Eliza Petkova, born in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, pursued a Master's in Philosophy and Modern Japanese Studies before moving to Berlin in 2008 as a freelance documentary filmmaker. She joined the German Film and Television Academy Berlin in 2011, graduating in 2020 with several acclaimed shorts and two feature films. Her debut, ZHALEIKA, premiered at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, earning a Special Mention. Her second feature, A FISH SWIMMING UPSIDE DOWN, premiered at the 70th Berlinale, and she won the Wim Wenders Grant in 2020. In 2021, she received the Kompagnon-Fellowship and was named Best Director at the Tirana International Film Festival. Her documentary MAYOR, SHEPHERD, WIDOW, DRAGON won the Critics Award for Best Documentary at the 43rd Film Festival Max Ophuels Prize.