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Levanter

The Levanter — a warm easterly wind that sweeps across the Mediterranean — carries the memories of two young drifters who once met on the seaside. Through an imagined conversation that bends time and distance, they revisit a brief love that felt infinite while it lasted. “Levanter” is a tender, unvarnished portrait of a generation in motion — searching for connection, for meaning, for something that feels real, even if only for a moment.

  • Vanina Kondova
    Director
  • Vanina Kondova
    Writer
  • BookVa Films
    Producer
  • Vanina Kondova
    Key Cast
    "Ana"
  • Leonid Yovchev
    Key Cast
    "Martin"
    Yellow Oleander (Feature), Monkey (Feature), January (Feature), The Sinking of Sozopol (Feature)
  • Nikol Milevska
    Key Cast
    "Waitress"
    Wild Strawberries
  • Meridith Jones
    Key Cast
    "Waitress"
    Lost & Found, NY
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Леванти
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 2, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Bulgaria
  • Country of Filming:
    Bulgaria
  • Language:
    Bulgarian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Vanina Kondova

Vanina is an actor and filmmaker, and “Levanter” is her debut short film.

She is the creator of the web series "Lost & Found, NY” (now on Amazon Prime). The series was selected by 15 international film festivals and won 2 Best Series awards.

Vanina’s acting credits include the upcoming feature films "Wild Strawberries" (dir. Tatiana Pandurska) where she’s playing the lead role and "Eternity Package" (dir. Magdalena Ilieva). Her original one-woman show “The Other New York” won Best Play in 2024.

Vanina has graduated from the National Theatre and FIlm Academy in Bulgaria, the Atlantic Acting School in New York and has a Masters in Film Directing from NBU.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Levanter was born from a desire to tell a story that reflects what it feels like to be young in Bulgaria today — caught between movement and belonging, between here and elsewhere. Many of us grew up dreaming beyond borders, living abroad, searching for meaning and connection, and yet always carrying the light, humour, and warmth of home within us.

I wanted to portray the Bulgaria I know — not through social clichés or nostalgia, but through moments of real intimacy: the salt air of the seaside, the quiet laughter between two people who meet by chance, the beauty that exists even when things don’t last.

The film is about a brief encounter, but also about what remains after — how love and memory intertwine, how we continue to speak to those we miss. It’s a reflection of a generation that wanders, returns, and keeps searching for something genuine.

Thank you for considering Levanter for your selection.

Vanina Kondova
Director & Writer of Levanter