Born in Sofia to a Bulgarian mother and a Colombian father, Krum Rodriguez studied photography at the French Academy of Image in Bogotá and graduated in cinematography from the National Academy of Film and Theatre Arts (NATFA) in Sofia. His short films have earned prestigious cinematography awards worldwide, amongst them the Golden Tadpole at Camerimage ’05 and Best Cinematography at the Next Reel IFF in New York ’05 for Dragomir Sholev’s Before Life, After Death and Best Student Cinematography at Manaki Brothers Film Festival in Macedonia ’06 for the short film Diving by Robert Vukajlo.
He started his professional career in 2002 as camera assistant and focus puller in commercials and then in 2004 got his first assignment as a DOP. He is now regularly working in advertising with a variety of local and international agencies and clients.
In 2008, he made his feature debut with director Zornitsa Sophia’s film Forecast. In 2010, he shot Shelter for director Dragomir Sholev, which premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and was screened at more than 70 festivals around the world, earning several awards including the Manaki Brothers’ New Visions Award and a selection for the Plus Camerimage World Panorama. His third feature film, The Colour of the Chameleon, directed by Emil Christov, premiered in the Discovery programme of the Toronto International Film Festival ’12. He later shot Viktoria, directed by Maya Vitkova, which premiered in competition at Sundance FF as well as IFF Rotterdam and Göteborg FF. His next film, The Lesson, directed by Peter Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva, won the Kutxa Award for Best New Director at the San Sebastian IFF ’14, the International Debut Award at the Goteborg FF ’15, and the Special Jury Prize at the Tokyo IFF ’15. He worked on Ralitza Petrova’s feature debut Godless, which won the Golden Leopard at the 69th Locarno Film Festival ’16. In 2015, he filmed Glory by Peter Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva, Voevoda by Zornitsa Sophia, and Lift for Patients by Iglika Trifonova.
In 2017, he worked on The Announcement, directed by Mahmut Fazil Coscun, which premiered in the Orrizonti section of the Venice Film Festival ’18 and won the Special Jury Prize. His next film, The Father, by directing duo Petar Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva, won the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ’19 and garnered selections at Toronto and the BFI in the same year. In 2021, he completed filming Citizen Saint, directed by Tinatin Kajrishvili, and Mother, the latest film by Zornitsa Sophia.
Most recently, his film Three Meetings of the Extraordinary Committee was nominated for BAFTA ’22 in the category of Best British Short Film.
He is a member of the Bulgarian Association of Cinematographers, BAC.
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and present. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
