CFD 26| Lust

Glocal Images
International Competition Section

Lust
LEM 23/04 > 20:00 | NIC 24/04 > 22:00
77', 2026, Bulgaria, Denmark, Sweden

Directed by
Ralitza Petrova

Screenplay
Ralitza Petrova

Cinematography
Julian Atanassov

Editing
Per K. Kirkegaard
Ralitza Petrova

Production Design
Vanina Geleva

Costume Design
Elena Stoyanova

Sound Design
Carlos Garcia

Cast
Snejanka Mihaylova
Nikola Mutafov
Mihail Milchev
Alexis Atmadjov

Producers
Nikolay Todorov
Poli Angelova
Ralitza Petrova

Production Companies
Aporia Filmworks
Screening Emotions

Co-producers
Eva Jakobsen
Mikkel Jersin
Katrin Pors
Anna Byvald

Co-production Companies
Snowglobe
Silver Films

Synopsis
A prison parole officer keeps others at arm’s length — and herself even further. When she inherits her absent father’s burial and debts, she slips back into patterns she thought she had left behind. Drawn to a Shibari rigger, she tests the limits of control and surrender as the knots of her past unravel. Can she find her way back to a body she has long since abandoned?

Director’s Bio
Ralitza Petrova (1976) studied Film and Video Art at the University of the Arts London and Fiction Directing at the UK’s National Film and Television School (NFTS). Her short films have received wide acclaim at major international festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, and Toronto. In 2016, her debut feature film Godless premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, where it won the Golden Leopard for Best Film, followed by 27 additional awards, including a nomination for European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI (2017) from the European Film Academy. Her sophomore feature film, Lust, premiered in the Forum section of the 76th Berlinale.

Filmography
2026 – Lust
2019 – Better Nature (s.f.)
2016 – Godless
2009 – By The Grace Of God (s.f.)
2007 – Rotten Apple (s.f.)

Awards
Best Director Award, Sofia International Film Festival, Bulgaria, 2026