One of the most anticipated film festivals – Sveti Vlas Film Fest, launched its fourth edition from July 2 to 5, 2025, and the resort town of Sveti Vlas once again presented the very best of Bulgarian cinema. The program featured a wide array of stories, ranging from the thirst for life and human resilience in the face of destiny, to self-discovery and ultimate triumph.
“Gundi: Legend of Love” won the award for best film of the year. The biographical hit, which drew over 500,000 viewers and ranked among the Top 20 Bulgarian films at the box office, earned one of the festival’s most prestigious honors. The Grand Prix was awarded to the film “Tarika”, directed by Milko Lazarov. Meanwhile, the movie “Without Wings” brought Niki Iliev the award for best director.
The jury presented the award for best actor to Yuliyan Vergov for his role in “Triumph”, while the best actress accolade went to Plamena Getova for her performance in “Flesh”. In the best screenplay category, the award was given to Pavel Vesnakov, Simon Ventsislavov, Teodora Markova, Nevena Kertova, and Georgi Ivanov for the film “Windless”. The award for best cinematography went to Emil Hristov for the movie “The Wedding”.
The statuette for best supporting actress went to Bilyana Petrinska for the film “Class of ’90”, and the best supporting actor award was given to Leart Dokle for “Without Wings”. A debut award in the name of Ivan Garelov was also presented at the ceremony, going to Dimitar Stoyanovich for his dramatic breakthrough “Flesh”.
The fourth edition of Sveti Vlas Film Fest was organized by Dinevi Group with the support of the National Film Center, Burgas Municipality, Nesebar Municipality, and the Sveti Vlas Town Hall. The jury was chaired by actress Eli Skorcheva, with members including directors Lachezar Avramov, Dimitar Kotsev-Shosho, Georgi Kostov, Eleonora Ivanova, and journalist Egor Sharay.
02 July 2025
20:00
OPENING CEREMONY OF SVETI VLAS FILM FEST 2025
Evening COMPETITION PROGRAM
Wingless
Bulgaria| 2024 | 107 min
Director: Niki Iliev
Screenwriter: Niki Iliev
Cinematographer: Simeon Kermekchiev
Starring: Naum Shopov, Leart Dokle, Ivan Ivanov, Stefani Obadyaru, Paraskeva Djukelova, Bashar Rahal
A story about Mihail Hristov – a Paralympic world champion in long jump, who, after losing both arms in an electric accident, decides to pursue sports professionally. The film follows his psychological and physical struggle, difficulties in personal relationships, and his journey to become a champion, prosthetics inventor, and motivational speaker.
03 July 2025
DAILY INDOOR COMPETITION PROGRAM
TRIUMPH
Bulgaria, Greece | 2024 | 97 min
Director: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov
Screenwriter: Kristina Grozeva, Decho Taralezhkov, Petar Valchanov
Cinematographer: Krum Rodriguez
Starring: Maria Bakalova, Margita Gosheva, Julian Vergov, Julian Kostov, Stanislav Ganchev, Ivan Savov
After the fall of communism in the early 1990s, a secret task force of high-ranking Bulgarian Army officers, led by a clairvoyant, begins digging in search of a mysterious artifact that will bring about ultimate triumph.
Bring Me Home
Bulgaria | 2024 | 83 min
Director: Martin Genovski
Screenwriter: Mihail Vesim
Cinematographer: Tsvetan Nedkov
Starring: Alex Marinov, Asen Blatechki, Koyna Ruseva, Kitodar Todorov, Albena Koleva, Petar Kalchev
In an orphanage, TV star Zlaty initiates “Take Me Home”—inviting young Yan to spend Christmas at his own home. For a day, the boy experiences fame firsthand and learns about television, show business, advertising, and the hollow glitter of success.
Evening COMPETITION PROGRAM
WINDLESS
Bulgaria | 2024 | 93 min
Director: Pavel G. Vesnakov
Screenwriter: Pavel G. Vesnakov, Simeon Ventsislavov, Teodora Markova, Nevena Kertova, Georgi Ivanov
Cinematographer: Orlin Ruevski
Starring: Ognyan Pavlov-Fyre, Veselin Petrov, Mihail Mutafov, Nadya Derderian, Lidia Valkova, Konstantin Trendafilov, Vasil Binev
Kaloyan returns home to finalize the sale of his late father’s apartment. What begins as a routine task becomes a journey of self-discovery, exploring the connections between childhood traumas, memory, and the passage of time.
04 July 2025
DAILY INDOOR COMPETITION PROGRAM
Wedlock
Bulgaria | 2024 | 117 min
Director: Magdalena Ralcheva
Screenwriter: Yuri Dachev (based on Nikolay Haitov’s short story)
Cinematographer: Emil Christov
Starring: Radoslav Vladimirov, Ralitsa Stoyanova, Velislav Pavlov, Vasil Banov, Svetlana Yancheva, Mihail Mutafov, Gergana Dandanova
At the turn of the 19th to 20th century in the Rhodope Mountains, a tale of forbidden love unfolds between Haté and Meto. Their youthful passion grows into an overwhelming love that changes their lives—and the life of the third person caught between them. Their bond is defined by desire, sin, and duty in a harsh world.
Class 90
Bulgaria| 2024 | 105 min
Director: Boyko Boyanov
Screenwriter: Boyko Boyanov, Stanislav Todorov-Rogi
Cinematographer: Martin Balkanski
Music: Rumen Boyadzhiev
Starring: Julian Vergov, Paraskeva Djukelova, Stefka Yanorova, Lyubomir Neykov, Robert Yanakiev, Nadia Konakchieva, Stefan Denolyubov, Bilyana Petrinska, Georgi Zlatarev, Katrin Yene, Lyudmila Miteva, Elena Atanasova, etc
Graduates from 1990 reunite for their 30th class reunion. What starts as a celebration becomes traumatic as old and new pains resurface. Their varied destinies, unmet dreams, and current goals reflect the turbulent and uncertain aftermath of the Berlin Wall’s fall.
Evening COMPETITION PROGRAM
Tarika
Bulgaria, Germany, Luxembourg | 2024 | 83 min
Director: Milko Lazarov
Screenwriter: Milko Lazarov, Ekaterina Churilova, Simeon Ventsislavov
Cinematographer: Kaloyan Bozhilov
Starring: Vesela Vylcheva, Zahari Baharov, Ivan Savov, Ivan Barnev, Christos Stergioglou
Ali and his daughter Tarika live peacefully but isolated in a Bulgarian village. Tarika develops butterfly wings—a bone disease inherited from her mother—which sparks village superstition. As intolerance grows, Ali stops at nothing to protect her.
05 July 2025
DAILY INDOOR COMPETITION PROGRAM
Don't Close Your Eyes
Bulgaria | 2024 | 108 min
Director: Nikolay Egyerman
Screenwriter: Martin Ralchevski
Cinematographer: Ivo Peychev
Starring: Maria Kavardjikova, Pavel Poppandov, Alexander Kanev, Krascho Lafazanov, Nikolay Urumov, Vladi Vargala, Yani Marinov, Iren Krivoshieva, Irena Milyankova, Marin Yanev, Dobrin Dosev, Georgi Karkelanov
The film interweaves the lives of Petar (in the 1980s) and Pavel (in contemporary times). Petar loses his sister in an accident and is expelled from home, while Pavel’s sister battles cancer. Their stories intersect through divine providence, bringing mutual healing.
Flesh
Bulgaria | 2025 | 91 min
Director: Dimitar Stoyanovich
Screenwriter: Dimitar Stoyanovich
Cinematographer: Rali Ralchev
Starring: Plamena Getova, Vesela Babinova, Julian Vergov, Rushen Vidinliev, Hirofumi Ajichi
Nadezhda Stoyanova (60–65), a renowned university translator from Japanese, learns she has a tumor. Together with her 30-year-old daughter, Evgenia—TV host of a top channel—they believe everything will remain normal. Nadya begins translating the supposedly untranslatable Japanese novel “Flesh” by Nobel laureate Yukio Kobayashi. But nothing will be the same—the flesh, the unavoidable human flesh, will have the final word.
20:00
SVETI VLAS FILM FEST 2025 AWARDS AND CLOSING CEREMONY
Evening COMPETITION PROGRAM
GUNDI: LEGEND OF LOVE
Bulgaria | 2024 | 165 min
Director: Dimitar Dimitrov
Screenwriter: Emil Bonev
Cinematographer: Boris Slavkov
Starring: Pavel Ivanov, Alexandra Svilenova, Paraskeva Djukelova, Stoyan Radev “Zoro”, Alexandra Kostova, Emil Markov, Bilyana Petrinska, Nikolay Urumov, Sotir Melev, Daniel Varbanov, Hristo Padev, Vladislav Karamfilov, etc.
A full-length biopic of legendary footballer Georgi “Gundi” Asparuhov. It chronicles his life—from meeting his wife Velichka “Lita” Markova to his tragic death on June 30, 1971—highlighting previously untold stories of love, football, and resilience, featuring legendary match sequences enhanced by extensive special effects.