Sveti Vlas Film Fest 2025

General Information

• Date: July 2–6, 2025
• Location: Arena Amphitheatre, Sveti Vlas; part of the daytime screenings took place at the Palace Marina Dinevi Hotel
• Organizers: Dinevi Group in partnership with Nu Boyana Film Studios and with the support of the Municipality of Burgas, Municipality of Nesebar, and Sveti Vlas Town Hall
• Jury: Chair — actress Eli Skorcheva; members — directors Lachezar Avramov, Dimitar Kotsev – Shosho, Georgi Kostov, Eleonora Ivanova, and journalist Egor Sharai

Program and Special Events

• Official Opening: July 2, screening of “Without Wings” (dir. Niki Iliev) – a powerful drama about Paralympian Mihail Hristov, with a performance by Naum Shopov, awarded at the See Film Festival Paris–Berlin–Washington 2024
• Additional Events:
  • July 4 — Presentation of the book “Between Two Frames” by Assoc. Prof. Deyan Statulov (51 artists share personal stories)
  • July 5 — Presence of the magazine L’Europeo, represented by editors Lyuben Dilov Jr. and Dimitar Stoyanovich, joined by authors such as Shosho, Avramov, and Statulov
  • Closing gala dinner, black tie dress code, held at Admiral Restaurant, Marina Dinevi
• Competition Program:
  • “The Herd” (dir. Milko Lazarov) — screening on July 4; a story about a small community struggling with natural disasters and prejudice
  • Other films:
    • “Don’t Close Your Eyes” – July 5, daytime screening
    • “Flesh” (dir. Dimitar Stoyanovich) – a hard-hitting dramatic debut, presented on July 5

Awarded Films and Prizes

• Grand Prix: “The Herd” by Milko Lazarov
• Best Film: “Gundi: A Love Legend” — a biographical hit with over 500,000 viewers, ranked among the top 20 Bulgarian box office films
• Debut Award (named after Ivan Garelov): “Flesh” (Dimitar Stoyanovich)
• Awards in Directing and Acting Categories:
  • Director: Niki Iliev (“Without Wings”)
  • Best Actress: Plamena Getova (“Flesh”); Best Actor: Yulian Vergov (“Triumph”)
  • Supporting Roles: Male – Leart Dokle (“Without Wings”); Female – Bilyana Petrinska (“Class 90”)
  • Cinematography: Emil Hristov (“Wedding”)
  • Screenplay: Pavel Vesnakov, Simon Ventsislavov, Teodora Markova, Nevena Kertova, and Georgi Ivanov (“Calm”)
• Ceremony: The closing was spiritually led by Marian Valev, who called for cinema to unite, not divide

Summary

The fourth edition of the Sveti Vlas Film Fest has established itself as a summer cultural highlight on the Black Sea coast, combining cinema, style, and the sea. With a strong focus on Bulgarian cinema, the festival offered a rich selection of current and widely discussed films, starting with the impactful “Without Wings” and concluding with top awards for “The Herd” and “Gundi”.

The program was enriched with literary and cultural highlights, discussions, and prestigious guests, turning the festival into a platform for networking, exchange of ideas, and a fashionable experience under the seaside sky.