The 2026 National Festival of Bulgarian Cinema, which presented the Vasil Gendov Awards, concluded its ceremonies at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre on Sunday. The festival featured 112 submissions across various categories, including 18 feature films, 54 documentaries, 24 short features, and 16 animated films. The Best Feature Film Award was presented to The Herd.
In addition, Lust received the jury’s Special Award for a feature film. Zahari Baharov was honored with the Best Actor Award, and Gergana Pletnyova secured the Best Actress Award. The short feature category saw Eraserhead in a Knitted Shopping Bag win Best Short Film, while Chapter 6 received the jury’s Special Diploma.
For documentaries, In Hell with Ivowas won Best Documentary, and Welcome to Sinagovci was recognized with the jury’s Special Award. The Sofia Municipality Award for the film with the most significant social message went to Tonislav Hristov for Truth or Dare. Nevena Semova earned the Best Documentary Debut Award for Jar of Time.
The animated segments recognized emerging talent, with Under and Over the Bed receiving the Best Animated Debut Award for Sofia Sokerova and Sonya Ranova. Ivan Veselinov received the jury’s Special Award for Kumir (Idol). The event marked a historic moment for the Bulgarian film industry, as the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to two individuals: composer Kiril Donchev and screenwriter Hristo Iliev-Charli, acknowledging their substantial contributions to Bulgarian cinema.
The awards honor the legacy of Vasil Gendov, who was involved in Bulgaria’s first feature film in 1915.
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