Asparuh Petrov is a Bulgarian film director, screenwriter and producer who has been active in the film industry since the late 1980s. He is best known for his feature films such as Zift (2008), Eastern Plays (2009) and Glory (2016).
Petrov was born in 1956 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He studied at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia, graduating in 1981. He started his career as an assistant director in the film studio Boyana Film, where he worked on several feature films and documentaries. In 1988, he wrote and directed his first feature film, the romantic comedy "Glass Fragments". This was followed by the drama "The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner" in 2008.
In 2008, Petrov released his most successful and critically acclaimed film to date, the crime drama "Zift". The film was a commercial and critical success and was nominated for several awards. It won numerous awards, including the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and the Grand Prix at the Sarajevo Film Festival.
In 2009, Petrov wrote and directed the drama "Eastern Plays". The film earned him a nomination for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. His next film, "Glory" (2016), won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and was Bulgaria's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Petrov has also written and directed several documentaries, including "The Circus Princess" (2009) and "The Last Communist" (2014). He has also produced several feature films, such as "The Way of Hope" (2010) and "The Elephant and the Butterfly" (2018).
Throughout his career, Petrov has been celebrated for his unique visual style and his ability to create emotionally charged stories. He has been praised for his commitment to creating films that explore the complexities of human relationships and the struggles of life in post-communist Bulgaria.
