Stephan Komandarev

An exemplar of Bulgarian cinema, Stephan Komandarev was born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1966 and has been active in the film industry since the late 1990s. Working predominantly in the genres of drama and comedy, he is best known for his critically acclaimed films like "The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner" and "Directions", the former of which garnered him a nomination for the European Film Award. His authorial style is characterized by a deep, humanistic perspective and a knack for combining humor and tragedy, often grounded in the socio-political climate of his home country.

A truly inspirational figure, Komandarev overcame the constraints of a small film industry to tell stories that resonate across borders, proving that cinema knows no boundaries.