The Jury’s Special award went to Andrey M Paunov for January. The film also won the Bulgarian Critics Guild Award.

Pavel G. Vesnakov was awarded Best Director for his German Lessons, while Julian Vergov received the Best Actor Award for the same film.

The City of Varna Special Award went to Victor Bojinov’s box office topper The Naked Truth about Zhiguli Band, while Ivaylo Penchev grabbed his traditional Audience Award, this time for Uncle Claus.

A total of 12 feature films and 15 short films were screened in the two official competitions of the festival.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

Grand Prix - Best Feature Film:
In The Heart of the Machine (Bulgaria)
Directed by Martin Makariev
Produced by Forward Pictures Entertainment
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center

Grand Prix - Best Short Fiction Film:
Donkey (Bulgaria)
Directed by Martin Negrev
Produced by AEON Production
Supported by the National Culture Fund

Jury Special Award:
January (Bulgaria, Portugal, Luxembourg)
Directed by Andrey M Paunov
Produced by Portokal
Coproduced by BNT (Bulgaria), Terratreme Filmes, Tarantula
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Portuguese Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual, the Film Fund Luxembourg, Creative Europe MEDIA Programme

City of Varna Special Award:
The Naked Truth about Zhiguli Band (Bulgaria)
Directed by Victor Bojinov
Produced by Concept studio
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Burgas Municipality

Best Director Award:
Pavel G. Vesnakov for German Lessons (Bulgaria, Germany)
Produced by Moviemento
Coproduced by Heimathafen Film & Media
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein Fund

Best Script Award:
Boby Zahariev for In The Heart of the Machine (Bulgaria)
Directed by Martin Makariev

Best Cinematography Award:
Nenad Boroevich for Fish Bone (Bulgaria, Romania)
Directed by Dragomir Sholev
Produced by KLAS Film
Coproduced by the Bulgarian National Television, Hi Film Productions, the Romanian Television
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Romanian Film Centre, Eurimages

Best Actress Award:
Alexandra Kostova for Petya of My Petya (Bulgaria)
Directed by Alexander Kossev
Produced by BOF Pictures, Concept studio
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Burgas Municipality

Best Actor Award:
Julian Vergov for German Lessons
Directed by Pavel G. Vesnakov

Best Debut Feature:
Petya of My Petya (Bulgaria)
Directed by Alexander Kossev

Special Mentions:
Albena Pavlova for Petya of My Petya (Bulgaria)
Directed by Alexander Kossev

Women Do Cry (Bulgaria, France)
Directed by Mina Mileva, Vesela Kazakova
Produced by Activist 38
Coproduced by Ici et La Productions, ARTE France Cinema
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, Ile de France, Eurimages

Short Films Special Mentions:

Fridgid (Bulgaria)
Directed by Devina Vassileva
Produced by Devina Vassileva
Supported by the National Culture Fund, Creative Initiatives Programme
 
Mona Liza (Bulgaria)
Directed by Veselka Kuncheva
Produced by Borough Film, Contrast Films, Puppets Lab, Right Solutions, Sonus

Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers Award:
Fish Bone (Bulgaria, Romania)
Directed by Dragomir Sholev

Critics Guild Award:
January (Bulgaria, Portugal, Luxembourg)
Directed by Andrey M Paunov
and
Mona Liza (Bulgaria)
Directed by Veselka Kuncheva

Audience Award:
Uncle Claus (Bulgaria)
Directed by Ivaylo Penchev
Produced by Cinemaq
Coproduced by Urban Media
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center