In addition of a well selected programme of films both in and out of competition highlights included the Sofia Meeitngs and Sunny Side of the Doc where producers and directors came together to pitch projects and find co-producers.
As part of the Sofia Meetings pitching sessions Romanian director Radu Jude won a prize of 5000 Euros from Nu Boyana Studios (http://www.nuboyana.com/) for his project Everybody in Our Family (Hi Film Productions-Bucharest- http://www.hifilm.ro/) and Bulgarian director Stephan Komandarev won 5000 Euros in services from Syncro Lab (in Vienna for his pitch for The Judgement (Agro Film- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). By the end of the Sofia Meetings Komandarev had already secured Simone Baumann of Le Vision as a coproducer on the project and organizer Mira Staleva said that many more potential coproduction deals looked likely to result from the pitching sessions.
Winners of the Sofia International Film Festival
Best Feature Film: For My Father
Director Dror Zahavi
Producers: Praxis Productions (http://www.praxixfilms.co.il/) Israel/ Relevant Film (www.relevantfilm.de)Germany
Special Jury Prize:Zift
Director Javor Gurdev
Producer Miramar Film (http://www.miramarfilm.com/) Bulgaria
Best Director: Ozcan Alper for Autumn
Producer: Kuzey Film Production (http://www.kuzeyproduction.com.tr/) Turkey / Filmfabrik (http://www.filmfabrik.com/) Germany
Best Bulgarian Short Film: Three Sisters and Ahdrey
Directors: Andrey Paunov and Boris Despodov
Best Balkan Film: My Marlon and Brando
Director Hueseyin Karabey
Producer: A-si Film Yapim (www.asifilm.com) Turkey/ Spier Films (http://www.spierfilms.com/) Germany
Best Bulgarian Festure: Zift
Director Javor Gurdev
Producer Miramar Film (http://www.miramarfilm.com/) Bulgaria
Best Documentary: Rene
Director: Helena Trestikova
Producer: Negativ (www.negativ.cz) Czech Republic
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film: The Happiest Girl in the World
Director: Radu Jude
Producers: Hi Film Productions (http://www.hifilm.ro/) Romania/ Circe Films (http://www.circe.nl/) Netherlands