The documentary competition at the 2025 Sofia Film Festival will be judged by an international jury consisting of Miha Černec (Producer, Slovenia), Valentina Ganeva (Director, Film Critic, USA-Bulgaria), Boris Despodov (Director, Bulgaria). The films announced so far are:
* "GEN_" (Italy-France-Switzerland), directed by Gianluca Matarrese
* "The Children of Popodia" (France-Georgia), directed by Sofia Babluani
* "From Ground Zero" (Palestine-France-Qatar-Jordan), produced by Rashid Masharawi, Laura Nikolov
* "Paul" (Canada), directed by Denis Côté
* "Silent Observers" (Bulgaria-Germany), directed by Eliza Petkova
* "Frida" (USA-Mexico), directed by Carla Gutiérrez
The remaining six films in the competition are:
***
"Leo Records: Strictly for Our Friends" is a dynamic and energizing film by Romanian director Ioana Grigore. This documentary tells the story of music passion, the Soviet Union, the BBC, and Leo Feigin, an 86-year-old jazz enthusiast who dedicated his life to experimental jazz. In 1973, the KGB forced him to leave the USSR, after which he moved to Israel, later seeking refuge in London, where he became a BBC radio host. In 1979, he founded Leo Records, an independent avant-garde music label, collecting recordings from around the world. Thanks to Feigin, underground Soviet musicians became known and reviewed in the West, beyond the Iron Curtain. With 42 years of activity, Leo Records has released some of the most famous jazz musicians in the world and holds a vast archive of rare and even previously unheard recordings from former totalitarian states.
***
Participating in the official selections at festivals in Brussels and Amsterdam, "Yalla, Baba!" by Angie Obeid is a Lebanon-Netherlands-Belgium co-production that tells the story of a journey. The film’s protagonist embarked on a road trip across Europe in the 1980s, leaving war-torn Lebanon for Belgium. Forty years later, his daughter, the film’s director, convinces him to retrace the same route together. However, both the journey and their relationship have changed over time.
***
Directed by Italian filmmaker Roberto Orazi, "Bad Coaches" tells the story of a young football prodigy whose dream is shattered by a manipulative coach. When 11-year-old Vincenzo is recruited by a professional team, he falls victim to a coach who invades his family's life and exploits their trust. Now an adult, Vincenzo is finally ready to share his story—hoping to reclaim his love for football.
***
Director and screenwriter Jennifer Mallman focuses on human rights and marginalized groups in the powerful documentary "Moria Six". Premiering at the Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Films, the film recounts the 2020 fire that destroyed the Moria refugee camp. Six teenagers were arrested and blamed for the blaze. One of them communicates with the director from prison, sharing stories of daily life, fears, and dreams. The film highlights the ongoing refugee crisis, where thousands remain trapped in inhumane conditions or perish in the Mediterranean Sea—a problem still without a fair solution.
***
In the gripping documentary by Sonia Kronlund, "The Man with a Thousand Faces", a group of women uncover shocking truths about a charismatic conman. This master manipulator presented himself under different identities, professions, and nationalities, deceiving numerous women and even leading multiple parallel families. With the help of a private detective and a legal expert, the filmmaker meticulously unravels the web of lies that this man built his life upon.
***
Directed by Juri Rechinsky and screened at Locarno, Vienna, and Tallinn, the Austrian documentary "Dear Beautiful Beloved" offers a visually and emotionally powerful perspective on the Ukrainian war’s humanitarian impact. The film follows elderly civilians being evacuated from the frontlines and soldiers' remains being returned to their families. While war destroys homes and displaces families, a network of volunteers emerges to provide aid. Rechinsky presents a haunting portrayal of the war’s long-term consequences, capturing the devastating reality on both sides of the conflict.
***
SEE YOU AT THE CINEMA!
#29SofiaIFF