21-03-2022

FNE at Sofia FF 2022: Prize Winners: Sonata Takes Top Prize

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    Sonata by Bartosz Blaschke Sonata by Bartosz Blaschke

    SOFIA: The 26th Sofia International Film Festival gave its top prize for best first and second feature films to the Polish film Sonata directed by Bartosz Blaschke, which also was awarded the coveted Audience Prize

    The festival presented a total of 165 films from 56 countries in the first full on site festival after two years of COVID cancellations and programme alterations. The festival also welcomed over 70 international guests from 19 countries at the event which took place from 10-19 March in Sofia continuing until 31 March with screenings at other towns in Bulgaria.

    A total of 75 of the films will be available online in Bulgaria until 30 April at online.siff.bg. The annual Sofia Meetings industry part of the event has been postponed until later in the year as part of the ongoing COVID recovery plan.

    In a moving gesture to the ongoing war in Ukraine the Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov was included as a member of the main competition jury in absentia. His latest film Rhino originally participated in the Sofia Meetings at the development stage.

    The Awards Ceremony took place at Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture on 19 March 2022 with every award announcement being accompanied by the music from “Give Peace A Chance” by the Beatles. 

    Prizes:

    International Competition Best First and Second Films

    City of Sofia Award for Best Film:
    Sonata (Poland)
    Directed by Bartosz Blaschke
    Produced by Mediabrigade
    Supported by Polish Film Institute

    Special Jury Award:

    Humble (Bulgaria, Romania)
    Directed by Svetoslav Draganov
    Produced by Cineaste Maudit Production
    Coproduced by Contrast Films, Parada Film, Digital Cube and Romanian National Television

    Best Director:
    Andrey M Paounov for January (Bulgaria, Portugal, Luxembourg)
    Produced by Portokal
    Coproduced by Terratreme Filmes, Tarantula
    Supported by Bulgarian National Film Center, Creative Europe MEDIA Programme

    Special Mention:
    The Absent Director (Iran)
    Directed by Arvand Dashtaray

    Best Bulgarian Short Film:
    Game (Bulgaria)
    Directed by Orlin Menkadzhiev

    Best Balkan Film:
    Murina (Croatia, Brazil, USА, Slovenia)
    Directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
    Produced by Antitalent (Croatia), RT Features (Brazil)
    Coproduced by Spiritus Movens (Croatia), Sikelia Prods (USA), SPOK Films (Slovenia), Staragara (Slovenia)
    Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Slovenian Film CentreViba Film, Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) and RTV Slovenia.

    Special Mention:
    Blue Moon / Crai Nou (Romania)
    Directed by Alina Grigore
    Produced by InLight Center, Atelier de Film, Forest Film, Unfortunate Thespians, Smart Sound Studios, Avanpost

    Best Documentary:
    Zo Reken (Canada)
    Directed by Emanuel Lich

    Special Mention:
    Our Quiet Place (France, Bulgaria) (Documentary)
    Directed by Elitza Gueorguieva

    Beset Bulgarian Feature Film:
    In The Heart of the Machine (Bulgaria)
    Directed by director Martin Makariev
    Produced by Forward Pictures Entertainment
    Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center

    FIPRESCI Critics Award:
    The Windseeker (Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia)
    Directed by director Mihai Sofronea
    Produced by Libra Film Productions
    Coproduced by Chouchkov Brothers, Living Pictures (Serbia), Romanian Film Centre
    Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, Film Center Serbia, Creative Europe MEDIA Programme

    Bulgarian Guild of Film Critics Award:
    Best Film in the Balkan Competition:
    Fishbone (Bulgaria, Romania)
    Directed by Dragomir Sholev
    Produced by Klas Film 
    Coproduced by the Bulgarian National TelevisionHi Film Productions, the Romanian Television.

    Audience Award:
    Best Film in the International Competition for First and Second Films and Balkan competition Sonata (Poland)
    Directed by Bartosz Blaschke

    Young Jury Award:
    Best Film in the International Competition:
    A Love Song (USA)
    Directed by Max Walker-Silverman

    Sofia Award of the Sofia Municipality for contribution to the art of film was presented to:
    Angel Wagenstein, Screenwriter and writer (Bulgaria)
    Iglika Trifonova, Director (Bulgaria)