09/10/2025 - The event, held as part of the Sofia Documental festival, has celebrated projects from across Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Caucasus through its Balkan Watchers and BDC Discoveries programmes

The Balkan Documentary Market wrapped its 2025 edition in Sofia on 4 October, following four days of activities that brought together nearly 70 professionals from the international documentary industry. The event once again took place as part of the Sofia Documental festival (30 September-4 October – see the awards news), building upon the long-standing training initiatives of the Balkan Documentary Center (BDC): BDC Discoveries and the Balkan Watchers programme. This year’s total prize fund reached nearly €100,000, including awards for both film and podcast projects.

For over 15 years, the BDC has been supporting documentary filmmakers, journalists and activists in the region, providing development and networking opportunities through its BDC Discoveries and Docu Rough Cut Boutique workshops. The Balkan Watchers programme, held for the second year in a row, continued to focus on media professionals and audio storytelling, addressing challenges related to censorship and press freedom.

The BDC Discoveries platform concluded its training cycle with a final pitching session that offered regional filmmakers increased visibility, and access to potential partners, distributors and co-producers. It presented two special distinctions: the Award for Best Project Presentation, supported by the State Institute for Culture at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Lightdox Award, which offers a year’s mentoring support for marketing and distribution. The Best Pitch Award (€2,000) went to A Land That Time Forgot by Denis Pavlovic, while the Lightdox Award (€1,000 worth of consultancy and support) was given to Life on Pause by Antoniy Hristov.

The Balkan Watchers initiative once again addressed the urgent need for a safe and supportive environment for journalists, filmmakers and activists across the Balkans and neighbouring regions, many of whom face censorship and other professional challenges. The Balkan Watchers film jury consisted of Margje de Koning (artistic director, Movies That Matter), Ondrej Kamenicky (director of One World Prague) and Venelin Petkov (independent media consultant).

Three projects stood out among the winners. The Ukrainian production From Radvanka, directed by Tomi Hazhlinsky, was praised for its powerful depiction of the Roma community and received one of the €25,000 awards. The jury noted: “A story about discrimination, rejection and lasting stereotypes despite the sacrifices in the ongoing war effort, the project focuses on the realities of Roma soldiers in the Ukrainian army and the life of the Roma community in Ukraine in the context of the ongoing war.”

The Georgian project My Sister and the Eternal Feminine by Rati Tsiteladze “touches upon a universal, worldwide theme, being presented within one family in a hidden, conservative milieu. As the jury, we are convinced that the film will open up conversations and debates, and break down barriers surrounding a taboo subject.”

The third winner, Symbols of War by Nenad Mikalacki, was “recognised for its courage and determination in investigating the dangerous background of recent events in the filmmaker’s own neighbourhood. This is a universal story about the roots of violence and the political mechanisms behind it.”

As part of this year’s edition, the Balkan Watchers programme also featured several podcast projects developed through an open call in partnership with Storytel. In the Balkan Watchers podcast competition, the top prizes (worth €5,000 each) went to How They See Us: Balkan History Through the Eyes of the Other by Orestis Seferoglou and Alex Katsomitros, The House on the Armenian-Georgian Border by Marlena Hovsepyan and Gita Elibekyan, and The Quota by Iulia Hau. The Balkan Watchers podcast jury consisted of Yordan Zhechev (podcast host and producer, Govori Internet), Curtis Galland (production adviser, The Whickers Foundation) and Velislava Popova (editor-in-chief, Dnevnik.bg).

The Balkan Documentary Market is organised by the Balkan Documentary Center as part of the Sofia Documental festival, and is supported by Creative Europe - MEDIA, the National Film Center and Goethe-Institut Bulgaria.

The full list of winners at the 2025 Balkan Documentary Market is as follows:

BDC Discoveries

Best Pitch Award
A Land That Time Forgot - Denis Pavlovic (Germany/Bulgaria)
Producers: Denis Pavlovic, Julia Meyer-Pavlovic (Glass Frog Films)
Co-Producer: Calin Laur

Lightdox Award
Life on Pause - Antoniy Hristov (Bulgaria)
Producer: Svetla Turnin (Documentary Media Foundation)

Balkan Watchers

Film Projects (€25,000 each)

From Radvanka - Tomi Hazhlinsky (Ukraine)
Producers: Valeria Sochyvets, Sabina Asadova (Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema)

Symbols of War - Nenad Mikalacki (Serbia)
Producers: Nead Mikalacki, Jelwna Marjanovic (Druid)

My Sister and the Eternal Feminine - Rati Tsiteladze (Georgia)
Producer: Olga Slusareva (ArtWay Film)

Podcast Projects (€5,000 each)

How They See Us: Balkan History Through the Eyes of the Other - Orestis Seferoglou (Greece)
Producer: Alex Katsomitros (Liquid Media)

The House on the Armenian-Georgian Border - Marlena Hovsepyan, Gita Elibekyan (Armenia/Georgia)
Producer: Gita Elibekyan (Public Radio of Armenia)
Co-producer: Marlena Hovsepyan

The Quota - Iulia Hau (Romania)
Producer: Iulia Hau