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The 30th anniversary edition of the Sofia International Film Festival will welcome audiences from 12 to 31 March 2026. The festival is organised by Art Fest, in partnership with Atlantis Studio, under the patronage of the Sofia Municipality, within the project proposal “Capital of Culture – The Pulse of Sofia”, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, procedure BG-RRP-11.021 “New Generation Local Cultural Policies for Large Municipalities”. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Bulgarian National Film Center, and the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Union, in cooperation with cultural institutes, sponsors, partners, and friends. In 2026, the festival programme includes 145 feature-length fiction, documentary, and animated films, along with 19 short films, representing 60 countries across six continents . Screenings will take place in cinemas , allowing audiences to experience specially selected films on the big screen and meet many of their creators in person. Continuing a successful tradition, part of the programme will also be available online . In 2026 the festival again partners with Neterra.tv/plus , giving audiences across the country access to a selection of festival films. We eagerly anticipate welcoming to Sofia the filmmakers whose works are included in the competition programmes, as well as numerous internationally renowned guests presenting their latest films. Sofia International Film Festival on the Coast in Burgas will take place 19–27 March, the Plovdiv edition will run 20 March – 5 April, and the Varna edition will be held 20–22 March and 28–29 March. *** The 30th Sofia International Film Festival will officially open on 12 March at Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture with the Bulgarian premiere of “It was just an Accident” by Iranian director Jafar Panahi . Awarded the prestigious Palme d’Or in Cannes, the film was nominated for the Academy Awards in the categories Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay. Panahi is a key figure of the Iranian New Wave and a long-standing friend of the festival. He was a special guest at the Sofia International Film Festival in 2002 and 2004, received the Sofia Award for his contribution to cinema in 2021, and in this anniversary year will also receive the prestigious FIPRESCI Platinum Award from the International Federation of Film Critics. *** Two emblematic figures of Bulgarian cinema — actor and director Ivaylo Hristov and cinematographer Emil Hristov — will receive the Sofia Award of the Sofia Municipality for their outstanding contribution to the art of cinema. The award plaque is created by the renowned sculptor Georgi Chapkanov – Chapa. A special gala will honour the legendary Polish actor Jan Englert , widely known to Bulgarian audiences for his role as Father Heredia in “Doomed Souls” (1975) directed by Vulo Radev. Englert continues his active career and will present his latest film “The Crossroads” (Skrzyżowanie) directed by Dominika Montean-Pańków. *** The Special Award of the Sofia International Film Festival will be presented in 2026 to three remarkable filmmakers: Hungarian director György Pálfi , who will serve as President of the International Jury and present his new film “Hen”; British director David Mackenzie , a long-time friend of the festival, presenting “Relay” and “ Fuze”; French director Arnaud Desplechin , who will present his latest film “Two Pianos”, co-written with Bulgarian screenwriter Kamen Velkovsky Ivaylo Hristov, Emil Hristov, Jan Englert, György Pálfi, David Mackenzie, and Arnaud Desplechin will also deliver special Master Classes during the festival. *** Among the Bulgarian fiction films premiering at the 30th Sofia International Film Festival are: “Aurora” by Georgi Stoev – Dzheki and Nikola Boshnakov, “Lust” by Ralitsa Petrova, “Women Out of Order” by Aleksandar Kosev, “The Axis of Life” by Atanas Hristoskov, “Lоveless” by Ivaylo Hristov. ******* Bulgarian co-productions premiering at the festival include films by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, Gözde Kural, Mihai Mincan, Nikola Ležaić, Amerisa Basta, and Vladimir Tagić. The festival will also present 18 premieres of Bulgarian documentary films, including works by Tonislav Hristov, Andrey Kulev, Borislav Kolev, Nikola Boshnakov, Ralitsa Dimitrova, Kiril Tsenov, Tsvetan Dragnev, Dimitar Kotsev-Shosho, Adela Peeva, and Stefan Shterev. ****** *** In partnership with the Czech Centre Sofia, the festival presents a special focus marking the 90th anniversary of Václav Havel’s birth. The programme will include documentaries and fiction films dedicated to the life, ideas, and legacy of the playwright, dissident, and statesman who became a symbol of freedom and moral responsibility. *** For the 24th time, an international jury will award the Grand Prize in the competition for first or second feature film — “Sofia: City of Film.” The festival also includes: ******************** *** The Balkan Competition featuring 12 films from the region The Documentary Competition with premieres from Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Göteborg and other major festivals The Documentary Jury will be chaired by world-renowned filmmaker Vitaly Mansky, who will present his new films “Iron” and “Time to theTarget.” ************************** In partnership with the British Council , the festival presents a special selection highlighting contemporary British cinema through screenings, discussions, and a Master Class. Among the films included are: “Super Nature” by Ed Sayers; “Khartoum” led by director Phil Cox; “Fuze” by David Mackenzie; “Three Urns” by John Paul Davidson; “Palestine 36” by Annemarie Jacir, featuring Jeremy Irons; “Broken english” by Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth, a documentary portrait of singer Marianne Faithfull; “Two Pianos” by Arnaud Desplechin, starring Charlotte Rampling This programme also continues the festival initiative “The Engine of Truth”, focusing on misinformation and media literacy. *** The 23rd edition of Sofia Meetings will take place 18–30 March 2026. Sofia Meetings is the only professional event in Bulgaria recognised by the international film industry and collaborates with leading industry platforms such as: Cannes Marché / Producers Network, CineMart, Locarno Pro, San Sebastián Industry, Film Independent, EAVE, ACE, Crossroads, Europa Distribution, CICAE, MIDPOINT, MFI, Europa Cinemas and many others. Over the years, Sofia Meetings has supported projects by filmmakers including Cristi Puiu, Álvaro Brechner, Jasmila Žbanić, Cristian Mungiu, Kornél Mundruczó, Stefan Arsenijević, Levan Koguashvili, Tolga Karaçelik, Lili Horvát, Nathalie Biancheri, Iglika Trifonova, Stefan Komandarev, Kamen Kalev, Konstantin Bojanov, Svetla Tsotsorkova, Nadya Koseva, Drago Sholev, Andrey Paunov, Ralitsa Petrova, Mina Mileva, and Vesela Kazakova. *** The festival press centre will be located at the Polish Institute in Sofia, hosting public talks and meetings with special guests. Audiences can also explore VR installations in the immersive space VIDENIE, in partnership with Sofia Meetings. *** The programme also includes a special concert by the iconic Turkish band Baba Zula , celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Sofia International Film Festival, the band’s 30th anniversary, and the 20th anniversary of their first concert in Sofia, with Kottarashky & Sando as special guests. *** The visual identity of the 30th Sofia International Film Festival is created by Proof, in partnership with Positive Possum and Twist. The festival is supported by Grand Hotel Sofia, Bulgaria Air, and Moto-Pfohe Rent a Car. Partners include the British Council, Italian Cultural Institute, French Institute, Polish Institute, Goethe-Institut, Czech Centre Sofia, Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Institute, Instituto Cervantes, NATFA, Doli Media Studio, Maison Mitko Damov, Rosslyn Hotels, InterContinental Sofia, Jameson, and many others. ******************************* See you at the cinema! #30SofiaIFF

The award is provided by Doli Media Studio For the 24th consecutive year, the Sofia International Film Festival has a competition for best Bulgarian short film. It is a valuable tradition and supports young authors who have made their short film stories. For the seventh year in a row the award will be presented by Doli Media Studio , and the winning film will be selected by the international jury of the festival. The members of the selection committee – directors Tonislav Hristov, Atanas Hristovskov and Elena Toncheva, last year’s winner of the Best Short Film Award, shared their impressions: “Out of the 65 films that applied, we selected 12, distinguished by their original style and clear artistic vision. There was a wide variety of genres and styles, as well as a boldness for experimentation. Our selection was guided by the quality of the narrative and professional execution. We believe that we have created an exciting selection for the audience – our goal is for the festival program to present a strong and meaningful diversity in short cinema.” Here are the 12 titles in this year's Bulgarain Short Film competition (arranged here in alphabetical order according to their titles): 1. Balconada , 2025, director Iva Tokmakchieva , 8 min. 2. Black Dog , 2026, director Alex Krassimirov , 22 min. 3. The Blue Angels , 2025, director Dobromir Baychev , 28 min. 4. Brazil , 2025, director Grigor Lefterov , 15 min. 5. Clay , 2026, director Kristiyan Georgiev , 24 min. 6. The Day She Will Be Born , 2025, director Emil Spahiyski , 16 min. 7. Eva , 2025, director Martin Genovski , 14 min. 8. Found at Sea , Bulgaria-Belgium, 2025, director Dimana Markovska , 20 min. 9. A Great Day , 2025, director Georgi Yovchev , 11 min. 10. Impromptu , Bulgaria-Romania, 2026, director Maya Vitkova – Kosev , 20 min. 11. Ravanera , 2025, director Teodor Ralev , 10 min. 12. Soar , 2025, director Valya Pelova , 18 min. The award is worth 9,500 euros (1,500 euros cash prize and 8,000 euros in post-production services), provided by Doli Media Studio , given to the director of the winning film. Over the years, many of the leading names in contemporary Bulgarian cinema have participated in the competition, including Dragomir Sholev, Andrey Paounov, Boris Despodov, Svetla Tsotsorkova, Petar Valchanov, Pavel Vesnakov. The long-term support of this program by the Irish whiskey Jameson has contributed to the successful development of short films in Bulgaria. A mission from the very beginning of the Sofia International Film Festival has been to support Bulgarian cinema in all its creative manifestations. Good luck to the selected films and their creative teams! * * * WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU AT #CINEMA! #30SofiaIFF

The Sofia Film Festival's International Competition for First and Second Films is being held for the 24th year, and its jury will be responsible for awarding the Grand Prize "Sofia - City of Film", provided by the Sofia Municipality. In addition to the two films that have already been announced - "Lust" by Ralitza Petrova and "Women Out of Order" by Alexander Kossev, we present six more films from the competition: Nina Roza by the Canadian director Geneviève Dulude-De Celles was made with significant Bulgarian participation. Bulgarian actor and director Galin Stoev plays the main character Mihail – an emigrant to Canada, forced to return to Bulgaria after a 30-year absence. Only if he personally sees the work of a talented girl in his homeland, will he be able to determine whether she is a genius or a deceiver. Forced to face the past, which must be forgotten, he will realize to what extent he has distanced himself from his own daughter, who shared the emigrant fate with him. The film is a co-production between Canada, Italy, Bulgaria and Belgium. The role of the daughter Rose is played by Michelle Tzontchev, with the heroine Nina being played by the twins Sofia and Ekaterina Stanini, and in the other roles we will see Svetlana Yancheva, Elena Atanasova, Dimitar Nikolov, Anastasia Koleva and others. Nina Rosa's world premiere is in the Berlinale main competition programme. * * * The theme of women trying to find their way in life, regardless of where they were born and what their destiny is, continues to be central to the film narratives of Bolivian writer and director Álvaro Olmos Torrico . His second feature film, The Condor Daughter , tells the story of a remote community high in the Bolivian Andes – young Clara learns the songs and sacred traditions of midwifery from her adoptive mother Ana, who helps pregnant women in the villages in the area. Clara is an intelligent and curious girl and is naturally attracted to the influences that permeate her community – she takes the risk of leaving and trying to become a singer in a nearby town. This film juxtaposes the traditions of the Quechua people with modernity – through a story from South America, the director recreates the inevitable change that is part of our time. * * * The feature-length debut of Greek director and screenwriter Amerissa Basta , Life in a Beat , follows the eternal pursuit of happiness – part of the path of growing up. The monotonous everyday life of young Lena, combined with constant family conflicts, suddenly turns upside down when she loses her job and discovers that she is pregnant. Whether she will be given the opportunity to regain her independence – the chance to achieve harmony depends on the choice she will make. Basta’s co-writer is Dimitris Nakos, who is also one of the producers of the film, a co-production between Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria (Ivan Tonev, Ars Digital), North Macedonia, Montenegro and France. * * * Romanian writer, journalist and director Cecilia Ștefănescu makes her feature film debut with A Safe Place – a film which focuses on the changes in the lives of two close friends who recharge their batteries on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. One of them is Lucia, who has a wonderful family, but after the sudden appearance of a man from her past, intrigues become entangled and feelings are getting stronger and wilder. * * * The first feature film by German screenwriter and director Kai Stänicke , Trial of Hein , tells the story of a member of a small community who returns to his hometown and is greeted with distrust and skepticism. Doubts about the “foreigner” Hein grow to such an extent that the village community convenes a court to determine whether an impostor is trying to infiltrate their isolated island in the North Sea. The film explores the way in which relationships between people change under the influence of pressure from common notions - about good and evil, truth and lies. * * * As in her debut feature Dust , which followed the dangerous journey of a woman who wants to bury her mother in Afghanistan, the second feature film by Turkish director Gözde Kural focuses again on the fate of women. Her heroine Leyla's family is wiped out by the Taliban, and she takes the most dangerous step - she changes her identity to find her kidnapped son, but even the slightest hesitation on this path leads to death. Cinema Jazireh is a co-production between Turkey, Iran, Bulgaria and Romania, with Svetla Tsotsorkova as the Bulgarian co-producer. Stay tuned for information about the other films in the International Competition and in the program of the 30th Sofia Film Festival! * * * WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU AT #CINEMA! #30SofiaIFF

The creative path of one of the established masters in Bulgarian cinema, Emil Hristov, extends over four decades. With his distinctive visual style, sense of light and dramaturgy, he is the author of some of the most significant feature and documentary film productions in Bulgaria such as "Zift", "The World is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner", "The Countess", "Losers", "Late Full Moon", "House No. 8", "Neon Stories" and others. Each film, shot with precision and perfectionism, bears his characteristic signature - carefully constructed atmosphere, strong visual concept and emotional depth. His work on "Zift" became a benchmark for stylish black and white cinematography in the recent history of Bulgarian cinema, and "The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner" received international recognition and is the only Bulgarian film to date to reach the shortlist for the Oscar nominations in the international film category. In 2012, his directorial debut "The Color of the Chameleon" appeared on screen, an adaptation of the novel "Zincograph" by Vladislav Todorov, which received three awards at the Golden Rose festival, including best film. Emil Hristov also has extensive experience in television productions, music projects and advertising campaigns, where he has demonstrated his ability to combine artistic vision with the dynamics of contemporary visual formats. Over the years, he has established himself as one of the leading operators in the region and is the recipient of numerous professional awards and recognitions from film festivals in Bulgaria and abroad. With his consistency, professionalism and artistic approach, Emil Hristov continues to develop the visual language of Bulgarian cinema and inspire the new generation of filmmakers. In an effort not to miss the most important highlights of his creative path, we invited film critic Genoveva Dimitrova to write about him and the portrait will be published in the 30th Sofia Film Festival's catalogue - we present here a quote from her text. * * * "Bulgaria has at least a dozen outstanding cinematographers, some of whom work successfully abroad, yet among them all one name stands out: Emil Hristov (born August 13, 1956). From his early years to the present day, his presence in Bulgarian cinema has been associated with temperament and doubt, with perfectionism and radicalism – and with a notoriously difficult character. And, of course, with his ever-present scarf. In just a few years, the bold young rebel evolved into a star “big boss” of cinematography. In the late 1980s, visiting our film studies class at VITIZ (now NATFA), he remarked: “Bulgarian cinema is like the landscape outside the window.” In 1993, when I asked him in an interview for the newspaper Kultura how we might escape that landscape, he replied bluntly: “Pull down the blinds.”... Genoveva Dimitrova * * * WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU AT #CINEMA! #30SofiaIFF