The opening film was Levan Koguashvili’s Brighton 4, a coproduction between Georgia’s Kino Iberica, Bulgaria’s Art Fest, Monaco’s KMN, Russia’s Moskvich Films, US Cage Studio and Give Me Liberty, which was screened at the Sofia Summer Fest open-air theatre. Screenings are also taking place indoors, but the premises cannot exceed the limit of 50% of their capacity.

The festival will hand out honourary awards to foreign and Bulgarian film personalities. Romania’s Cristi Puiu will receive the FIPRESCI 96 Platinum Award, Finland’s Mika Kaurismaki will be offered the Sofia Municipality award, while Hungary’s Kornél Mundruczó, Poland’s Lech Kowalski and Bulgaria’s Yanko Terziev will be honoured with Special Jubilee awards by the festival.

Romanian director Radu Ciorniciuc will also receive in person his Best Documentary Award for Acasă, My Home, while Slovak director Martin Šulík will present to the Bulgarian audience his newest feature The Man with Hare Ears, coproduced by Slovakia’s Titanic and Czech Republic’s In Film Praha.