“Tata” Wins the Grand Prize at Sofia Documental 2025; “In Hell with Ivo” Receives a Special Mention
At the official awards ceremony of the sixth edition of Sofia DocuMental, held at the Dom na Kinoto (House of Cinema), the international jury — composed of Marta Golba-Naumann (Poland), Stefan Krumbiegel (Germany), and Katya Trichkova (Bulgaria) — announced the winners in the competition program dedicated to women directors.
The Grand Prize for Best Female Director was awarded to Lina Vdovii for the film “Tata”, co-directed by Radu Ciorniciuc.
According to the jury’s statement:
“With exceptional courage, Lina Vdovii transforms her personal story into an emotional exploration of violence and trauma. Her film opens a space for reflection and understanding of the intergenerational mechanisms of pain, while also carrying the hope that with each new generation, we can learn to break these patterns.”
The award is supported by the Bulgarian Fund for Women and symbolized by a glass hammer statuette created by artist Svetlana Mircheva — a sign of the strength of women’s voices in documentary cinema.
An honorary mention was given to “In Hell with Ivo” by Kristina Nikolova — one of the festival’s most watched and discussed titles.
“We present this special distinction to a director who, in a subtle and insightful way, manages to look beyond the stage persona of a talented, provocative, and often rebellious character, following his personal journey in a society marked by prejudice.”
After the ceremony, audiences watched “Strandzha” by Pepa Hristova — a poetic portrait of life in one of Europe’s last wild border regions. The screening was followed by a discussion with the director and her team.
The festival continues with in-person screenings in Sofia over the next two days and online nationwide until October 19.
On October 5 at 7:30 p.m., Ekzarh Yosif Street in Sofia will transform into an open-air cinema for the first event of the initiative “The Big Cinema Under the Open Sky”, supported by the Oborishte District and the Sofia Municipality.
A special screening of the Greek film “When Tomatoes Met Wagner” will launch a series of “street” movie nights under the slogan “free entry — bring your own chair if you like.”
That evening will also feature the presentation of the Audience Award, supported by Kaufland Bulgaria.
Sofia Documental is organized by the Balkan Documentary Center, is part of the Cultural Calendar of Sofia Municipality, and is held with the support of the National Culture Fund, the National Film Center, and various international cultural institutes and embassies.