Golden Rhytons awarded for best documentary and animated films

Tuesday, 23 December 2025, 11:16

Golden Rhytons awarded for best documentary and animated films

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“The Cruel Way” by director Deyan Bararev won the Grand Prize for Documentary Film at the 29th edition of the Golden Rhyton Festival. The official award ceremony took place in Plovdiv on December 22.

"The Cruel Way" tells the story of the Bulgarian expedition’s ascent of Mount Everest via the West Ridge in 1984. They were the last climbers to succeed in overcoming the deadliest route. However, the achievement was accompanied not only by heroism but also by conflicts that remained hidden for more than four decades.

The Grand Prize “Golden Rhyton” for Best Animated Film went to “Balconada,” directed by Iva Tokmakchieva. The film also received the award for Best Director.

A directing award was also presented to Svetoslav Draganov for the documentary “Sneschа and Franz.” The film tells the story of the love between a Bulgarian woman and a German man on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain, who meet in 1967 in the Bulgarian resort of Sunny Beach.


Edited by Ivo Ivanov
English version: R. Petkova