Ralitza Petrova

Interview with Ralitza Petrova

Ralitza Petrova was born on 23 January, 1976 in Bulgaria but has been living and working between Sofia, Paris and London. She graduated visual arts at the University of the Arts, London and then specialzied film directing at the British National Film and Television School. Her films have been highly successful at the festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Karlovy Vary, San Sebastian and others, as well as on a number of visual art platforms such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris. She is holder of the Prix UIP for best European short film at the Berlinale film festival for her film Rotten apple, receiving a nomination for the European Film Awards (EFA) in the same category. Her latest film By the Grace of God was officially selected for the Cannes Film Festival in 2009 and is distributed on DVD by the British Film Institute, Tate Gallery and the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.

In 2013 Ralitza Petrova’s film project Godless was selected for the Creative England’s Elevator Programme 2013, Le Groupe Ouest 2013 and TorinoFilmLab’s FrameWork 2013, where it won a grand prix for production.

At the Sarajevo International film Festival in 2015 Godless received the Restart award for a project in pre-production.

At Locarno International Film Festival 2016 Godless received Golden Leopard Award for Best Film, The Best Actress Award for Irena Ivanova, The Ecumenical Jury Prize and The Boccalino D’oro Independent Critics’ Award for Best Director.

At the Sarajevo International Film Festival 2016 Godless received Special Jury Prize and the Best Actress Award Heart of Sarajevo for Irena Ivanova

FILMOGRAPHY

Rotten apple – short (2005)

  • Prix UIP Award for best European short film, Berlinale, 2015,

  • European Film Awards nomination for best short film.

By the Grace of God (2009)

  • participation in Cannes Film Festival, 2009

Godless (2016)

Locarno International Film Festival, 2016:

  • Golden L eopard Award for Best Film

  • The Best Actress Award for Irena Ivanova

  • The Ecumenical Prize

  • The Boccalino D’oro Independent Critics’ Award for Best Director

Sarajevo International Film Festival, 2016:

  • Special J ury P rize

  • B est A ctress Award “Heart of Sarajevo” for Irena Ivanova

34th Bulgarian Feature Film Festival Golden Rose, 2016

  • Grand Prix Golden Rose for best full-length feature film

  • Award for Best Film Director for Ralitsa Petrova

  • Award for Best C inematography for Krum Rodriguez

  • Award for Best Actress for Irena Ivanova

  • Award for Best Actor for Ivan Nalbantov
    shared with Dimitar Nikolov for his role in the film "Christo"

  • Bronze Horse Award For Best Film and Best Actress Award for Irena Ivanova - 27th international film festival in Stockholm, Sweden.

  • FIPRESCI Award for Best Debut From Eastern Europe - 32th International Warsaw Film Festival

  • Golden Puffin For Best Film - 11th Reykjavík International Film Festival

  • Best Film Director Award - 11 Batumi International Art-house Film Festival in Georgia, 2016

  • New Talent Grand Pix - Cph Pix 2016 In Copenhagen, Denmark

21st Sofia International Film Festival

  • Sofia City of Film Grand Prix Award for best film in the International Competition for first and second films

  • The Award for Best Bulgarian feature film

  • Best Director – 15th International Cyprus Film Days Festival 2017

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