast.

“Sanctuary is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure set in a half distant ‘pagan’ future, where the remnants of the advanced fallen world have been forgotten and mythologised. Its narrative is set on the verge of a great change: will this dystopian world stumble and fall, or will it find a way into the future? The ambition was to create an escapist piece of modern independent cinema, that provides some distance from our present turbulent world, while also putting it into a much wider historical, antropological and mythological context,” Filip Kovačević told FNE.

Sanctuary was produced by Serbia’s Void Pictures and TS Media, namely by Filip Kovačević, Đorđe Stanković and Vukota Antunović. The project was supported by Film Center Serbia.

“Producing Sanctuary was an ambitious journey, driven by our belief that compelling genre films can be made in Serbia for a global audience. From building a unique post-apocalyptic world to bringing together an international cast and crew, we wanted to push the boundaries of what independent filmmaking in our region can achieve. The project demanded years of dedication, creativity, and determination from everyone involved. We’re incredibly proud to see Sanctuary beginning its international journey and reaching audiences beyond our borders,” producer Vukota Antonović added.

Kovačević’ sophomore feature was shot in 2024 at Studio Šimanovci, the mining pits of Kolubara, Avala, the railway tunnel of Karaburma and the Kalemegdan fortress, under the working title of Absolution / Oprost.