Nadejda Koseva was awarded Best Director for another Bulgarian/German coproduction, The Trap, while A Provincial Hospital by Ilian Metev, Ivan Chertov and Zlatina Teneva, also a joint between Bulgaria and Germany, received the Best Documentary Film Award.

In all, 16 feature films (four of which are minority coproductions), 42 documentaries, 24 short fiction films and eight animated films were submitted.

The festival aims to continue the tradition of the annual awards for film art of the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers, which began in 1975.

The National Film Festival “Vasil Gendov” - Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers Awards is organised by the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers with the support of the Bulgarian National Film Center.

FULL LIST OF AWARDS:

Fiction Films

Best Feature Film:
Blaga’s Lessons (Bulgaria, Germany)
Directed by Stephan Komandarev
Produced by Argo Film
Coproduced by 42film
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Bulgarian National Television, Eurimages, Creative Europe MEDIA Programme, the German Film Fund MDM

Special Jury Award:
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

Best Director:
Nadejda Koseva for The Trap (Bulgaria, Germany)
Produced by Borough film
Coproduced by Coin Film, Right Solutions, Maxim 15, Kinolight, Magic Shop, Dolly Media Studio
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Bulgarian National Television

Best Screenplay:
The jury decided to not give an award in this category.

Best Cinematography:
Krum Rodriguez for Citizen Saint (Georgia, France, Bulgaria)
Directed by Tinatin Kajrishvili
Produced by Artizm
Coproduced by Gemini, Mandra Films, Chouchkov Brothers
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, Eurimages, Creative Europe MEDIA Programme

Best Editing:
Bohos Topakbashian for Dyad (Bulgaria)

Best Debut Film:
Аpostol: A Gentle Knight in Brutalia (Bulgaria)
Directed by Peter Rusev
Produced by Doli Media Studio; Gallant Spirit Productions
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Alexander Trifonov in The Trap (Bulgaria, Germany)

Best Leading Actress:
Eli Skorcheva in Blaga’s Lessons (Bulgaria, Germany)

Best Supporting Actor:
Ivailo Hristov in Memoir of a Betrayal (Bulgaria)
Directed by Georgi Dyulgerov
Produced by the Bulgarian National Television
Coproduced by Borough Film, Doli Media Studio
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Bulgarian National Television

Best Supporting Actress:
Rozalia Abgarian in Blaga’s Lessons (Bulgaria, Germany)

Best Original Music:
Peter Doundakov for Arcadia (Greece, Bulgaria)
Directed by Yorgos Zois
Produced by Foss Productions, Homemade Films
Coproduced by Red Carpet films
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Centеr, Eurimages, the Greek Film Centre, EKOME, Onassis Culture, Flux

Best Sound:
Ivan Andreev, Аlexander Simeonov Burak Ekil, Sonat Hançer for The Reeds (Turkey, Bulgaria)
Directed by Cemil Agacikoglu
Produced by Sezzfilm
Coproduced by Red Carpet
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Turkish Ministry of Culture

Best Production Design:
Ivelina Mineva for The Trap (Bulgaria, Germany)

Best Costume Design:
Ani Vladimirova and Tatyana Alexandrova for Plague (Bulgaria)
Produced by Miramar Film
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Bulgarian National Television

Best Short Film:
The Visit (Bulgaria)
Directed by Veselin Boydev

Documentaries:

Best Documentary:
A Provincial Hospital (Bulgaria, Germany)
Directed by Ilian Metev, Ivan Chertov, Zlatina Teneva
Produced by Agitprop
Coproduced by Shaconna Films, Sutor Kolonko
Supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme, the Bulgarian National Film Centеr

Special Jury Award:
Flying With Fins (Bulgaria)
Directed by Maria Averina
Produced by Agitprop
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Centеr

Best Debut Film:
Silt (Bulgaria)
Directed by Katya Simeonova
Produced by NATFA “Krastio Sarafov”

Best Director:
Dimitar Kotzev - Shosho for Мan Under Surveillance (Bulgaria)
Produced by Kontraplan

Best Screenplay:
Ilian Metev, Zlatina Teneva, Ivan Chertov for A Provincial Hospital (Bulgaria, Germany)

Best Cinematography:
Orlin Ruevski for The Last Seagull (Finland, Norway, Bulgaria)
Directed by Tonislav Hristov
Produced by Making Movies
Coproduced by Soul Food Ltd, UpNorth Film
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Centеr, the Bulgarian National Television

Best Editing:
Nina Altarpamakova for Flying With Fins (Bulgaria)

Best Original Music:
Peter Dundakov for Flying With Fins (Bulgaria)

Best Sound:
Mariana Valkanova, Tsvetelina Tsvetkova, Yri Tsolov for Iron Boys (Bulgaria)
Directed by Stanimir Trifonov
Produced by Doli Media Studio
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Centеr,  the Bulgarian National Television

Animated Films:

Best Animated Film:
А Boat in the Rain (Bulgaria)
Directed by Yoana Atanasova
Produced by Geopoly Film
Supportedby the Bulgarian National Film Center

Special Jury Award:
Connected by Simeon Sokerov (Bulgaria)
Produced by Click Films
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Centеr

Best Screenplay:
Yoana Atanasova for А Boat in the Rain (Bulgaria)

Best Director:
Dimitar Dimitrov for The Artist’s Daughter (Bulgaria)
Produced by Metamorfoza-N
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Centеr

Best Animation:
Yoana Atanasova, Yanko Petrov for А Boat in the Rain (Bulgaria)

Best Art Director:
Penko Gelev for Ballad of Ferris the Self-appointed Knight and Smokie the Fire Breathing Dragon (Bulgaria)
Directed by Penko Gelev
Produced by Four Hands
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Centеr

Best Original Music:
Mihail Yosifov for Nest (Bulgaria)
Directed by Nastimir Tzatchev
Produced by Nagual
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center

Best Sound:
Natalia Gurova for The Artist’s Daughter (Bulgaria)

Best Debut Film:
Chatterbox (Bulgaria)
Directed by Alexa Trayanova, Kalina Dimitrova
Produced by the New Bulgarian University

Film Criticism:

Award for Best Book or Theoretical Text:
Asst. Prof. Dr. Deyan Statulov for (RE)COMMISSIONED FILMS Propaganda Practices in Bulgarian Feature Cinema (1944–1989)

Special Diploma for Best Book or Theoretical Text:
Prof. Alexander Grozev for The Cinema in Bulgaria Vol. 4.

Award for Film Criticism:
Prof. Bojidar Manov

Special Awards:

Lifetime Achievement Award:
Boyan Papazov