One of the most popular contemporary Bulgarian directors – Stefan Komandarev, turns 60 today, September 28. The anniversary comes at a strong period in his career, in which his cinema continues to travel to international festivals and raise painful questions for contemporary society.
Komandarev was born on September 28, 1966 in Sofia. A curious fact from his biography is that his path to cinema did not begin immediately behind the camera. In 1993, he graduated from medicine, and a few years later he directed his professional life towards directing. In 1999, he graduated from the New Bulgarian University with a degree in film and television directing.
This unusual transition from medicine to cinema seems to have left its mark on his entire work. At the center of Komandarev's films is usually the person - his fears, choices and his clash with the social environment. The director consistently directs the camera to topics such as poverty, migration, loneliness, moral compromises and injustice.
The big international breakthrough came with “The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Everywhere“ from 2008. The film, based on the novel by Iliya Troyanov, reached the short list of nine titles in the race for the “Oscar“ for a foreign language film and won more than 20 international awards. The film also became one of the most widely distributed Bulgarian productions abroad.
On the occasion of the anniversary year 2026, this film once again received special attention. At the “Golden Rose“ festival in Varna in September, its screening was organized, with the National Film Center specially marking the director's 60th anniversary.
Following were “The Court“, “Directions“ and “In the Circle“, with which Komandarev confirmed his interest in the social problems of Bulgaria. “Directions“ reaches the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, and the stories of taxi drivers and their passengers become a kind of portrait of a society going through a moral and social crisis.
A new major international success comes with „The Lessons of Blaga“. In 2023, the film won the grand prize „Crystal Globe“ at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The film was also selected as the Bulgarian entry for the „Oscar“ award for international film.
On the eve of his 60th anniversary, Komandarev is once again in the focus of European cinema thanks to „Made in EU“. The film tells the story of Iva – a garment factory worker who, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, turns out to be the first officially registered infected person in a small town and is gradually turned into a scapegoat.
The world premiere of “Made in EU“ was at the Venice Film Festival, and the film subsequently won the grand prize for best feature film at the “Golden Rose“ festival. Gergana Pletnyova received the award for best actress, and the production was also awarded by the youth jury.
The successes continued in 2026. At the 30th anniversary edition of the Sofia Film Fest “Made in EU“ received the award of the Guild of Bulgarian Film Critics in the Balkan competition. The film continued its international festival journey, including participation in Venice, Hamburg, Thessaloniki, Gothenburg, Sarajevo and other forums.
In the summer of 2026, “Made in EU“ also received the grand prize at the “St. Vlas Film Fest“ festival, and from September 5, the film is also available on HBO Max in Bulgaria and a number of European countries. According to the distributor, the production has so far accumulated 21 festival awards around the world.
In addition to being a director and screenwriter, Stefan Komandarev has been a lecturer at the Film Faculty of the New Bulgarian University since 2008. He is a member of the European Film Academy, as well as the professional organizations of Bulgarian directors and producers.
At 60 years old, Komandarev has a filmography behind him that is already an important part of the history of contemporary Bulgarian cinema. From “The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Everywhere“ through “Directions“ and “The Lessons of Blaga“ to “Made in EU“ the director remains consistent in one of his main themes – the man, faced with a system, circumstances and moral choices that often seem stronger than him.
And perhaps that is precisely why Stefan Komandarev's films manage to transcend national borders – because behind the specific Bulgarian stories lie problems that audiences recognize everywhere in the world.