27/09/2024 - The directorial duo have triumphed at the gathering for the second time, after picking up the same award with The Father in 2019

Director Petar Valchanov (centre) after receiving the Golden Rose Trophy for Triumph from the Bulgarian National Film Center's executive director, Peter Todorov (© Angel Zhechev)

The 42nd Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival (19-26 September) concluded with a stylish awards ceremony on Thursday evening at Varna’s Festival and Congress Center. The feature-film jury, consisting of writer and playwright Zachari Karabashliev (chair), actress-director Yana Titova, director Stephan Komandarev, Romanian producer Ada Solomon and Greek Film Centre executive director Athena Kartalou-Aduku, crowned Triumph [+see also:
film review
interview: Kristina Grozeva and Petar …
film profile] by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov as Best Film for “the reminder that even the most absurd human endeavours can lead us to universal truths, and that sometimes the path to the meaning of the universe is through the simple awareness of our own naivety”. This is the directorial duo’s second win, after they picked up the same award with The Father [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: GoCritic! Interview: Kristi…
interview: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Val…
film profile] in 2019.

In fact, four further awards went to Triumph: for Best Screenplay because of the “audacity, humour and humanity with which the documentary subject is elevated to an artistic narrative”; for Best Actress, handed to both Margita Gosheva and Maria Bakalova for “the integral roles they have built masterfully, tempting us to follow them into the dark and mysterious hole dug in the early days of the Bulgarian political transition”; and the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers’ and Audience Awards.

The two other films, both sophomore features, that reaped a number of trophies were Pavel Vesnakov’s Windless [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pavel G Vesnakov
film profile], which took home the gong for Best Directing (owing to the “author’s decision to convert the banal into the artistically significant, worthy of the big screen”), the City of Varna and the Youth Jury’s Awards; and Nadejda Koseva’s The Trap [+see also:
film review
film profile], which nabbed the Special Jury Prize, the Best Cinematography Award for Kiril Prodanov’s “brilliant and unobtrusive work that turns the river, the island and nature into fully fledged characters” and the Best Actor Award for Alexander Trifonov’s performance (“conveying the simple and powerful message that man is the measure of all things”).

Yana Lekarska’s Because I Love Bad Weather was named Best First Feature for “the courage of the director to look for answers to the problems of the present in the long-closed pages of childhood”. Additionally, the jury for short films and TV series, including Film Center Serbia executive director Ivan Karl (chair), Cineuropa’s very own film critic Savina Petkova and last year’s Golden Rose winner in the Short Film Competition, Stefan Ganov, handed the Best Short Film Award to Kristina Spasovska’s Reptiles for its “emotional and artistic bravery, elegant vision and deep sensitivity” and the Best TV Series Award to Ilian Djevelekov’s Anxiety for the “effort to normalise conversations on insurmountable, taboo subjects”.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Golden Rose Trophy for Best Feature Film
Triumph [+see also:
film review
interview: Kristina Grozeva and Petar …
film profile] – Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva (Bulgaria/Greece)

Special Jury Award
The Trap [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Nadejda Koseva (Bulgaria/Germany)

The City of Varna Award
Windless [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pavel G Vesnakov
film profile] – Pavel Vesnakov (Bulgaria/Italy)

Best Director
Pavel Vesnakov – Windless

Best Screenplay
Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva, Decho Taralezhkov – Triumph

Best Cinematographer
Kiril Prodanov – The Trap

Best Actress
Margita Gosheva, Maria Bakalova – Triumph

Best Actor
Alexander Trifonov – The Trap

Best First Feature
Because I Love Bad Weather – Yana Lekarska (Bulgaria)

Best Music
Peter Dundakov – Arcadia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Yorgos Zois
film profile]

Special Mention for Art Director
Ivelina Mineva – Triumph, The Trap, Wedlock

Best TV Series
Anxiety - Ilian Djevelekov (Bulgaria)

Best Short Film
Reptiles – Kristina Spasovska (Bulgaria)
Special Mentions for Short Film
Two by Two – Andrey Paounov (Bulgaria/Germany)
Nicole – Elena Toncheva (Bulgaria)

Filmautor Award
Nicole – Elena Toncheva

Youth Jury Award
Windless – Pavel Vesnakov

Bulgarian Film Critics’ Guild Award for Best Feature Film
Wedlock – Magdalena Ralcheva (Bulgaria)

Bulgarian Film Critics’ Guild Award for Best Short Film
The Visit – Veselin Boydev (Bulgaria)

Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers’ Award
Triumph – Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva

Audience Award
Triumph – Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva