South East European Artists Make History in Hollywood

We salute artists from Southeast Europe whose accomplishments this year are for the history books.

Maria Bakalova makes history as the first-ever Bulgarian actress to be nominated for the Golden Globe award.

Maria Bakalova – She has just made history this Wednesday as the first-ever Bulgarian actress to be nominated for the Golden Globe award, for her breakout role in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Eastern European actors have rarely if ever received recognition from U.S. entertainment industry power brokers and Bakalova’s nomination has now shattered that proverbial glass ceiling. This was followed by Screen Actors Guild nomination, making it highly likely that Bakalova might also get the nod from Oscar voters.

Blerta Basholli, director of “Hive” from Kosovo  – hers is the first film in Sundance history to win all three main awards, the Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Award and the Directing Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, for the powerful women-centric film that resonates with women everywhere.

Alexander Nanau, Romania – His documentary powerhouse “Collective” received multiple awards and nominations, including nominations for Film Independent Spirit award and International Documentary Association’s (IDA) Best Feature Documentary award, while garnering over 60 other awards and noms worldwide. (Watch SEEfest conversation about Collective.)

Radu Ciorniciuc and Mircea Topoleanu, Romania – Their film, “Acasă, My Home“ has been nominated for the Cinema Eye Honors and IDA’s award for Best Cinematography, in addition to more than 30 other noms and awards worldwide.

Maja Novaković, Serbia – Her debut short doc “Then Comes the Evening” amassed more than 80 awards around the world, including a nomination for the Cinema Eye Honors award, to be held in March. (Watch SEEfest Conversation about the documentary.)

Dalibor Barić, Croatia – his avant-garde animated feature “Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus” has just qualified for consideration in the Academy’s animated feature film category, alongside the top industry heavyweights.

These are just a few most recent and most prominent examples of the creative potential of Southeast Europe.

Join the international community of artists and arts patrons who have made SEEfest their outpost and champion in Hollywood.

Get involved, be an advocate, share your story about Southeast Europe.

Make your voice heard and celebrate the quality and artistry of the new generation of filmmakers, writers, composers, illustrators, cinematographers – while honoring those who came before and paved the way for today’s breakout artists.

We invite you to join us today as a Cine-Fan and become part of the story, lending a hand in shaping the future and traveling with movies to the roads less traveled and leading to exciting new discoveries and new friendships.