The 28th Sofia International Film Festival presented 170 films from 53 countries and welcomed over 300 international guests. The awards ceremony took place at the National Palace of Culture on 23 March 2024, but the festival that started on 13 March will officially wrap across Bulgaria on 31 March 2024.

The industry segment of the festival, Sofia Meetings was held 20 – 24 March 2024. Its 21st edition showcased first, second or third feature film projects, TV series in development as well as Works in Progress.

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 Creative Europe MEDIA, the Bulgarian National Film Center and the Sofia Municipality.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

Festival Winners:

International Competition for First and Second Films :

The Sofia City of Film Award:
Sujo (Mexico, France, USA)
Directеd by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez

The Special Jury Award:
The Capture / Captura (Romania, Bulgaria)
Directed by Adrian Voicu
Produced by Axel Film
Coproduced by Contrast Films
Supported by the Romanian Film Centre (CNC), the Bulgarian National Film Center (BNFC)

Best Director Award:
Shuchi Talati for Girls Will Be Girls (India, France, USA, Norway)

Special Mention:
Beyond the Fog (Japan)
Directed by Daichi Murase

FIPRESCI Award:
All about the Levkoviches / Lefkovicsék gyászolnak (Hungary)
Directed by Ádám Breier
Produced by ULab
Coproduced by Proton Cinema
Supported by the National Film Institute – Hungary

Audience Award:
Because I Love Bad Weather (Bulgaria)
Directed by Yana Lekarska
Produced by Invictus Ltd
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center 

Young Jury Award:
Jupiter (Germany)
Directed by Benjamin Pfohl

Balkan Film Competition:

Best Balkan Film Award:
Medium (Greece, Bulgaria)
Directed by Christina Ioakeimidi
Produced by Eksa Productions
Coproduced by Red Carpet

Special Mention:
M (North Macedonia, Croatia, Kosovo, France and Luxembourg)
Directed by Vardan Tozija, Darijan Pejovski
Produced by Focus Pocus
Coproduced by 4 Film, In My Country, Les Contes Modernes, Wady Media
Supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), the Kosovo Cinematography Center, SACEM, TV Telma

Award of the Bulgarian Guild of Film Critics:
Blaga's Lessons / Urotcite na Blaga (Bulgaria, Germany)
Directed by Stephan Komandarev 
Produced by Argo film
Coproduced by 42film
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center

International Documentary Film Competition:

Best Documentary Film:
Soundtrack to a Coup d'État (Belgium, France, the Netherlands)
Directed by Johan Grimonprez

Special Mentions:

Four Daughters (France, Tunisia, Germany, Saudi Arabia)
Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania

1489 (Armenia)
Directed by Shoghakat Vardanyan

Best Bulgarian Film:

Best Bulgarian Feature Film:
Blaga's Lessons / Urotcite na Blaga (Bulgaria, Germany)
Directed by Stephan Komandarev

Best Bulgarian Short Film:
Chocolate (Bulgaria)
Directed by Orlin Milchev

Best Teen Film:
Dyad (Bulgaria)
Directed by Yana Titova
Produced by Portokal
Coproduced by No Blink, Sonus, Right Solutions
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, Creative Europe MEDIA Programme, the National Culture Fund Bulgaria

Sofia Meetings Awards:

Cinelabs Romania Award:
Barefoot Bull (Bulgaria)
Directed by Petar Krumov
Produced by Klas Film

UNIQA Award:
Death Is for the Living (Bulgaria)
Directed by Kristiyan Bozov
Produced by Abraxas Film

Chaos VFX Award:
Sydney Smile Future Prefect (Greece)
Directed by Gregoris Rentis
Produced by BYRD

Go – Residences Award (in partnership with Nova Gorica / Gorizia– European Capital of Culture 2025):
In the Meantime (Serbia)
Directed by Gordan Matic
Produced by Re-Kreativno dud

Young Producer Award – Yapimlab:
Lady Sunshine (Hungary)
Directed by Anna Korom
Produced by Kinomoto Kft

Producers Network (Cannes Market) Award:
Ballerina Shoes (Slovakia)
Directed by Teodor Kuhn
Produced by nutprodukcia s.r.o.

EWA BG Award:
The Miracle Number Three (Poland)
Directed by Grzegorz Jaroszuk
Produced by ORKA

‘Story Tricks’ Story Bundle Award:
Heartbeat (Germany, Azerbaijan, Canada)
Directed by Sergej Waldrat
Produced by Doghouse filmproductions

Elbur Film Award:
Report on the Miracles of the Earth (Portugal, Bulgaria, Angola)
Directed by Carlos Conceição
Produced by Terratreme, Alaz Film, Mirabilis