Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova (born 1996) proudly announced on her Instagram that she has become a member of The European Film Academy. Comprised of European filmmakers, the academy annually presents the European Film Awards. Among the new members of the organization (which currently boasts over 5000 members from 52 countries and is led by actress Juliette Binoche as its president since 2024), besides Maria Bakalova, are figures such as Cate Blanchett and director Matteo Garrone.
Maria Bakalova is known for her roles in films such as “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (2023), where she voiced Cosmo the Spacedog, and “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (2020), where she portrayed the daughter of Borat Sagdiyev, a Kazakh reporter played by Sacha Baron Cohen.