As announced earlier, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the festival will take place in two steps: the first one running both physically and online 11-31 March 2021 and a second one, which will be announced in September 2021 and will hopefully include numerous international guests. Theatres are currently open at 30% of their capacity.
A total of 70 titles will be available online and 129 titles will be screened in theatres in the cities of Sofia, Burgas, Plovdiv and Varna.
The international jury will be headed by Bulgarian-born Canadian animated film director Theo Ushev, feature film directors Svetla Tsotsorkova from Bulgaria, Ilya Khrzhanovsky from Russia and Szabolcs Hajdu from Hungary, and actress Nataša Petrović from North Macedonia.
Romania’s Cristi Puiu and UK Terry Gilliam will receive the FIPRESCI 96 Platinum Award. The Sofia Award will be given to Bulgarian composer and kaval player Theodosii Spassov.
International Competition:
Bedridden (Mongolia)
Directed by Byamba Sakhya
The Black Cat (Iran)
Directed by Karim Mohammad Amini
The Cemil Show (Turkey)
Directed by Baras Sarhan
German Lessons (Bulgaria, Germany)
Directed by Pavel G. Vesnakov
Produced by Moviemento, Heimathafen Film & Media
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center
Luzzu (Malta)
Directed by Alex Camilleri
Produced by Noruz Films, Luzzu Ltd, Pellikola, Maborosi Films
Supported by the Malta Film Fund and the financial incentives provided by the Malta Film Commission and the Government of Malta
Petya of My Petya (Bulgaria)
Directed by Alexander Kossev
Produced by BOF Pictures
Coproduced by Concept Studio
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center
The Pink Cloud (Brazil)
Directed by Iuli Gerbase
Ravine (Hungary)
Directed by Balázs Krasznahorkai
Produced by Pipacs Films
Coproduced by AGA Media
Supported by the National Film Institute - Hungary
Savage Days (France)
Directed by David Lanzmann
Spagat (Switzerland)
Directed by Christian Johannes Koch
The Shift (Latvia)
Directed by Reinis Kalviņš
Produced by Mistrus Media
Coproduced by Picture House
Supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation
Wuhai (China)
Directed by Zhou Ziyang
