Balgarianovinite.com Uncle Monya and Don’t Forget to Smile won the top awards in the Documentary and Fiction categories, respectively, of the Fiction, Documentary and Animation competition at the 15th Harlequin International Youth Media Festival. The awards were presented at the festival’s closing ceremony on July 2 at Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia.
The Grand Prizes were presented by Yariv Lerner, Executive Director of Nu Boyana Film Studios.
In the Documentary category, the Best Director award went to the film about the Anchialo saltworks, which also received the Best Editing award. Best Screenplay was awarded to Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi, Best Cinematography to A Russian Woman in Belgrade, and Best Sound to For Freedom – The Life of a Bulgarian.
In the Fiction category, the prize was awarded to Don’t Forget to Smile.
Cavatina received the Best Director award, while Eva won Best Screenplay and was also honoured with the Best Actor award. Don’t Forget to Smile received the Best Actress award, Once Upon a Time in Slovakia won Best Cinematography, Strike received Best Sound, and The Diary was recognized for Best Editing.
The category awards were presented by playwright, director, lecturer at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) and member of the international jury Yuriy Dachev.
The competition films were evaluated online by an international jury chaired by Stanislav Semerdzhiev, former Rector of the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts and Executive Director of the International Association of Film and Television Schools (CILECT). According to the festival organizers, he has worked as a producer and script consultant on more than 100 films in over 20 countries.
The jury also included Bulgarian-American producer Irena Alexandrova, and Serbian-American actress Natasha Pavlovich.
Among the official guests at the ceremony were Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev, Rayna Mandzhukova, Chair of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, Yariv Lerner, Executive Director of Nu Boyana Film Studios, members of the international jury, festival participants and guests from Bulgaria and abroad.
The 15th Harlequin International Youth Media Festival was hosted by Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia from June 30 to July 2. The festival’s media partners were the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), and Bulgarian National Television (BNT). Uncle Monya and Don’t Forget to Smile Win Top Awards at 15th Harlequin International Youth Media Festival 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-02 19:20:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law