In addition to Sofia, the festival will also extend to Varna from 21 to 29 March at the Festival and Congress Center, Burgas from 20 to 28 March at the Cultural House of the National Theater, and Plovdiv.
This year Croatian film director Rajko Grlić and Bulgarian actor Yossif Sarchadzhiev will receive the Sofia Municipality Award for their outstanding contributions to cinema. Bulgarian film director Georgi Dulgerov will be presented with the FIPRESCI Platinum Award.
Special guests at the festival will include Danis Tanović with My Late Summer, Konstantin Bojanov with The Shameless (Switzerland, France, Bulgaria, Taiwan, produced by Akka Films and coproduced by Urban Factory, Klas Films and House on Fire), as well as Uberto Pasolini, Patricia Mazuy, actress Jaana Saarinen, Pia Marais, Doron Eran, and Xawery Żuławski with Kulej. Dwie strony medalu / Kulej. Two Sides of the Medal (produced by Watchout Studio and coproduced by ATM Virtual, Veles Productions and Systemics New).
Three Bulgarian feature films have been selected for the main international competition: Windless by Pavel G. Vesnakov, Flesh by Dimitar Stoyanovich, and Eternity Package by Magdalena Ilieva.
The festival will also host the 22nd edition of the industry event Sofia Meetings from 19 to 23 March 2025.
International Competition:
Cat’s Cry (Serbia, Canada, Croatia)
Directed by Sanja Živković
Produced by Nova film
Coproduced by Artizana Film, Cinnamon Films , YN Films
Supported by the Film Center Serbia, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Telefilm Canada
Flesh (Bulgaria)
Directed by Dimitar Stoyanovich
Produced by Premier Studio Plus
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center
Windless (Bulgaria, Italy)
Directed by Pavel G. Vesnakov
Produced by Red Carpet
Coproduced by dispàrte
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Italian Ministry of Culture
Honeymoon (Ukraine)
Directed by Zhanna Ozirna
Eternity Package (Bulgaria, Italy)
Directed by Magadalena Ilieva
Produced by Agitprop, Little Wing Productions
Coproduced by Mammut Film
Supported by Eurimages, the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Italian Ministry of Culture, MEDIA – Creative Europe
Under the Grey Sky (Poland)
Directed by Mara Tomkovich
Produced by Media Corporation
Supported by the Polish Film Institute
Die Like a Man (USA)
Directed by Eric Nazarian
Winter in Sokcho (France, South Korea)
Directed by Koya Kamura
On the Edge (Belgium)
Directed by Sophie Muselle, Guérin van de Vorst
Hallway to Nowhere (Croatia)
Directed by Zvonimir Munivrana
Produced by Studio Corvus
Coproduced by Croatian Tuna Film
Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre
Nobody Wants to Shoot a Woman (USA)
Directed by Kerry Ann Enright
Rock Bottom (Spain, Poland)
Directed by Maria Trainer
Produced by Alba Sotorra SL
Coproduced by Jaibo Films, GS Animation, Empatic Production
Balkan Competition:
Triumph (Bulgaria, Greece)
Directed by Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov
Produced by Abraxas Film
Coproduced by Graal Films, Five Oceans, Red Carpet, Dystopia Films
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, Eurimages, the Bulgarian National Television, the Greek Film Center, the Greek National Television (ERT), MEDIA Creative Europe, the American Foundation for Bulgaria, CCU
The Erl-King (Serbia, Bulgaria)
Directed by Goran Radovanovich
Produced by NAMA FILM
Coproduced by Archangel Digital Studios, Premier Studio Plus
Supported by Film Center Serbia, the Bulgarian National Film Center , the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, the Serbian Armed Forces
Waterdrop (Albania, Italy, Romania, Kosovo)
Directed by Robert Budina
Produced by Era Film, Avanpost
Coproduced by Redibis Film, Iliria Film
Supported by the Albanian National Center of Cinematography, the Kosovo Cinematography Center, the Italian Ministry of Culture, MEDIA Creative Europe, SEE Cinema Network
Luna Park (Albania, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo)
Directed by Florenc Papas
Produced by On Film Production
Coproduced by Atalante Productions, Studio Corvus, Buka Production
Supported by the Albanian National Center of Cinematography, the Greek Film Center, ERT, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Kosovo Cinematography Center, the SEE Cinema Network
Mother Mara (Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg)
Directed by Mirjana Karanovic
Produced by This and That Productions
Coproduced by Oko Film, Paul Thiltges Distributions, December, Deblokada, VHS Doo
Supported by MEDIA Creative Europe, Film Center Serbia, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the Slovenian Film Centre, RTV Slovenia, the Film Centre of Montenegro, Film Fund Sarajevo, Film Fund Luxembourg, BAK Ministry of Culture Switzerland, Zurich Film Fund, Eurimages
Traffic (Romania, Belgium, the Netherlands)
Directed by Teodora Mihai
Produced by Mindset Productions
Coproduced by Lunanime, Bastide Films, Les Films du Fleuve
Supported by Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), NFF, NFI, CFWB, MEDIA Creative Europe, Tax Shelter
Giannis in the Cities (Greece)
Directed by Eleni Alexandrakis
Produced by Pomegranate Films
Coproduced by Alatas Films, Authorwave, Tamarisk
Supported by National Centre of Audiovisual Media and Communication (EKOME), the Greek Film Center, National Greek Television (ERT)
iDEA (Тurkey, Romania, France)
Directed by Tayfun Pirselimoglu
Produced by Mitra Films, Gataki Films
Coproduced by TRT Sinema, AVANPOST, Arizona Films
Supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture, İzmir Sinema Ofisi, Buca Municipality
The Tower of Strength (Montenegro, Serbia, Germany, Croatia)
Directed by Nikola Vukcevic
Produced by Galileo Productions
Coproduced by Cinnamon Films, Embrio Production, Progressive Films, Mogador Film
Supported by Radio-Television of Montenegro, the Film Centre of Montenegro, Film Center Serbia, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Montenegrin Ministry of Culture and Media, CEKUM
The Flying Meatball Maker (Turkey, Bulgaria, Germany)
Directed by Rezan Yesilbas
Produced by Rez Film
Coproduced by Alaz Film, Bredok Film Production
Wishbone (Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece)
Directed by Penny Panagiotopoulou
Produced by P.P. Productions
Coproduced by Manny Films, Pallas Film GmbH Felony Film Productions, ERT
And the Rest Will Follow (Turkey, Bulgaria)
Directed by Pelin Esmer
Produced by Sinefilm
Coproduced by Screening Emotions, Libra films
Supported by Eurimages, T.C. Kültür Bakanlığı Sinema Genel Müdürlüğü, the Bulgarian National Film Center
SOFIA MEETINGS
Work in Progress:
Feature Films:
Alice’s Journey (Colombia)
Directed by Raul Garcia Rodriguez
Ave Maria (Bulgaria)
Directed by Jacky Stoev, Nikolay Boshnakov
Produced by Ars Digital Studio
Becaaria (Switzerland)
Directed by Eric Bernasconi
Chica Checa (Czech Republic, France, Slovakia)
Directed by Simon Holy,
Produced by Silk Films
Doha (Spain)
Directed by Eimi Imanishi
Dursht – Shodows of the Past (India, USA)
Director Aditya Chavan
Exotic (Poland)
Directed by Sonja Orlewicz-Zakrzewska
Produced by Mozaika Films
Jar of Time of Time (Bulgaria)
Directed by Nevena Semova, Swapnil Arjun
Producer by Attic Films
Kabaddi (Argentina, Brazil)
Direcded by Palo José Meza
Land (Bulgaria)
Directed by director Nikolay Todorov
Produced by Screening Emotions
The Moon Is a Father of Mine (Georgia, Germany, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Bulgaria,Turkey)
Directed by George Ovashvili
Produced by Wagonnet Film
The Sinless (Hungary)
Directed by Attila Hartung
Produced by Lupa Pictures
The Sweet Bitterness of Ripe Pomegranates (North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia)
Directed by Andrey Volkashin
Produced by Studio Corvus, Screening Emotions, Veda Film Productions
This Is Not Happening (Poland)
Directed by Artur Wyrzykowski
Produced by Bold Humans
Wild Is the Wind (Spain, Greece, Portugal)
Director Eloy Domínguez Serén
Documentary Films:
Another Father (Spain)
Directed by Mariona Gui
Truth (Finland, Bulgaria)
Directed by Tonislav Hristov
Produced by Making Movies Oy
Short Films:
Balkonada (Bulgaria)
Directed by Iva Tokmakchieva
Produced by Compote Collective
