AKE DIKHEA? 2026: Georges Vanev’s Gadjé Wins Best Short Film Award
Georges Vanev’s Gadjé received the Best Short Film Award at the 10th edition of AKE DIKHEA? – International Festival of Romani Film, held in Berlin from 17 to 20 September 2026. The Bulgarian-Belgian short film tells a love story shaped by prejudice, family expectations and the social boundaries surrounding a young Roma woman.
Set in the final days of the summer of 2007, Gadjé follows Nikki, a Bulgarian teenager, and Nadé, a Roma girl, who are in love. Their relationship faces hostility from the adults in their village, whose prejudices make it difficult for the young couple to be together. With Nikki due to return to Belgium to continue his studies, the two must confront the limited time they have left together.
Written and directed by Georges Vanev, the 2025 film explores the tension between personal desire and social expectations. Through the relationship between Nikki and Nadé, it examines how prejudice can shape intimate relationships and constrain the choices available to young people. The film places a private, emotional experience within a wider social context, showing how family attitudes and inherited boundaries can influence the course of a relationship.
The title Gadjé refers to non-Roma people in Romani usage, bringing the question of relationships across social and cultural boundaries into focus. The film’s story invites reflection on the ways communities define belonging, how prejudice is passed between generations, and what happens when young people’s feelings come into conflict with the expectations surrounding them.
The award was presented as part of the tenth edition of AKE DIKHEA?, Berlin’s International Festival of Romani Film. Under the 2026 motto “Breaking the Spell,” the festival examined stereotypes and myths imposed on Roma and Sinti communities, while creating space for filmmakers to challenge these narratives and tell stories from their own perspectives.
ERCF was represented on the 2026 festival jury by Timea Junghaus, alongside Sejad Ademaj, Ömer Alkin and Benjamin Menekshe. The festival’s focus on Romani cinema and self-representation connects with broader conversations about artistic freedom, cultural visibility and the right to tell one’s own stories.
Congratulations to Georges Vanev and the entire team behind Gadjé on this recognition.
Film: Gadjé
Writer and director: Georges Vanev
Production countries: Bulgaria and Belgium
Year: 2025
Running time: 24–25 minutes
Award: Best Short Film Award, 10th AKE DIKHEA? International Festival of Romani Film, Berlin, 2026
More information: AKE DIKHEA? – International Festival of Romani Film
