Petar Valchanov
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Petar Valchanov () is a Bulgarian filmmaker. He is best known for his feature films ''
The Lesson ''The Lesson'' () is a one-act play by French-Romanian playwright Eugène Ionesco. It was first performed in 1951 in a production directed by Marcel Cuvelier (who also played the Professor). Since 1957 it has been in permanent showing at Pari ...
'' (2014), '' Glory'' (2016), '' The Father'' (2019), and '' Triumph'' (2024).


Early life and education

Petar Valchanov was born in
Plovdiv Plovdiv (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, second-largest city in Bulgaria, 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia. It had a population of 490,983 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub ...
, Bulgaria. In 2000, he graduated from the Tsanko Lavrenov Art High School in Plovdiv. In 2008, he graduated from the
National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts The Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (commonly referred to as NATFIZ) is a performing, cinematic and media arts institution of higher education based in Sofia. It is the first Bulgarian university in the field of thea ...
with a degree in
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
and television directing in the class of Ludmil Staikov.


Career

Valchanov has worked on many projects alongside his partner
Kristina Grozeva Kristina Yordanova Grozeva () is a Bulgarian filmmaker. She is best known for her feature films '' The Lesson'' (2014), '' Glory'' (2016), '' The Father'' (2019), and '' Triumph'' (2024). Early life and education Kristina Yordanova Grozeva was ...
, including the short film ''Family Therapy'' (2008), the television film ''Emergency Landing'' (2010), ''Samburu'' (2011), and others. In 2012, the pair co-wrote and co-directed the short film ''Jump'', which was nominated for Best Short Film at the
European Film Awards The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the mos ...
and won the Grand Prix at the
Brussels Short Film Festival The Brussels Short Film Festival (BSFF) has been run by the non-profit organisation "Un Soir … Un Grain" since 1998. It is an annual event and has taken place every year since its inaugural event, with the exception of 2020, due to the COVID-1 ...
as well as best film at the Bulgarian Film Academy Awards in 2013. Their debut feature film ''
The Lesson ''The Lesson'' () is a one-act play by French-Romanian playwright Eugène Ionesco. It was first performed in 1951 in a production directed by Marcel Cuvelier (who also played the Professor). Since 1957 it has been in permanent showing at Pari ...
'' (2014) received international recognition at numerous film festivals around the world, including festivals in
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,
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,
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,
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,
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
,
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,
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
and many others, and is the most awarded Bulgarian film of all ''The Lesson'' is the first part of a trilogy inspired by newspaper articles. Valchanov and Grozeva were inspired by real events during the development of the script. They recalled: The second film from the trilogy, '' Glory'', which premiered at the
Locarno Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...
was positively received by critics. Its plot revolves around a cantoner who finds millions on a railway line and then hands them over to the police. ''Glory'' won awards at many international film festivals and was selected as the Bulgarian entriy for the Best International Feature Film at the
90th Academy Awards The 90th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2017, and took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was held on March 4, ...
. Before the last film of the trilogy, the pair directed 2019's '' The Father'', which features a brief appearance by their then-student
Maria Bakalova Maria Valcheva Bakalova ( ; born 4 June 1996) is a Bulgarian actress. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Maria Bakalova, various accolades, including a Critics' Choice Movie Awards, Critics' Choice Movie Award, ...
and won the Crystal Globe Award at the
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (, KVIFF) is an annual film festival held in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival is one of the oldest in the world and has become Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern Eur ...
. Although the film is not autobiographical, Grozeva and Valchanov stated that the story was very personal to them and that the script was ready even before that of ''Glory''. ''The Father'' wаs selected as the Bulgarian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the
93rd Academy Awards The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. The ceremony was held on April 25, 2021 ...
. The third film of their "newspaper clippings" trilogy (after ''The Lesson'' and ''Glory'') is the 2024 comedy '' Triumph'', based on the 1990s excavation of the " Tsarichina Hole" by the Bulgarian military following the instructions of a psychic.


Selected filmography


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Valchanov, Petar 1982 births Living people Film people from Plovdiv Bulgarian film directors National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts alumni Academic staff of the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts