After a hybrid edition that was continuously under threat of being moved exclusively online, the 25^th Sofia International Film Festival (11-21 March) managed to reach its scheduled conclusion still screening films in cinemas at 30% capacity. But, because the Bulgarian authorities closed all cinemas around the country yesterday, the Plovdiv, Burgas and Varna editions of the festival have had to be cancelled. Nevertheless, the Sofia IFF is still screening films online until 11 April.

On Saturday, the festival managed to organise an awards gala in the imposing National Palace of Culture, where the Brazilian feature The Pink Cloud by Iuli Gerbase was crowned the winner of this edition’s top award, the Sofia City of Film Grand Prix.

The jury, led by Bulgarian-Canadian director Theodore Ushev (whose debut feature, Phi 1.618 [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], was presented in the Sofia Meetings Works in Progress programme – see the news) and consisting of Bulgarian helmer Svetla Tsotsorkova (winner of the 2020 Grand Prix with her second feature, Sister [+lire aussi :
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interview : Svetla Tsotsorkova
fiche film]), Russian filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky, Hungarian director Szabolcs Hajdu and Macedonian actress Nataša Petrović, handed the Special Jury Award to the debut feature German Lessons [+lire aussi :
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interview : Pavel G. Vesnakov
fiche film] (Bulgaria/Germany) by Pavel G Vesnakov, who also nabbed the FIPRESCI Award.

Starting on Monday, the festival continues online, with 73 films available through the festival’s streaming partners until 11 April. In September, there will be another edition of the Sofia IFF, with the organisers hoping that the autumn edition will be much more welcoming for foreign guests willing to introduce their work to an eager Bulgarian audience.

Here is the complete list of the award winners at the 25^th Sofia International Film Festival:

Sofia City of Film Grand Prix
The Pink Cloud – Iuli Gerbase (Brazil)

Special Jury Award
German Lessons [+lire aussi :
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interview : Pavel G. Vesnakov
fiche film] - Pavel G Vesnakov (Bulgaria/Germany)

Best Director
Zhou Ziyang - Wuhai (China)
Special Mention
Christian Johannes Koch - Spagat [+lire aussi :
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interview : Christian Johannes Koch
fiche film] (Switzerland)

Best Documentary
Acasă, My Home [+lire aussi :
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interview : Radu Ciorniciuc
fiche film] - Radu Ciorniciuc (Romania/Germany)
Special Mentions
Anny [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Helena Trestikova (Czech Republic)
Gunda [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Viktor Kossakovsky (Norway/USA)

Best Balkan Film
Quo Vadis, Aida? [+lire aussi :
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interview : Jasmila Žbanić
fiche film] - Jasmila Žbanić (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Austria/Romania/France/Netherlands/Germany/Poland/Norway/Turkey)
Special Mention
Oasis [+lire aussi :
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interview : Ivan Ikic
fiche film] - Ivan Ikic (Serbia/Slovenia/Netherlands/France/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Best Bulgarian Feature
February [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Kamen Kalev (Bulgaria/France)

FIPRESCI Award
German Lessons - Pavel G Vesnakov

Award of the Bulgarian Film Critics' Guild
Uppercase Print [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Radu Jude (Romania)

Young Jury Award for a Film in the International Competition
Luzzu [+lire aussi :
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interview : Alex Camilleri
fiche film] - Alex Camilleri (Malta)

Best Bulgarian Short
Santiago - Andrey Koulev (Bulgaria)
Special Mention
Tanda - Teodora-Kosara Popova (Bulgaria)