site.btaAcclaimed Films Feature on Programme of Sofia Film Fest in Varna

Recipients of prestigious awards and promising debuts can be seen at the 16th edition of Sofia Film Fest in Varna from March 21 to 29, say the organizers of Artin Vision.

The festival will open with the historical film "The Pledge" directed by Svetoslav Ovcharov, about a political conspiracy with the potential to change the fate of the country on the eve and the first years after the Liberation. The cast includes Zahari Baharov, Assen Blatechki, Deyan Donkov and Romanian actress Ofelia Popii.

The Latvian animation "Flow" directed by Gints Zilbalodis, which received an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Cesar awards and recognition from other prestigious world festivals, will also come to Varna.

Among the most controversial films at Sofia Film Fest in Varna is a production of the Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov "The Shameless". It was selected in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ competition programme at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, where the actress in the lead role, Anasuya Sengupta, won the award for best actress. The film follows the plight of two women in India who rebel against age-old traditions and prejudices in search of their freedom. 

Also dedicated to the struggle for freedom in an authoritarian society is the Oscar-nominated production "The Seeds of the Sacred Fig" by Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, whose films have always had wide international acclaim. Audiences will also be able to watch Uberto Pasolini's new take on the Odysseus legend, “The Return”, starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche.

Other highlights include Pia Marais' “Transamazonia”, about adulthood and unconditional love between parents and children, and “Koln 75”, about the story of Keith Jarrett's legendary 1975 solo concert.

The Sofia Film Fest will close in Varna on March 29 with Gia Coppola's “The Last Showgirl” starring Pamela Anderson. The film was awarded a special jury prize at the San Sebastian festival, with two Palme d'Or nominations and several more for Best Film Song for Miley Cyrus.