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 NYC 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 had its World Premiere at the 2024 Mill Valley Film Festival and has screened at over a dozen festivals nationally and internationally. Awards include Best Picture and the Carlo Simi Award for Contribution to the Genre (2025 Almeria Western Film Festival), Best Cinematography (Richmond International FF) and an Audience Award Special Mention (2024 New Orleans Film Festival). The film is distributed by Purdie Films and is set for a theatrical release in December 2025 and streaming in 2026.
Biliana’s other work as a director includes commercials, short documentaries and music videos. She has collaborated with the United Nations, Kartemquin Films, Wavelength Productions and the Tribeca Film Institute. Her work as Production Manager and Line Producer 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 preproduction for her second narrative feature, NEW DAWN RISING, also a recipient of the Big Sky Film Grant (2025).
