Best Editing

Middle Ground

by Joanna Zabcheva
National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, Bulgaria

Jury Motivation by Prof. by Bülent Küçükerdoğan

The jury commends the film for conveying a sense of hope and belonging with great sincerity. The stories of 10 people from different professions who choose to stay in their own country despite having the opportunity to live in more developed ones are told beyond the classic interview format, through a strong and artistic visual language, elevated by its exceptionally successful and rhythmic editing.

Synopsis

In the heart of a small Bulgarian village, two estranged sisters, Lina and Mila, reunite for their father's funeral, only to find themselves embroiled in a series of absurd and comical misadventures. Accompanied by Lina's foreign boyfriend George, the family navigates confused corpses, broken hearses, chicken chases, unexpected phone calls from the afterlife, and poignant revelations. Despite all the chaos that unfolds, the two sisters manage to iron out their differences, and Lina realizes the importance of her roots.

Director's biography

Joanna Zabcheva graduated in Cinematography from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts "Krastyo Sarafov" in Sofia. She works in the field of cinema , while also being interested in other forms of art. Creating visual worlds and storytelling has always been central to her interests.In recent years, she has rediscovered documentary filmmaking as a space with great potential for development, observation and experimentation.

Credits

Director: Joanna Zabcheva
Screenplay: Joanna Zabcheva, Nia Pavlovich
Cinematography: David Mitev
Editing: David Mitev
Music: Teodor Dimitrov

Specifications

Original title: Средна Земя
Running time:​ 25'
Film type: Fiction
Country: Bulgaria
Completion date: April, 2025