Ralitza Petrova won Best director for Lust in the International Competition for First and Second Films.
The festival presented 145 feature films, documentaries, and animated films, as well as 19 short films from 60 countries. Over 500 international guests visited the festival.
The awards ceremony took place at the National Palace of Culture on 22 March 2026, but the festival that started on 12 March will officially wrap on 31 March 2026.
The 23rd edition of Sofia Meetings, the industry segment of the festival, was held from 18 to 22 March 2026.
Sofia IFF is organised by Art Fest under the patronage of the Sofia Municipality, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Bulgarian National Film Center and the Creative Europe MEDIA programme of the European Union, in partnership with cultural institutes, sponsors, organisations and friends. Sofia Meetings is supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center and the Sofia Municipality.
FESTIVAL WINNERS:
International Competition for First and Second Films:
The Sofia City of Film Award:
Broken Voices / Sbormistr (Czech Republic, Slovakia)
Directed by Ondřej Provazník
Produced by endorfilm
Coproduced by Punkchart films, the Czech Television, Innogy, Barrandov Studio
Supported by the Czech Audiovisual Fund, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund
Special Jury Award:
The Condor Daughter (Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay)
Directed by Álvaro Olmos Torrico
Best Director Award:
Ralitza Petrova for Lust (Bulgaria, Denmark, Sweden)
Produced by Aporia Filmworks, Screening Emotions
Coproduced by Snowglobe, Silver Films
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, Eurimages – Council of Europe, the Danish Film Institute, Film i Väst, Doli Media Studio
Special Mention:
Maria Popova for her role in Hold onto Me (Cyprus, Denmark, Greece)
Directed by Myrsini Aristidou
Produced by One Six One Films, Filmblades
Coproduced by Fredo Pictures, Graal S.A
Supported by the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture, ERT (Greek TV Channel), the Danish Film Institute, the Greek Film Center, the Black Family Grant of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Pleasant Bay Pictures, the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab – Emerging Filmmaker Award, Mango Productions
FIPRESCI Award:
Broken Voices / Sbormistr (Czech Republic, Slovakia)
Directed by Ondřej Provazník
Audience Award:
Nina Rosa (Canada, Italy, Bulgaria, Belgium)
Directed by Geneviève Dulude-de Celles
Produced by Colonelle films
Coproduced by Umi Films, Ginger Light, Premier Studio, Echo Bravo
Supported by Telefilm, Canada, SODEC, the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Bulgarian National Film Center, Eurimages, the Harold Greenberg Fund, CALQ, Radio Canada
Young Jury Award:
The Condor Daughter (Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay)
Directed by Álvaro Olmos Torrico
Balkan Film Competition:
Best Balkan Film Award:
Mother / Majka (North Macedonia, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, India)
Directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska
Lensed by Virginie Saint-Martin
Produc ed by Sisters and Brother Mitevski
Coproduced by Entre Chien et Loup, Rainy Days, Frau Film, Raging Film
Supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency, the Swedish Film Institute, the Danish Film Institute, Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles, Film i Väst
Special Mention:
God Will Not Help / Bog neće pomoći (Croatia, Italy, Romania, Greece, France, Slovenia)
Directed by Hana Jušić
Produced by Kinorama
Coproduced by Nightswim, microFILM, Horsefly Films, Maneki Films, Perfo Production, ERT S.A.
Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Eurimages, the Italian Ministry of Culture (MIC), the Romanian Film Centre, the Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece | Co- Production Window, European Union – NextGenerationEU, Aide aux Cinémas du Monde – Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée – Institut Français, the Slovenian Film Centre, Viba Film, ERT S.A., HRT, Re-Act
Award of the Bulgarian Guild of Film Critics:
Made in EU (Bulgaria, Germany, Czech Republic, Turkey)
Directed by Stephan Komandarev
Produced by Argo Film
Coproduced by 42film, Negativ, Ikinciyeni Film, Istos Film
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, MDM – Mitteldeutsche Medienforderung, the Czech Audiovisual Fund, ZDF/Arte, the Bulgarian National Television, TRT Sinema
International Documentary Film Competition:
Best Documentary Film:
Trillion (Norway, USA)
Directed by Victor Kossakovsky
Special Mention:
A Fox under a Pink Moon (Iran, France, Norway, Italy)
Directed by Mehrdad Oskouei, Soraya Akhalaghi
Best Bulgarian Films:
Best Bulgarian Feature Film:
Women Out of Order (Bulgaria)
Directed by Alexander Kossev
Produced by Auris Film, BOF Pictures
Best Bulgarian Short Film:
Balconada (Bulgaria)
Directed by Iva Tomakchieva
International Teen Competition:
Best Teen Film:
The Atlas of the Universe / Atlasul universului (Romania, Bulgaria)
Directed by Paul Negoescu
Produced by deFilm
Coproduced by Screening Emotions
Supported by the Romanian Film Centre (CNC), OFIC, Eurimages, the Bulgarian National Film Center, Magic Lab, Cinema City, Magic Shop, the Romanian Public Television (TVR), UPFAR ARGOA
The Sofia Award of the Sofia Municipality for Outstanding Contribution to the Art of Cinema:
Cinematographer/director Emil Hristov (Bulgaria)
Actor/director Ivaylo Hristov (Bulgaria)
Actor/director Jan Englert (Poland)
The FIPRESCI Platinum Award:
Director/screenwriter Jafar Panahi (Iran)
Special Awards of the Sofia IFF:
Director Arnaud Desplechin (France)
Director György Pálfi (Hungary)
Director David Mackenzie (United Kingdom)
