We present six of the total 12 premieres in the New Bulgarian Cinema program, which features a record 22 Bulgarian feature films at the 29th Sofia International Film Festival.
The debut feature film Good Parents is the work of the well-known Kutsi Vaptsarov. It tells the story of a mother struggling to regain the children taken from her during her divorce. To win back her beloved ones, the mother must restore good relations with her ex-husband and come to terms with her past. Good Parents stars actors Lina Zlateva, Piotr Krzeminski, Leara Tanso, Johan Tanso, Katerina Raykova, Annki Stefanov, Virzhiniya Sabeva, Heidi Mitova, Björn Holström, and August Popov. The cinematography is by Kaloyan Bozhilov, and the film is produced by Nikolay Mutafchieiev. “Mothers are deities made of flesh and blood,” Katsi Vaptsarov remarks in his film.
The Bulgarian-Ukrainian co-production The End of the River is the feature debut of Vasil Barkov – a Bessarabian Bulgarian who graduated from NATFA "K. Sarafov" in the class of Professor Vladislav Ikonomov. The drama’s plot unfolds in “Ukrainian Venice” – the town of Vilkovo in the Danube Delta. By fate, a Bulgarian arrives there, suspected of the unpremeditated murder of a nine-year-old boy, and discovers a new life and love within the circle of Lipovan Old Believers. “A mere chance can completely change any person, and the viewer is left with the opportunity to finish the story on their own,” shares the film’s director and producer, Vasil Barkov.
The film’s screenwriters are Marin Damyanov, Vladimir Filipov, and Vasil Barkov. The lead male role is played by Penko Gospodinov, while the lead female role is performed by Katerina Molchanova from Kyiv. The cinematography is by Vitaliy Zaporozhchenko. The film also features other Ukrainian and Bulgarian actors, including Georgi Kermenski, Sergei Denga, and Georgiy Deliev.
Zvezda is the feature debut of the visual artist, screenwriter, and director Kamen Stoyanov, a result of his work in a master class by Zornitsa Sofia, who is the film’s producer, together with Petar Minchev. At the heart of the story is the decision of an art graduate from London to present her works in her native Bulgaria. The long-awaited exhibition is canceled due to Covid, and the artist decides to exhibit herself in the gallery as a living sculpture among the paintings. The outcome of this radical exhibitionism comes at a price, as fame also has its cost. Among the film’s cast are Elena Zamyarkova, Irmena Chichikova, Mariana Krumova, Jana Yakovleva, Vasil Duev – Taig, and Ivo Dimchev. The cinematography is by Rosen Daskalov.
The screenwriters and directors of Dad are Dimitris Georgiev and Mariy Rosen, and the Sofia International Film Festival is the first festival where their film will meet the audience. The two authors have previously collaborated on the scripts of four short films, and the starting point for building the plot of their feature debut is the similarities they discovered during their years of growing up and self-realization. In their own words, the script “transcends the autobiographical to build a more powerful dramatic situation that leads to catharsis.” The story is about a man who returns from prison abroad. Despite his efforts to start his life anew, his estranged son decides to seduce him, and tragedy becomes inevitable. The film stars actors Mario Vasilev, Deyan Donkov, Silvia Dragieva, Ana Valchanova, Boryana Babanova, and Boyan Petrov. The cinematographers are Rosen Savkov and Maria Tsvetkova.
Wild Strawberries is the feature film debut of Tatyana Pandurska, a theatrical and film producer and director with significant experience in documentary filmmaking. The film tells the story of Daphne, who unexpectedly arrives from the USA in the Rhodope Mountains, hoping to learn the truth about her father. Amidst the problems surrounding her grandmother’s old ancestral house, which she has never known, and encounters with her eccentric local relatives and elders, the New Yorker with Bulgarian roots becomes acquainted with the dramatic history of her family, which offers her the opportunity to rediscover herself. The lead roles are played by actress Vanina Kondova, whose personal fate is connected to New York, and Ivan Yurukov. Also appearing are Stella Gancheva, Nikola Dodov, Nikola Pashov, Neno Koynarski, Kiril Kavadarkov, Vasil Binev, Anna Petrova, Nikola Stefanov, Petar Dochev, and others. The cinematography is by Stefan Vrachev. The film’s screenwriters are Decho Taralezkov and Tatyana Pandurska.
The Platform is the second feature film by director and producer Nikolay Mutafchieiev. In this symbol-laden story, several people who are fleeing from their own countries decide to create their own nation on an abandoned platform in the sea. They aspire to create the most democratic and happiest country in the world. Together they devote themselves to the idea of democracy, but their past haunts them, and the differences in their ideas about freedom prove to be a serious trial for all... The cinematography is by Kaloyan Bozhilov. The actors who have entrusted Nikolay Mutafchiev with this adventure include Boyko Krastanov, Mira Boyadzhieva, Kitodar Todorov, Eleonora Ivanova, Diogo Ramos, Galin Ginev, Krasimir Dobrev, Anton Rusev, and others.
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