The Sofia International Film Festival, Bulgaria’s biggest film gathering, will sweep Sofia for its 29th edition this year, beginning on 13 March. After the opening ceremony, audiences will have a chance to see Svetoslav Ovcharov’s period drama The Bet led by local stars Assen Blatechki and Zahari Baharov, as well as Romanian actress Ofelia Popii (the film is a Bulgarian-Romanian co-production). This year’s festival places a special emphasis on Bulgarian cinema, as the programme will showcase a record number of Bulgarian fiction, documentary, and short films, as well as international co-productions involving Bulgaria – over 60 in total. The festival runs between 13-31 March, with the award ceremony being held on the 26th.

For the 23rd time, an international jury will determine the Grand Prize in the competition for a debut or second narrative film, "Sofia - City of Film", sponsored by the Sofia Municipality. The jury is chaired by French director Patricia Mazuy, accompanied by actress Jaana Saarinen (Finland) and directors Pia Marais (South Africa), Veit Helmer (Germany), and Andrey M. Paunov (Bulgaria). 12 films, all first or second features, will be competing for the festival's top award. Bulgarian titles include Pavel G. Vesnakov's Windless [+lire aussi :
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interview : Pavel G. Vesnakov
fiche film] (Bulgaria/Italy), Magdelena Ilieva’s Eternity Package (Bulgaria/Italy), and Dimitar Stoyanovich’s Flesh (Bulgaria). They are joined by Koya Kamura's Winter in Sokcho [+lire aussi :
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interview : Koya Kamura
fiche film] (France/South Korea), Sanja Zivkovic's Cat’s Cry [+lire aussi :
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interview : Zhanna Ozirna
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fiche film] (Belgium), Zvonimir Munivrana’s Hallway to Nowhere [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] (Croatia), Kerry Ann Enright’s Nobody Wants to Shoot a Woman (USA), Mara Tamkovich’s Under the Grey Sky [+lire aussi :
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interview : Mara Tamkovich
fiche film] (Poland), Eric Nazarian’s Die Like a Man (USA), and Maria Trenor’s Rock Bottom [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] (Spain/Poland).

For the first time, the festival partners with the British Council to present a special selection of films and discussions focused on countering disinformation and promoting social cohesion in Central and Eastern Europe. In addition to films, the “The Engine of Truth” programme includes a masterclass with Mohammad Rasoulof and discussions with the producer of the 2024 whistleblower documentary Antidote, Vivien Jones, and The Editorial Office director Roman Bondarchuk. 

The Sofia International Film Festival will give out its usual awards for outstanding contribution to the art of cinema. In 2025, there will be multiple recipients of the Sofia Award from the Sofia Municipality (Bulgarian actor Iossif Surchadjiev and Croatian director Rajko Grlić), the special award of the Sofia International Film Festival (directors Kosta Bikov, Bohdan Sláma, and Szabolcs Hajdu). The festival’s special FIPRESCI Platinum Award will also have two recipients: Maestro Prof. Georgi Dyulgerov—one of the most emblematic creators of Bulgarian cinema—and Oscar-nominated Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof.