In addition to its main
Competition categories (
International,
Balkan,
Documentary and
Bulgarian Short Film Competition), the 19th
Sofia Film Fest will attract several established European filmmakers. Among them, the former Monty Python Terry Jones and some of the British group΄s most beloved films, Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo and his
White God (Un Certain Regard at Cannes ΄14), and
Danis Tanovic, presenting his International co-production
Tigers.
Other highlights will be the screening of Miroslav Slaboshpitski΄s The Tribe from Ukraine (Grand Prize of the Critics’ Week at Cannes ΄14), The Wonders by Italian filmmaker Alice Rorvaher (Grand Jury Prize Cannes΄14), Wim Wenders & Juliano Ribeiro Salgado΄s Salt of the Earth (premiere) and the Argentinian film Wild Tales by Damian Szifron (Oscar nomination for best foreign language picture).
On the Cinema Today - Great Masters category, Sofia Film Fest 2015 has prepared a program that boasts titles such as Two Days, One Night by the Dardenne brothers, John Boorman΄s newest Queen and Country, Golden Palm nomination Still the Water by Japanese Naomi Kawase, Bent Hamer΄s 1001 grams and Wild by Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée.
The Lesson by Kristina Grozeva & Petar Valchanov
11 new Bulgarian productions will be presented at the New Bulgarian Documentaries out of Competition section:
49,172 by Plamen Petkov, Bulgaria/USA/Israel, 2015
History of Fear in Search for the Lost Love by Mario Krastev, Bulgaria, 2015
Life is an Eternal Swing by Andre Chandelle, Belgium/Bulgaria, 2015
Spirit and Matter by Mihail Venkov, Bulgaria, 2014
Steps in the Fire by Andrey Hadjivasilev & Melody Gilbert, Bulgaria, 2015
Three Candles by Diana Zaharieva, Bulgaria, 2014
You know, my poor fisherman by Hristo Dimitrov – Hindo, Bulgaria, 2014
Additionally, the Documentary Programme (out of Competition) features the following two Balkan co-production documentaries:
Dancing with Maria by Ivan Gergolet, Italy/Argentina/Slovenia, 2014
With the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Bulgarian cinema,
SIFF will be presenting a special program, ideal for those searching for some of the best films made in Bulgaria the last 50 years. The program is comprised of two sections:
10 classic Bulgarian films (until 1989) and
10 films of the new Bulgarian cinema (after 1990). The films were selected from several well-known Bulgarian film critics.
10 classic Bulgarian films (until 1989):
Monday Morning by Irina Aktasheva and Hristo Piskov (1966)
The Tied Balloon by Binka Zhelyazkova (1967)
The Hare Census by Edward Zahariev (1973)
All is Love by Borislav Sharaliev (1979)
Pieces of Love by Ivan Cherkelov (1989)
10 films of the new Bulgarian cinema (after 1990):
Capulcu, Voices from Gezi by Benedetta Argentieri & Carlo Prevosti
SIFF 2015 has more great recent film to screen, and it looks that it will appease the faithful cinema lovers with its
Grand Prizes section:
Winter Sleep by
Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Golden Palm at Cannes ΄14),
Black Coal Thin Ice by Diao Yinan (Golden Bear at Berlinale ΄14),
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence by Roy Andersson (Golden Lion at Venice ΄14) and
Corn Island by Georgi Ovashvili (Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary ΄14).
The 19th Sofia Film Fest expects over 300 foreign guests, some of them key figures of the European film industry, arriving specially for the 12th edition of Sofia Meetings program. Projects for first, second and third films will be presented in public to fund managers, producers, distributors, representatives of institutions and journalists. Native and regional films will be screened before festival directors and selectors. More on that on our next review of the festival.
