site.bta15th Sofia Pride Film Fest to Take Place June 2-12

The 15th Sofia Pride Film Fest will take place in Sofia June 2-12, bringing together audiences, filmmakers and activists for Bulgaria's only international LGBTI film festival, said the organizers of Deystvie. Held at the Dom na Kinoto [Cinema House] and the French Institute in Bulgaria, this year’s edition carries the slogan "You Are the Hero" and features eight feature films and eleven short films exploring identity, love, family, freedom and belonging.

The festival will open on June 2 with the French film The Little Sister, a drama centred on family relationships, identity and acceptance. Organizers said the 2026 programme focuses on films that challenge audiences with questions about stigma, violence, belonging and self-discovery, including The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, Maspalomas, and Love Letters, which addresses gender-based violence and abuse in same-sex relationships. A special evening dedicated to feminism on June 5 will include free screenings and discussions aimed at encouraging public debate on topics organizers say remain underrepresented in Bulgaria.

Short film programmes will feature works from around the world alongside Bulgarian productions such as Found at Sea by director Dimana Markovska and They by Kosta Karakashyan. The audiences will once again vote for their favourite films, with both feature-length and short productions competing for audience awards. According to the organizers, the festival aims not only to showcase cinema but also to create "a space for sharing, understanding and resistance against stigma".

Sofia Pride Film Fest is organized with financial support from National Culture Fund, Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Fund for Women and the EU.