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 [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Kristina Grozeva e Petar V…
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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 [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Pavel G Vesnakov
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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 [+leggi anche:
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Special Jury Award
The Trap [+leggi anche:
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The City of Varna Award
Windless [+leggi anche:
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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 [+leggi anche:
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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