04 July 2026
DAILY INDOOR COMPETITION PROGRAM
Brunch for Beginners
Bulgaria | 2026 | 93 min
Directed by Yana Titova
Writers: Yana Titova, Victoria Radoslavova
Cinematography by Martin Balkanski
Cast: Valentina Karoleva, Orlin Pavlov, Alexandra Sarchadzhieva, Stiliyan Stoyanov, Aya Alexieva
There’s no more important meal of the day than brunch. Especially for Krum and Zhana, the inventors of the health-focused smartwatch ZHANI. Facing imminent bankruptcy, the two organize an extravagant brunch in a last-ditch effort to convince their only interested investor to fund their venture. But everything starts to unravel when their plans collide with the eccentric Rosena, her family, and their even more eccentric beliefs. A series of absurd situations and culinary disasters unfolds, blending genuine laughter with bittersweet moments. In the end, one question remains: Is the pursuit of the perfect image really worth it, or is the recipe for true happiness found somewhere else?
Before I Forget
Bulgaria | 2024 | 93 min
Directed by Stanislav Donchev
Writets: Stanislav Donchev, Teodora Stoilova
Cinematography by Dobromir Nikolov
Cast: Alexandra Dimitrova, Ivan Savov, Vasil Kanev, Nikola Mutafov, Raya Peeva, Maria Statulova
Stoyan, an elderly man living with advancing dementia, is taken on a journey organized by his daughter, Iliana, who hopes to reunite him with his sister and other relatives while giving his grandson, Vesko, lasting memories of his grandfather. Iliana cherishes what may be the final days with the father she once knew, aware that soon he may no longer recognize anyone.
Five Years of Sveti Vlas Film Festival
20:30
Sveti Vlas Film Festival 2026 Opening Ceremony
Evening COMPETITION PROGRAM
MADE IN EU
Bulgaria – Germany – Czech Republic | 2025 | 118 min
Director: Stefan Komandarev
Screenplay by Simeon Ventsislavov, Stefan Komandarev
Cinematography by Veselin Hristov
Cast: Gergana Pletnyova, Todor Kotsev, Gerasim Georgiev, Anastasia Ingilizova, Ivaylo Hristov, Ivan Barnev
Iva works in a garment factory in a small town in rural Bulgaria while struggling with a mysterious illness. When she is identified as the town’s first COVID-19 case, the news sparks an endless chain of accusations—first from the factory owners, eager to shift the blame, then from her co-workers, her son, and eventually the entire community, despite the fact that Iva has not left the town for years. As the virus claims its first victims, the public campaign against her intensifies, and she is quickly ostracized by everyone around her.
Director Stefan Komandarev returns with a powerful reflection on aggressive capitalism—another gripping, timely, and unflinching portrait of the exploited, made in the E.U.
03 July 2026
DAILY INDOOR COMPETITION PROGRAM
Zvezda
Bulgaria | 2025 | 81 min
Directed by Kamen Stoyanov
Writer: Kamen Stoyanov
Cinematography by Rosen Daskalov
Cast: Elena Zamyarkova, Irmena Chichikova, Mariana Krumova, Zhana Yakovleva, Vasil Duev-Taig, Ivo Dimchev
After graduating in London, artist Zvezda returns to Bulgaria to help care for her mother. She manages to organize her first solo exhibition at a prestigious gallery in Sofia, but the long-awaited opening is canceled due to the COVID lockdown. Determined not to let the exhibition disappear, Zvezda isolates herself inside the gallery among her paintings, turning herself into a living sculpture to be viewed through the windows and online in a radical act of exhibitionism—putting her mother’s health at risk. Yet the recognition she gains during a time of cultural silence comes at the cost of her humanity and personal values.
LUST
Bulgaria – Denmark – Sweden | 2026 | 77 min
Directed by Ralitza Petrova
Writer: Ralitza Petrova
Cinematography by Julian Atanassov
Cast: Snezhanka Mihaylova, Nikola Mutafov, Mihail Milchev, Alexis Atmadzhov
Lilian, a criminal psychologist working in a prison where control is a matter of survival, lives with clinical precision. Her body, emotions, and desires are kept under strict surveillance, while her defenses are directed at everyone—especially herself. The death of her estranged father arrives not as a personal tragedy, but as an administrative matter. Called back to her hometown to arrange the funeral of a man she barely knew, she finds herself confronted with unresolved debts, institutional inertia, and a body trapped in bureaucratic limbo. Her encounter with a rigger—a master of shibari, the Japanese art of rope bondage—takes her to the edge between control and surrender, where trust is built one knot at a time. Will she find her way back to her own body?
SVETI VLAS FILM FEST 2023 GALA DINNER
DRESS CODE: BLACK TIE
Evening COMPETITION PROGRAM
Fallaway
Bulgaria | 2026 | 25 min
Directed by Martina Troanska
Writer: Iveta Stavreva
Cinematography by Tihomir Rachev
Cast: Emily Vlaykova, Stelian Radev, Darin Angelov, Deyan Vlaykov
Fallaway follows the story of Angelika, an 18-year-old competitive ballroom dancer who falls in love with Damyan, a musician struggling with drug addiction. As their relationship deepens, she is gradually drawn into the world of addiction herself.
A single wrong choice turns her life and career upside down—a powerful reminder of how easily a young person’s future can be derailed.
The film stars Emily Vlaykova and Deyan Vlaykov, multiple-time Bulgarian champions in competitive ballroom dancing, and is produced by Albion Films.
Evening COMPETITION PROGRAM
Wild Strawberries
Bulgaria | 2025 | 102 min
Directed by Tatyana Pandurska
Writers: Decho Taralezhkov, Tatyana Pandurska
Cinematography by Stefan Vrachev
Cast: Vanina Kondova, Ivan Yurukov, Stella Gancheva, Neno Koynarski, Nikola Dodov
Overworked New York architect Daphne Bello travels to the Rhodope Mountains to inherit the abandoned house of her grandmother, whom she never knew and who recently passed away at the age of 102. As she searches for the truth about her late Bulgarian father, Daphne crosses paths with her eccentric local cousin, Orlin, who tries to persuade her to get rid of the seemingly worthless property while concealing the unique mineral spring flowing beneath it. As she uncovers the dramatic history of her father’s family—still vividly remembered by the village elders—Daphne finds the long-awaited opportunity to rediscover herself.
04 July 2026
DAILY INDOOR COMPETITION PROGRAM
TALE OF A MOTHER AND SON
Bulgaria | 2025 | 80 min
Directed by Dimitar Sardzhev
Writer: Dimitar Sardzhev
Cinematography by Kiril Prodanov, Delyan Georgiev
Cast: Gergana Kofardzhieva, Delyan Iliev, Nedyalko Delchev, Vyara Tabakova, Grigor Antonov
Gergana and Nasko are like the ballerina and the tin soldier from Andersen’s fairy tale, drawn to each other by their similarity — both stand on one leg. Gergana believes her dead son is still alive; Nasko is hiding from the criminals to whom he owes money. Circumstance brings them closer, until fantasy becomes truth for them both.
3.0 KILOGRAMS OF HAPPINESS
Bulgaria – Azerbaijan | 2026 | 98 min
Directed by Zornitsa Sophia
Writers: Viktoryia Penkova, Zornitsa Sophia, Petar Delchev
Cinematography by Martin Chichov
Cast: Stefka Yanorova, Daria Simeonova, Vladimir Zombori, Gerasim Georgiev-Gero
Anastasia persuades Chavdar to help their daughter, Betty, who has suffered her third miscarriage. He agrees to pay for a fourth IVF procedure, but Anastasia decides to carry the embryo herself, despite her husband’s objections and in defiance of both their religious beliefs and the law. Her decision opens a Pandora’s box. Betty, the biological mother, becomes consumed by jealousy as she pursues a promotion at her advertising agency. Meanwhile, the future father, Nikolay, gradually grows closer to his pregnant mother-in-law while caring for her at Betty’s insistence. As the surrogate mother, Anastasia begins to flourish—whether because of the hormones or the attention of the young artistic man remains unclear. Whose child is this, and how many mothers can one child have? Those are the easy questions in a story where love, ethics, and the law collide to create a Molotov cocktail. Is there any moral compass in this new landscape?
20:30
SVFF 2026 Awards & Closing Ceremony
Evening COMPETITION PROGRAM
Birthday
Bulgaria | 2025 | 105 min
Directed by Ivaylo Penchev
Writers: Ivaylo Penchev, Bozhan Petrov
Cinematography by Georgi Chelebiev
Cast: Vasil Banov, Meglena Karalambova, Stefan Denolyubov, Kitodar Todorov, Filip Avramov
Grandma Genoveva has been bedridden for years, with no close family and only one wish—to die. On the very day of her birthday, seventy-year-old Vasil, a veteran prison inmate, is released after decades behind bars. His first act of freedom is to commit a burglary, hoping to be sent back to the only place he has ever considered home: prison. While searching Genoveva’s apartment for valuables, the two meet under unexpected circumstances, leading to an unusual agreement: Vasil will end her life, and in return she will leave him everything she owns. But as fate intervenes, a series of unforeseen events keeps delaying the fulfillment of their pact.
VIP cocktail by the sea
“Sea Deeper“ #withGalaxyS23 Ultra
On July 8 at 7:30 p.m. we will be waiting for you at a special VIP cocktail by the seashore – “Sea Deeper” #withGalaxyS23 Ultra at Marina Dinevi Yacht Port, where you will have the opportunity to dive deep into the world of photography and capture the moment with the latest 200MP camera.
Immerse yourself in the beauty of the deep blue sea through the SAMSUNG Summer Photo Corner while capturing epic shots like never before, even at night or in low light.
Share your aquatic adventures with the world and let your creativity flow with every click.
Join us for an unforgettable sea experience.