“The Cruel Way,” directed by Deyan Bararev and produced with the support of the National Film Center, has been honored with the award for Best Mountaineering Film at the International Festival of Mountaineering Films in Kraków, Poland, held on December 6–7. The prize was awarded in competition with the top 32 international projects selected for the Polish festival. The award was accepted in person by the film’s producer, Ivan Spassov.

Earlier, “The Cruel Way” received the award for Best Adventure Film at the International Bansko Film Fest, won the GRAND PRIX at the “EHO” Festival in Skopje, North Macedonia, earned two awards at the International Documentary Rodopi Film Fest, and was selected for the International Sofia Film Fest 2025.

The co-producer of “The Cruel Way” is Bulgarian National Television. Additional support comes from the National Culture Fund, Prostor cloud services, and Bulgarian National Radio.