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PROGRAMME

2026 Edition

June 17th to 22nd:

Cultural Centre NHK

pl. „Troykata“ 1, Burgas Center

FREE ENTERANCE

for all screenings

Boat

17.09 Thursday

Official Opening and Special Screening
19:30

Official Opening and Special Screening

Official opening of the festival. Special screening of the film "Sylvie Vartan: Out of Love" with a presentation by its author, Georgi Toshev.
Director: Emma Konstantinova
Runtime: 52 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Ceremony, Screening
Section: Special Screening

18.09 Friday

Ferdinand of Bulgaria
16:00

Ferdinand of Bulgaria

Проницателно историческо изследване на противоречивото царуване на княз и цар Фердинанд I, преминало през модернизацията на България и драматичните геополитически обрати на XX век.

(Note: The film will be screened without English subtitles)
Director: Svetoslav Ovcharov
Runtime: 98 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Accompanying Programme: "80 Years Since the End of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom"
Romain Gary. No Better Way to Say It.
18:00

Romain Gary. No Better Way to Say It.

A captivating investigation into the life and literature of Romain Gary—a master of mystification and the only writer to win the prestigious Goncourt Prize twice.
Director: Liliya Vyugina
Runtime: 100 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Main Competition
Sarkozy-Gaddafi: The Scandal of All Scandals
19:45

Sarkozy-Gaddafi: The Scandal of All Scandals

A hard-hitting political investigation exposing the secret ties and illicit campaign financing between Muammar Gaddafi’s regime and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Director: Yannick Kergoat
Runtime: 104 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Main Competition

19.09 Saturday

11:00

Lecture: “Introduction to (Film) Documentary”

Speakers:
Lachezar Avramov – director, Dimitar Stoyanovich - screenwriter/director. BOOK SEAT IN ADVANCE.
Venue: Regional Library "Peyo Yavorov" - Burgas
Event Type: Lecture
15:00

Short Film Programme (Part 1)

Selection of 5 short films, 70 min. total.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Short Film Programme

Short Film Programme

Martian Memories
Martian Memories
Statues Also Die?
Statues Also Die?
Adas Falasteen (Palestine Lentils)
Adas Falasteen (Palestine Lentils)
Stone Memory
Stone Memory
Brutalism
Brutalism
The Boy Who Was a King
16:15

The Boy Who Was a King

The extraordinary journey of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha—from child-monarch through half a century in exile to his historic democratic election as Prime Minister.
Director: Andrey Paunov
Runtime: 90 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Accompanying Programme: "80 Years Since the End of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom"
Stalin’s Cola
18:00

Stalin’s Cola

The fascinating story of a secret Soviet soft drink commissioned by Stalin to challenge the global icon Coca-Cola during the Cold War.
Director: Stefan Tolz
Runtime: 92 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Main Competition
The Cruel Way
19:45

The Cruel Way

The uncensored truth behind the dramatic and heroic 1984 Bulgarian expedition to Mount Everest, revealed four decades later.
Director: Deyan Bararev
Runtime: 108 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Main Competition

20.09 Sunday

15:00

Short Film Programme (Part 2)

Selection of 4 short films, 70 min. in total.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Short Film Programme

Short Film Programme

The Angoulême Roundup (Testimonies and Interviews)
The Angoulême Roundup (Testimonies and Interviews)
Florida’s Forgotten Fort
Florida’s Forgotten Fort
I Do Not Forget
I Do Not Forget
TGX
TGX
The Citizen Tsar
16:30

The Citizen Tsar

A deep political and psychological portrait of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha navigating his role as Prime Minister within a parliamentary republic.

(Note: The film will be screened without English subtitles)
Director: Lyuboslav Atanasov
Runtime: 56 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Accompanying Programme: "80 Years Since the End of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom"
Caravaggio
18:00

Caravaggio

A passionate and visually stunning exploration of the turbulent life and revolutionary art of Baroque genius Caravaggio.
Director: David Bickerstaff, Phil Grabsky
Runtime: 100 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Main Competition
Zelensky
19:45

Zelensky

The compelling chronicle of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s transformation from television comedian to global wartime leader.
Director: Yves Jeuland, Lisa Vapné
Runtime: 133 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Main Competition

21.09 Monday

The Return of the King
16:30

The Return of the King

Traversing Sofia, Vienna, and Coburg, the film follows the thrilling saga surrounding the return of Tsar Ferdinand I's mortal remains to Bulgaria.
Director: Lachezar Avramov
Runtime: 47 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Accompanying Programme: "80 Years Since the End of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom"
Hitler’s Big Fear: The Trial Against Degenerate Art
18:00

Hitler’s Big Fear: The Trial Against Degenerate Art

An unmasking of the Nazi regime’s totalitarian war against modern art and its persecution of the avant-garde.
Director: Simona Risi
Runtime: 100 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Main Competition
The Eichmann Trial
19:45

The Eichmann Trial

The dramatic chronicle of the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem, which unveiled the full truth of the Holocaust to the world.
Director: Elliot Levitt
Runtime: 103 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Main Competition

22.09 Tuesday

One Covenant
16:30

One Covenant

Bulgarian documentary dedicated to the death and funeral of Boris III in 1943. The film showcases unique archival footage of the funeral procession and the nation's tribute to the monarch.

(Note: The film will be screened without English subtitles)
Director: Konstantin Chakarov
Runtime: 45 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Accompanying Programme: "80 Years Since the End of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom"
Mystery of the Starry Squadron
18:00

Mystery of the Starry Squadron

Uncovering forgotten air missions and mysteries from the history of military aviation and its heroic pilots.
Director: Jan Borowiec
Runtime: 75 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Main Competition
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
19:30

Mr. Nobody Against Putin

The inspiring and perilous story of an ordinary citizen standing up against Kremlin authoritarianism.
Director: David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin
Runtime: 90 min.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Screening
Section: Main Competition
21:00

Official Festival Closing

Official festival closing, announcing the awards and after party.
Venue: NHK - Burgas
Event Type: Ceremony
Anchor