21-07-2010

Eastern Plays wins Bulgarian film awards

By Pavlina Jeleva
    The freshly founded Film Academy announced its first annual awards with Eastern Plays (www.easternplays.com) winning film of the year, topping the list of eleven 2009 feature films. The same film was also recognized as best debut with Kamen Kalev declared best director.
    The other nominated features were Ivan Cherkelov's Crayfilsh (www.raci.klasfilm.com) and Georgy Dulgerovs's The Goat (www.kozelat.com).

    The documentary section was composed of 26 titles. Best documentary film went to Iuly Stoyanov and Assen Vladimirov's Meeting with Irecheck. The two other nominated films were Kostadin Bonev's Europolis - the town of the Delta and Stefan Komandrev's The Town of Badante Women.

    Vessela Dantcheva's Anna Blume won for best animated film. The two other nominated films were Andrei Koulev's The line and Andrei Zvetkov's Fellinicitta.

    Best TV film went to Alexander Morfov's serias "Hashove," a film adaptation of his acclaimed theatrical performance with the same name and actors.

    "Best TV documentary" went to Lilia Abadjieva's 45 degrees to Azarian, dedicated to the great theatre director Krikor Azarian, filmed shortly before his death.

    On the acting side Vessela Kazakova was picked for best actress for her Hungarian Prima Primavera (www.primaprimavera.com) and Djoko Rossich won for "best actor in a supporting role" in the same film.

    Valery Iordanov (Crayfish) won "best actor" followed by Slava Doicheva who won best supporting actress for her role in the same film.

    The life achievement award went to the 80-year-old documentary director Iuly Stoyanov.

    The award ceremony took place in the National Palace of Culture and was broadcast by Bulgarian national Television, partner of the event.

    In the presence of the Minister of culture Vejdi Rashidov, awarded filmmakers once again expressed their worry for the immediate future of Bulgarian cinema stating it "possibly would not be able to receive awards any more, because of the danger of disappearance!"