Geraldine Chaplin, head of the jury at the Moscow International Film Festival, appeared in a peculiar outfit during the graduation ceremony in order to protest against a Bulgarian movie not receiving an award.

The combination of a stylish dress and sneakers was no coincidence, Bulgarian National Television's correspondent to Russia, Vasko Mihaylov has reported, as that was the way she was endorsing her strong favorite – the Bulgarian movie "Sneakers".

Even though Chaplin and other jury members insisted on awarding the Bulgarian contestant, the organizers did not allow it, since they claimed the selection of the awards should be "balanced", Chaplin told the correspondent.

Mihaylov commented that "balanced" refers to the political reasons behind the awards, explaining that a Russian movie had to receive a prize, leaving no place for the Bulgarian one among the winners.

"Sneakers" still received an honorable mention on behalf of the jury, which is not a common practice. The movie was also widely acclaimed by critics and regular viewers alike during the festival, on which it debuted, the Bulgarian National Radio said.

"I will be wearing sneakers until the movie is awarded at some point," Geraldine Chaplin declared before Mihaylov.

"Sneakers", the debut feature of young directors Ivan Vladimirov and Valeri Yordanov, was  one of the 17 selected for competition for the festival's prestigious Saint George award.

The film exudes a contagious energy that reflects the zeitgeist of a generation according to critics, cited by Euronews.

"Sneakers" tells the story of six young people trying escape from the failures in their families, love lives and ambitions, fleeing the big city to settle at the quiet sea coast.