A deeply personal investigation of identity and place, this documentary explores the beginnings of a family unit caught in the crossfires of the geopolitical events affecting Libya and Bulgaria in April 1986. This is the story of my parents and our path to immigration.
Biliana Grozdanova is an international filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY, with a degree in film from the University Complutense of Madrid and the University of Chicago. Biliana and her sister Marina co-founded El Jinete Films in 2012 and have been directing films together ever since. Their trajectory started in documentary, making their feature doc debut with The Last Kamikazis of Heavy Metal at the 2014 New Orleans Film Festival. Biliana's most recent work is the feature narrative EASTERN WESTERN, recipient of the Big Sky Film Grant 2024. The film world-premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October 2024, and went on to screen at multiple festivals around the United States, picking up an Audience Award Special Mention at the 2024 New Orleans Film Festival. The film is currently being sold by WME Independent.
Biliana’s other work includes commercials, short documentaries, music videos and non-profit media. She has collaborated with the United Nations, Kartemquin Films, Wavelength Productions and the Tribeca Film Institute. Her work as Production Manager and Line Producer on acclaimed international features includes THE DAMNED (dir. Roberto Minervini, 2024 Cannes Film Festival), WHAT YOU GONNA DO WHEN THE WORLD’S ON FIRE? (dir. Roberto Minervini, 2018 Venice Film Festival) and DIRTY FEATHERS (dir. Carlos Corral, 2021 Berlin Film Festival).
Currently, Biliana is in research and development for AFTER THE RAIN, a personal documentary investigation of identity and immigration.
