Poster for In The Heart Of The Machine, directed by Martin Makariev, AFIN 2021

Feature Film AFIN 101

In The Heart Of The Machine

Directed by Martin Makariev

AFIN 2021 Winner · 3 awards

  • 2021
  • 1h 57m
  • Bulgaria
  • Bulgarian
Watch trailer View My AFIN →

Stills

1 frame

Winner

Best Sound

Winner

Best Editing

Winner

Best Ensemble Cast

Part of this film's cast or crew? Let us know to add or correct credits, genres or details. Filmmaker sign-in opens with the claim email at Awards Night, 19 September 2026.

Credits

Synopsis

Freedom is in the right to be human. But being human is never easy.

August 1978. Kremikovtsy Steel Plant. Heat, iron, dust and the pervasive smell of oil. A typical workday of a crew of maximum security inmates will prove to be fateful for all of them. They find something extraordinary inside one of the machines and an unexpected wave of compassion makes the prisoners take hostages and block the entrance to the workshop. The men risk their lives willingly because sometimes the desire to be human is stronger than the survival instinct. And the dream of salvation blurs common sense.

Director's Statement

I wake up with films and i go to bed with them.

What makes this one special

From the Judges

From the Judges

It struck the panel as a work of art, as cold and bleak as the landscape it was shot in, and beautifully realised. The camerawork drew genuine admiration for how visually stunning it is, and the performances landed alongside production values that reach well beyond the ordinary. Drama, tension, sorrow, and heart arrive in careful measure, leaving the panel with a simple reaction: wow.

Curated, anonymised highlights drawn from the judges' notes.

Director's Biography

Martin Makariev Director

Martin is considered one of the cutting edge directors in Eastern Europe. His last two films “Wildlings” and “Attraction” where the No1 Box office hit in Bulgaria for two years in a row. He has directed 2 seasons of Bulgaria’s most famous "gangster" series, "Under Cover." Previously, he directed Season 2 of Bulgaria's most acclaimed drama, "Tree of Life." In addition, Martin has won numerous Best Picture awards for his film, "Roseville," a feature based on an unsolved disappearance and murder in 1985. Makariev is also recognized for directing over 100 innovative commercials and music videos.

Trailer

Fuller cast & crew

  • Hristo Petkov Iglata, The Needle
  • Igor Angelov Satura, The Hatchet
  • Vladimir Zombori Private Kovachky
  • Stoyan Doychev Krasy, The Gypsy
  • Ivaylo Hristov Daskala
  • Valeri Yordanov Tolyata
  • Valentin Tanev Lalev
  • Vasil Iliev Tonchev

Details and imagery from The Movie Database This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Official laurels

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In The Heart Of The Machine was Winner of Best Sound, Best Editing and Best Ensemble Cast at the AFIN International Film Festival 2021, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.

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  1. Open the AFIN International Film Festival event page on IMDb and choose the 2021 edition.
  2. Choose Edit (contribute), then Awards, and add your film under the category (Best Sound, Best Editing and Best Ensemble Cast) with the outcome shown on your laurels above.
  3. Submit. IMDb reviews it and publishes it to the event page and to your film's page.
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