„"Nina Rosa" - the Bulgarian film with the Silver Bear Award for Best Screenplay at the Berlinale“

The movie „Nina Rosa“, implemented with Bulgarian participation, was awarded with „Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. The awards were presented during an official ceremony on Saturday evening.

The decisions were announced by the international jury of „"Berlinale"“, headed by the German director Wim Wenders. The award was accepted by the film's director and screenwriter - the Canadian Genevieve Douloud de Sel. The production is an international co-production between Canada, Italy, Bulgaria and Belgium, with Bulgarian participation being carried out through the co-producer. Lyubomira Piperova (Ginger Light). The cast includes: Galin Stoev, Michel Tsonchev, Sofia Stanina, Ekaterina Stanina, Svetlana Yancheva and others.

The story in "Nina Rosa" intertwines past and present through the fate of a family torn between Bulgaria and Canada. According to the specialized publication "Screen Daily", the film is a poetic reflection on themes such as art, exile, parenthood and inheritance.

The festival's grand prize – „Golden Bear for Best Film – went to the political drama „"Yellow Letters"“ of the German director Ilker Catak. The film is a co-production of Germany, France and Turkey and tells the story of a Turkish playwright and his actress wife, who are denied the right to work because of their political beliefs. The main roles are Ozgu Namal and Tansu Beecher.

During the ceremony, the producer Ingo Fliess sent a strong message against rising authoritarianism and far-right movements, calling on society not to divide but to confront threats from outside.

For Ilker Çatak, this award is another great success after his Oscar nomination in 2023 for the film „Teacher’s Room“. It is the first time in more than two decades that a German director has won the Berlinale’s top prize – the last such occasion was in 2004 with „Against the Wall“ by Fatih Akon.

Among the other honorees was the British Grant Gee, who received the Silver Bear for Best Director for Everybody Digs Bill Evans. The award for Best Actor went to Sandra Hueller for her performance in "Rose" by the Austrian director Markus Schleinzer – the second such recognition in her career after "Requiem" in 2006.

For supporting roles were awarded Anna Calder Marshall and Tom Courtney for her participation in the American director's "Queen at Sea" Lance Hammer. The festival's acting awards are gender neutral.

The festival opened on February 12, when the actress was awarded an honorary Golden Bear. Michelle Yeo. This year's edition took place against the backdrop of lively debates about freedom of speech and the forum's position on international conflicts.

In his speech, jury chairman Wim Wenders commented on the contrast between the short-lived reactions on social media and the lasting impact of cinema as an art form of long-form storytelling. The festival director Tricia Tuttle emphasized that the event is taking place in a highly polarized world and that criticism is an essential part of the democratic process – even when it is uncomfortable.