Peter Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva’s second feature Glory was awarded best Balkan film, while Iglika Triffonova’s Lift for Patients grabbed the audience award. Sofia IFF organises an international competition for first and sophomore feature films.

Krzysztof Zanussi, Agnieszka Holland, Hugh Hudson, John Savage and Rupert Everett were among the honorary guests of the festival.

According to Stefan Kitanov, director of the festival, “a total of 170 films from 58 countries and over 280 guests participated in the numerous programmes of the festival”.

The 14th edition of the Sofia Meetings introduced a new industry award for best Bulgarian project. The prize consisting of 1,500 EUR / 3,000 BNG went to Andrey Paunov’s January. Sofia based Nu Boyana Studios offered the best project award in the main section constisting of 50,000 EUR in services and 5,000 EUR in cash to The Tentmaster’s Daughter (UK) directed by Isabel Anderton.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION:

Sofia City Grand Prix:
Godless (Bulgaria, Denmark, France)
Directed by Ralitza Petrova
Produced by Klas Film
Coproduced by Snow Globe, Alcatraz Films, Film Factory production
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, Danish Film Institute, Eurimages

Lidl Audience Award for Best Foreign Film:
Sing Street (Ireland, United Kingdom, USA)
Directed by John Carney

Lidl Audience Award for Best Bulgarian Film:
Lift for Patients (Bulgaria)
Directed by Iglika Triffonova
Produced by Klas Film
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center,

Special Jury Award:
The Last Family (Poland)
Directed by Jan P. Matuszynski
Produced by Aurum Film
Coproduced by HBO Polska, Lightcraft, Universal Music Polska
Supported by the Polish Film Institute

Best Director:
Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß for My Happy Family (Germany, Georgia, France)
Produced by Augenschein Filmproduktion (Germany)
Coproduced by Polare Film, Arizona Productions
Supported by the Georgian National Film Center

Special Mention:
Mia Petričević for her role in Quit Staring at My Plate (Croatia, Denmark)
Directed by Hana Jusić
Produced by Kinorama
Coproduced by the Croatian Television, Beofilm
Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Center, the Danish Film Institute, Eurimages

Jameson Award for Best Bulgarian Short Film:
Clothes (Bulgaria)
Directed by Vesselin Boydev
Produced by Contrast films
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center

Special Mention Jameson Award:
Travelling Country (Bulgaria, Croatia)
Directed by Vessela Dantcheva, Ivan Bogdanov
Produced by Compote Collective
Coproduced by Bonobostudio

Best Documentary:
Tempest (Mexico)
Directed by Tatiana Huezo

Special Mention Documentary:
Village People (Bulgaria)
Directed by Tsvetan Dragnev
Produced by Gala Films

Domaine Boyar Award for Best Balkan Film:
Glory (Bulgaria, Greece)
Directed by Kristina Grozeva & Petar Valchanov
Produced by Abraxas Film
Coproduced by Graal Film
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Greek Film Centre

Special Mention Balkan Film:
Claire Obscure (Turkey, Germany, Poland, France)
Directed by Yeşim Ustaoğlu
Produced by Ustaoglu Production, unafilm, Aeroplan, Slot Machine

Bulgarian Guild of Film Critics Award Balkan Film:
Glory (Bulgaria, Greece)
Directed by Kristina Grozeva & Petar Valchanov
Produced by Abraxas Film
Coproduced by Graal Film
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Greek Film Centre

Best Bulgarian Feature Film:
Godless (Bulgaria, Denmark)
Directed by Ralitza Petrova
Produced by Klas Film
Coproduced by Snow Globe
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Danish Film Institute, Eurimages

FIPRESCI Award:
Requiem for Mrs. J. (Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia) with the financial participation of Russia and France
Directed by Bojan Vuletic
Produced by See Film Pro
Coproduced by Geopoly Film, Skopje Film Studio
Supported by Film Center Serbia, the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Macedonian Film Agency, CNC France, Eurimages

Young Jury Award:
Groom’s Block (Turkey, UK)
Directed by İlker Savaşkurt

Sofia Municipality Awards for Contribution to World Cinema:
Stoyanka Moutafova (Bulgaria)
Agnieszka Holland (Poland)
John Savage (USA)
Adela Peeva (Bulgaria)

SOFIA MEETINGS AWARDS:

Nu Boyana Film Studios Danny Lerner Award for best project in the main section:
Tentmaster’s Daughter (UK)
Directed by Isabel Anderton

Lidl Bulgaria Award for best Bulgarian project:
January (Bulgaria)
Directed by Andrey Paunov
Produced by Portokal

Focusfox Studio (Hungary) Award of 10 000 Euro in post production services:
Love Your Neighbor (Israel)
Directed by Sharon Bar Ziv

EastWest Filmdistribution Award:
One And a Half Prince (Romania)
Directed by Ana Lungu
Produced by Mandragora

Young Producer Award of Yapimlab (Turkey):
Dust (Bulgaria)
Directed by Ralitza Petrova
Produced by Aporia Filmworks, Screening Emotions

Mediterranean Film Institute award
PLAGUE (Czech Republic)
directed by Jan Těšitel
produced by Petra Oplatkova (Sirena Film)