Five years Sveti Vlas Film Fest
The glamorous event that pays tribute to the richness and diversity of Bulgarian cinema. Here, under the starry sky of Sveti Vlas, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the unique world of Bulgarian films, meet your favorite actors and experience unforgettable moments. Come and enjoy this cinematic journey!
The passion for the seventh art
For the fifth year in a row, Dinevi Group organizes an event with a varied program of screenings and events to satisfy the tastes of all cinema enthusiasts. Gathering filmmakers, critics, and fans in the atmosphere of a shared passion for the seventh art, Sveti Vlas Film Fest not only promotes the work of established professionals but also serves as a platform for emerging talents.
Made In Eu
Bulgaria-Germany-Czech Republic | 2025 | 118 min | Director: Stefan Komandarev
Fallaway
Bulgaria | 2026 | 25 min | Director: Martina Troanska
Wild Strawberries
Bulgaria | 2025 | 102 min | Director: Tatyana Pandurska
BIRTHDAY
Bulgaria | 2025 | 105 min | Director: Ivaylo Penchev
We are delighted to present the SVFF program of films, premieres and events. Choose your titles, we are waiting for you!
Expect the program and the titles that will participate in the upcoming edition of Sveti Vlas Film Fest 2027
Jury
This year again, the jury of the Sveti Vlas Film Fest features a team of eminent cinema experts, including award-winning directors, famous actors, and influential figures in the film industry.
Milko Lazarov
Milko Lazarov graduated in Film and Television Directing from the class of Prof. Vladislav Ikonomov at the “Krastyo Sarafov” National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFIZ), where he also taught “Experimental Cinema and Staging.” He has directed the national television campaigns The Great Bulgarians, The Big Read, and Events of the 20th Century.
His debut feature film, Alienation (2013), was selected for the official “Venice Days” (Giornate degli Autori) section at the Venice Film Festival, where it received the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean (FEDEORA) Award for Best Director of a Debut Film and a Special Diploma from Europa Cinemas.
The world premiere of his second film, Ága (2018), closed the official competition program of the Berlinale. The film went on to win over 40 prestigious accolades, including the “Heart of Sarajevo”, the “Golden Rose” for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography, the Critics’ Award, and many others.
He served as President of the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers from 2019 to 2025. His third film, The Herd, won five “Vasil Gendov” awards at the 2026 UBFM Festival (Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Editing, and Best Original Score).
Pavel Vesnakov
Pavel Vesnakov graduated in Film Directing from the New Bulgarian University. His first short film, Trains (2011), won an award at the Sofia International Film Festival, which he used to finance his next short, The Paraffin Prince, recipient of the Golden Rose Award at the Bulgarian National Film Festival in Varna in 2012.
Pride (2013) won over 30 accolades, including the Grand Prix at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. Since 2015, he has directed the television series Stolen Life, The Devil’s Throat, and Father’s Day, as well as the BNT documentary series Open Files.
In 2021, he made his feature debut with German Lessons (Special Jury Award at the Sofia Film Festival, Best Director and Best Actor at the Golden Rose Festival in Varna, and Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor at the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers’ “Vasil Gendov” Awards in 2022). His second feature film, Windless, premiered in 2024 and won the Golden Rose for Best Director, the City of Varna Award, the Youth Jury Award, as well as Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay at the “Vasil Gendov” Awards.
Radina Kardzhilova
Radina Hristova Kardzhilova is a Bulgarian actress. She graduated in Drama Acting from the “Krastyo Sarafov” National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFIZ) in the class of Prof. Plamen Markov and Ivaylo Hristov.
She began her career performing at the Modern Theatre in productions of The Pillowman and The Lonesome West. She is currently part of the ensemble at the “Ivan Vazov” National Theatre. She won an Icarus Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Ekaterina in The Delhi Dance, and an Askeer Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in The Lover.
Her television credits include the popular series Glass Home, They, the Waves, and Alley of Glory. She has also starred in numerous feature films, including TILT, The Petrov File, 12A, Speculators, Anna, and Scenes from the Life of an Actress, among others.
Dimitar Stoyanovich
Dimitar Stoyanovich is a film and television screenwriter. He graduated from the German High School in Sofia and holds a degree in History from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.” He is the Editor-in-Chief of L’Europeo magazine and the host of Kultura.bg culture show on the Bulgarian National Television (BNT).
He wrote the screenplays for the feature films A Picture with Yuki and Yellow Oleander, both directed by Lachezar Avramov. Flesh marks his directorial debut; the film received the Audience Award at the Sofia International Film Festival in 2025.
He was also the screenwriter and host of BNT’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to History (2000–2002) and served as the head writer for the major television campaigns The Great Bulgarians, The Big Read, and Bulgarian Events of the 20th Century. He has authored numerous documentaries, as well as the feature films The Chaser and On the Border (which won the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers’ Award for Best Screenplay in 2015).
Vladimir Todorov
Vladimir Todorov is a film director, artist, illustrator, and animator with over 25 years of experience in the film industry. He has worked for nearly all major film studios—including Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Universal, Paramount, Fox, and Disney—on blockbuster films such as Harry Potter, Stuart Little, The Polar Express, Beowulf, Alice in Wonderland, and many others.
Vladimir began his career in 1988 as an animator at the Boyana Animated Film Studio. In 1990, he moved to London and joined Steven Spielberg’s animation studio, Amblimation (Universal Pictures). There, he worked as an assistant animator on the animated feature films An American Tail: Fievel Goes West and We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story, and later as an animator on Balto.
In 1995, he joined Uli Meyer Studios, working as an animator on numerous commercials as well as the feature films Space Jam and Lost in Space. In 1998, he moved to Los Angeles to join Sony Pictures. He worked as an animator on Stuart Little, and subsequently as a character designer and storyboard artist on Stuart Little 2. Following that, he joined the crew of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, where he once again focused on character design and storyboarding. He was also part of the team behind Sony Pictures’ very first animated short film, The ChubbChubbs!, which went on to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2002.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
The audience of Sveti Vlas Film Fest will once again enjoy a selection of films carefully curated by a team of professionals with high standards for the art of cinema, led by Associate Professor Dr. Deyan Statulov.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deyan Statulov
Dr. Deyan Statulov is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Art Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). His academic interests focus on the history of Bulgarian cinema, censorship, and propaganda during the socialist period. He has worked as a screenwriter and editor for television programs and formats, editor-in-chief of the festival newspapers for the Sofia International Film Festival and the Golden Rose Festival, and served as the Program Director of the “House of Cinema” in Sofia (2013–2015). He teaches film history at the Lyuben Groys Theatre College in Sofia. In 2022, he received the “Vasil Gendov” award for critical writing from the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers (UBFM). He is also the recipient of the 2022 Institute of Art Studies award for outstanding scientific achievement for his book ”(Im)possible Freedom: Ideological Censorship in Bulgarian Feature Film (1948–1989).” In 2024, he was again awarded the “Vasil Gendov” prize by UBFM for his book ”(Re)commended Films.”
Egor Sharay
Egor Sharay is a Dubai-based journalist and cultural analyst with over 16 years of experience across the UAE’s creative industries. He held editorial leadership at titles like Concierge Magazine, Aviamost, and Rush, and is among the first Russian-speaking editors in Dubai’s media landscape. Currently editor of Buro 247 Dubai, he was awarded the UAE Cultural Golden Visa in 2021 for his contribution to the arts. He has interviewed prominent Emirati figures and is the author of Dubai – The Art of Wealth (2025), exploring the intersections of art, technology, and cultural identity.
Toni Dobrinska
Toni Dobrinska holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and has over 20 years of experience in the film industry. For more than a decade, she has managed her own company focused on the distribution of Bulgarian and international films, as well as on cultural project development. She has collaborated with leading cinemas, institutions, and alternative film networks, and plays a key role in the festival’s selection committee. Dobrinska is a strong advocate for independent cinema and cultural engagement in Bulgaria.
on actual events
We present to you our extensive program of accompanying events to complement the exciting atmosphere of the Sveti Vlas Film Fest.
AH, this Vlas!
Saint Vlas is the pearl of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, where nature meets history in an unforgettable experience. With its gorgeous beaches, crystal clear waters and captivating sea views, it offers the perfect scene for your next vacation.
See how from its humble beginnings, Sveti Vlas Film Fest has grown into an event that is eagerly awaited by audiences and critics alike, and today is a true celebration of the best of Bulgarian cinema.
Immerse yourself in the magic of the event through the lens of our photographers and enjoy the visual narrative of the Sveti Vlas Film Fest.