Sofia Film Fest's 14th edition will open on March 5 2010 with the screening of Bulgarian film Voice Over, indicative of the festival's focus on the resurgent Bulgarian cinema.

A total of 19 Bulgarian films made since the previous edition of the festival in March 2009 will be screened at this year's Sofia Film Fest, including four premieres.

Voice Over, directed by Svetoslav Ovcharov, was shot in Berlin and tells the story of a man whose hopes for the future are dashed by the compromises he makes, including co-operating with the communist State Security to secure treatment for his sick son in West Berlin.

Lyrical comedy If Somebody Loves You... by director Kiran Kolarov tells the story of a girl’s unrequited love for her piano teacher.

Stanimir Trifonov's Glass River is based on Emil Andreev's book, which won the novel of the year award from Bulgaria's Vik Foundation in 2005, and tells the story of two men falling in love with a prostitute against the background of a search for the mysterious heritage of the followers of Bogomilism.

Special projections have been scheduled for Zornitsa Sophia's Forecast, Ivan Cherkelov's Crayfish, Lyubomir Mladenov's Hunting Park and Eastern Plays, which is also the Bulgarian entry to the Sofia Film Fest international competition.

The international competition, which will award a grand prix for the eighth time, includes 12 films, picked from 150 entrants from 48 countries, organisers said.

The films in the running are: A Real Life (France) directed by Sarah Leonor, Bad Day To Go Fishing (Spain/Uruguay) directed by Álvaro Brechner, Eastern Plays (Bulgaria/Sweden) directed by Kamen Kalev, Kino Caravan (Romania) directed by Titus Muntean, Mall Girls (Poland) directed by Katarzyna Roslaniec, Nowhere Boy (United Kingdom) directed by Sam Taylor Wood, One War (Russia) directed by Vera Glagoleva, The Last Summer Of La Boyita (Argentina/Spain/France) directed by Julia Solomonoff, The Trotsky (Canada) directed by Jacob Tierney and Wait For Me and I Will Not Come (Serbia) directed by Miroslav Momcilovic.

In addition to the international competition, Sofia Film Fest will feature films by well-known directors (grouped into the Cinema Today - The Masters programme) and films by those expected to grab the headlines in the future (Cinema Tomorrow - Discoveries).

The festival's Big Five section will present 11 films that received some of the most glowing reviews at top festivals in 2009, including Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon (Golden Palm at Cannes), The Milk of Sorrow by Claudia Liosa (Golden Bear in Berlin), A Prophet by Jacques Audiard (The Grand Prix Jury Prize at Cannes), as well as Lebanon by Samuel Maoz (Golden Lion at Venice) and Fatih Akin’s latest project Soul Kitchen (The Grand Jury Prize at Venice).

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, nominated for six Oscars, including best motion picture, will be screened on March 14 and March 15.

Overall, six films nominated for an Oscar will be screened in Sofia: Precious, An Education (three nominations, including for best picture), White Ribbon (nominated for best foreign-language film and cinematography), A Prophet (best foreign-language film nomination), The Milk of sorrow (best foreign-language film nomination) and Ajami (best foreign-language film nomination). All in all, only Argentina's The Secret in Their Eyes from the five foreign-language films nominated for Oscar in 2010 will be absent from the Sofia Film Fest.

Composer Bozhidar Petkov, Italian director Giuliano Montaldo, two-time Oscar nominee Jan Troell and Russian director Sergei Solovyov are all going to receive the Sofia Municipality Award for their contribution to world cinema.

Sofia Film Fest's full programme is available on the festival's website, grouped by date and by series.