Eliza Petkova

Eliza Petkova was born in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.
After completing a Master's degree in Philosophy and Modern Japanese Studies at the Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, she moved to Berlin in 2008 and started working as a freelance documentary filmmaker. In 2011 she enrolled in Film Director Studies at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin, graduating in 2020. During that time she produced several short films, which received awards at international film festivals, as well as two feature films.
In 2015, her short film ABSENT was nominated for selection in the Cinéfondation at the 68th Cannes Film Festival.
In 2016 she completed her first feature-length film, ZHALEIKA, which premiered at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival where it was nominated for Best First Feature and was awarded a Special Mention by the international jury of the Generation Section.
This was followed by various other festival screenings, as well as international prizes and awards. Eliza was invited to participate in the Berlinale Talents at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival in 2018. She sits on the jury at several European film festivals.
In 2020 her second feature film, A FISH SWIMMING UPSIDE DOWN, premieres at the 70th Berlinale. In the same year she is awarded the Wim Wenders Grant. In 2021 she receives the Kompagnon-Fellowship Award at the 71st Berlinale and is awarded as Best Director at the Tirana International Film Festival same year.
Her documentary MAYOR, SHEPHERD, WIDOW, DRAGON premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival and celebrated its German premiere at the 43. Film Festival Max Ophuels Prize where it received the Critics Award for Best Documentary.