Iglika Triffonova

Video interview with Iglika Triffonova

Iglika Triffonova was born on 17 February, 1957 in Sofia. In 1982 she graduated Film and TV Directing at the Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts and started her career as director of documentaries. In this period she directed the films In the year of our Lord (1990) - first prize at the Prix Futura Festival in Berlin, Possible distances (1992) - award at the International Documentary Film Festival in Moldova, Tales of murder (1994) - Golden Rose Grand Prix at the Bulgarian Feature Film Festival (1994)- this film also took part in the festivals in Mannheim, Germany, Marseilles, Saint Petersburg, where it was included in the panorama of the top 10 documentaries of the year, Portrait of an actress (1994), On the road (1995). At the same time Iglika Triffonova worked as assistant to Georgi Dyulgerov and Rangel Vulchanov.

In 2001 she made her feature debut as director and screenwriter of the film Letter to America. The film received the Special Prize at the Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival after the jury decided not to bestow a grand prix. The three central roles are played by the then young actors Philip Avramov, Petar Antonov and Ana Papadopulu. The music was composed expressly for the movie by Milcho Leviev. Letter to America is the Bulgarian nomination for best foreign language film at the 73rd Academy Awards.

In 2003 she staged, at the Theatre of Satire, the play Fans written by Elin Rahnev especially for her husband, actor Hristo Gurbov and for Valentin Tanev

Her second feature film Investigation, was awarded the special jury prize at the Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival in Varna, 2006, the critics’ prize, the best actor award to Krassimir Dokov, the cinematography award to Rali Ralchev and ten more awards in this country and abroad. Her latest film is The prosecutor, the defender, the father and his son.

On 20 May 2016 she was awarded The Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius for her contribution in the field of culture and art

FILMOGRAPHY

Feature films:

Letter to America (2001)

  • FIPRESCI prize, Molodist International Film Festival, Kiev, Ukraine - 2000

  • Don Quixote prize of the International Federation of Film Societies (FICC), Kiev - 2001

  • Grand Prix for best film, Golden Chest International TV Festival, Plovdiv - 2001

  • Special prize of the jury, International Istanbul Film Festival - 2002

  • Mata d'Or Grand Prix , Noordelijk International Film Festival, the Netherlands - 2003

Investigation (2006)

Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival, Varna - 2006:

  • Special jury prize

  • Critics’ prize

  • Best cinematography award - Rali Ralchev

  • Best actor award - Krassimir Dokov

Annual Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers awards - 2007:

  • Best film editing – Yordanka Bachvarova

  • Best costumes award – Elena Stoyanova

  • Best cinematography award - Rali Ralchev

  • Best supporting actor - Kliment Denchev

  • Best actress award - Svetlana Yancheva

11th Sofia International Film Fest – 2007:

  • Kodak award for best Bulgarian film

  • No Man’s Land Award for best Balkan film

5th Sofia Film Fest at the Coast – 2007:

  • Silver Seagull Jury Prize (shared with another three Bulgarian films screened at the festival – Monkeys in winter, Custodian of the dead and Upside down Christmas tree)

Sofia Municipality Award 2007 for excellence in filmmaking

“Еurope is here” festival of European cinema, Pazardjik -2007:

  • Best actor award

  • Best actress award

  • Best director award

  • Best film award

Cottbus Film Festival - competition programme

  • Grand Prix for best film

Bucharest International Film Festival – Black sea films section - 2008

  • Best director award

Warsaw International film Festival – Film Summer - 2008

  • Grand Prix for best screenplay

The prosecutor, the defender, the father and his son (2016)

  • Award of the Bulgarian Film Academy 2016 for best director of a feature film

  • Award of the Bulgarian Film Academy 2016 for cinematography to Rally Raltchev

  • Award of the Bulgarian Film Academy 2016 for film editing to Toma Vasharov

  • Jury Special Mention at Golden Apricot Nternational Film Festival – Yerevan, 2016

  • Grand Prix f or t he Feature Film at The II International Motivational Film Festival Bridge of Arts in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, 2016

„Lift for Patients“ (2017)

21st Sofia International Film Festival

  • Lidl Audience Award for Best Bulgarian Film

Documentaries:

In the year of our Lord 1990 (1990)

  • First prize Prix Futura Festival in Berlin - 1990

Possible distances (1992)

  • A ward at the International Documentary Film Festival in Moldova

Tales of murder (1993)

  • Grand Prix at the Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival, Varna -1994

Participation in the festivals in Mannheim, Germany, Marseilles, Saint Petersburg

Portrait of an actress (1994)

On the road (1995)