The 2026 National Festival of Bulgarian Cinema concluded with the presentation of the Vasil Gendov Awards at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. The event featured a wide scope of submissions, with 112 films competing across categories, including 18 feature films, 54 documentaries, 24 short features, and 16 animated works. The awards ceremony marked a historic occasion for the festival, as the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to two distinguished figures: composer Kiril Donchev and screenwriter Hristo Iliev-Charli, acknowledging their significant contributions to Bulgarian cinema.
The festival paid tribute to Vasil Gendov, who was involved in the first feature film released in Bulgaria in 1915. In the main feature film category, The Herd received the Best Feature Film Award, while Lust was honored with the jury’s Special Award. Zahari Baharov won the Best Actor Award, and Gergana Pletnyova claimed the Best Actress Award.
The recognition extended across specialized genres. For short features, Eraserhead in a Knitted Shopping Bag won Best Short Film. The documentary segment saw In Hell with Ivowas take home the Best Documentary award, and the Sofia Municipality Award for social messaging went to Tonislav Hristov for Truth or Dare.
Furthermore, the
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