Discoveries from Bulgaria World Cinema

Two friends spent a sleepless night while waiting to find out what happened to their best friend.

The film is based on the memoir 'In the name of the People' by Mitka Grybcheva, an activist in the anti-fascist resistance. The action takes place during the WWII and reveals the sharp clash between police power and resistance forces, headed by the Communist Party of Bulgaria. This is a time when, 'in the name of the people', the fighters are setting up underground combat groups, which punish with death their political opponents. The film's characters are specially trained for the purpose young people, members of one such combat group. Against the background of their risky task, in the execution of which they have to pay with their own lives, every facet of their characters stands out. Faced with death they reveal their intimate worlds, their unrealized youthful impulses that have been sacrificed in the name of commands, disparate from the Ten Christian Commandments.

"The Hedgehogs" are a group of youngsters who are trying to gain control of the empty space between the blocks of flats, which they want to convert into a basketball court. The resistance of the neighbors is soon overcome and the court is laid down. Training courses in basketball for kids are set up. The ambitious coach is selecting only those of the boys who are able to carry out his most absurd orders. Two of them happen to be late, so he immediately fires them from the team. Thus the 'hedgehogs' war' against the indifference of the adult breaks out.

In the busy everyday life of an emancipated and seemingly content woman, a "crisis of awareness" occurs from a random incident.

Bash maystorat went to sea with his wife and son. The road passes by vegetable garden with watermelons and they filled the trunk of stolen fruit which subsequently discarded as police goes after them. A little later, by coincidence, they are towed by a truck carrying watermelons to Burgas. Bebov fix crumpled front, but does not change the burned furniture and bash maystorat is forced to tour around the country until he found a new one. In a series of cunning finally outwit both remain without what we have agreed.

1984. In the shadow of the Iron Curtain, a nation dares to challenge the gods. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the socialist revolution, Bulgaria faces its best mountaineers in the greatest test on the planet - the deadly Mount Chomolungma, also known as Everest. But this is not just a climb.

The story follows a young boy's life which started in the Rose Valley. Nowadays - a grown up man, struggling to make his dream come true.

Bisera spends the day waiting for her sweetheart Ognyan the Zmei to arrive and ask for her hand in marriage.

8-year old Alek's parents are divorced and he lives with his mother. He can feel that after the divorce there has been a big void in her life. He decides to help her by finding a suitable husband. He first decides on an athlete, then a driver but none of them seem to be good enough for her. Then he runs into Chony, who immediately feels as the perfect fit for mum. Alek has to figure out how to make the two of them meet and at the same time divert mum's attention from uncle Mincho. All of his plans eventually fail but Alek comes to realize that he should not meddle with his mother's personal life and let her choose for herself.

Three novels deal with the mentality of the children, their agitations, and the merry and sad things in their everyday life. The movie is created with a lot of humor, cheerfulness, and great love for the kids.

A gigantic Christmas tree travels across Bulgaria towards the capital passing birthdays, pregnancies, a suicidal man and gypsies. The countless stories on the way sketch a realistic and poetic image of this brand new member of the European Union.

18-year-old gamer Spas exchanges flirty and erotic messages with a girl posing as the sexy playmate Zhaneta Osipova. The same girl invites him to visit a strange, remote village so they can take their virtual relationship to the next level. Spas, along with his two friends, Gosho and Blackie, and the girl from their group, Ivka, set out to find the village to figure out whether this girl is really Zhaneta or some kind of dangerous scam.

In 1995, retired captain Vadim returns from Romania with his fiancee Yulia to his homeland and falls into the hands of bandits controlling the town. Already on the roads of the motherland, which got out of socialism and got stuck in a mafia swamp, they witness a robbery by a gang in a police uniform of a bus with "shuttles".

A girl is trying to contact her closest person, but he isn't answering his phone.

A story of praise and destruction. A story of worshipping the darkness in the sky. Of contempt in death. Of the crown of thorns stuck in the stone head and the water flowing from it. A story of treason...in the name of God and the human.

A man struggles with mental health and seeks help.

A young couple dream of having a wardrobe. When they buy it the wardrobe begins to totally manipulate their life - it orders their deeds, sets their taste, enslaves them.

One night – seemingly just like any other. Two police officers find the body of the well-known drug addict Lazar near the railroad tracks in Sofia. This is how the night of 9 November, 2019 begins – 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the regime change in Bulgaria. Three teams of police officers are patrolling the streets of Sofia, doing their job as they believe is right, while facing the challenges posed by contemporary Bulgarian reality.

On the main square of a mining town stands a cross depicting a saint, regarded by the local miners as their protector. One day, the cross is taken down for repair and the statue of the saint suddenly vanishes. When a mysterious stranger subsequently appears among them, the residents put two and two together…

Unheard story of a father using his daughter as bait in order to capture an outlaw. A heretofore unseen tale of the love between a fearless brigand and a noble lady with an unexpected ending.

Maria-Eleonora is an actress. During a film premiere she leaves the screening hall and crashes her car into the concrete wall of a parking lot, killing herself. Her longtime friend and aspiring film director Peter try to find out the reasons behind this dramatic act and interviews her relatives, colleagues, closest friends. He adds to the interviews video footage that he himself shot during their life together and some film scenes in which Maria-Eleonora took small supporting parts. Thus, Peter creates the film "Scenes from the life of an actress". Peter learns that everyone has a story about what happened, but no one really knew the deceased actress. Peter didn't knew her too.

The Liliev brothers share a surname but don’t seem to have anything else in common, not even a father. They got it from their mother Lily, who is no longer alive. The eldest brother, Alexander, is a hairdresser who likes wearing makeup and taking part in hairdressing contests. The middle brother, Bozhidar, has chosen to live as a monk but finds it difficult to adhere to his vows. The youngest – James - is a macho type of guy who wants to be a TV star and is planning to marry his girlfriend.

Lord Elmar hires a former pirate captain, Aspar, to find a mystic island where only children live. When the mortals land on the island, the kids decide to take action against the seafarers and protect their holy mother and goddess, Bendida.

This is a story of friendship, love and tolerance as well as of the impossibility to have them together at one place and time, especially right here - on the Balkans.

Who will save you when your world is falling apart? Who will adore you? Who will touch your heart? Three young women are going to find the answer to all these questions, but will they like it?

In a large provincial town, two friends Nasko and Raycho meet Emil, a conductor in the opera, who introduces them to Ana, an opera singer. Nasko and Ana fall in love. Nasko has to write a story for the newspaper about the irregular enrollment in college of Aneliya, the daughter of the local bigwig. A well-known director arrives from the capital for an opera premiere and makes advances to Ana. Aneliya comes to demand an explanation in Nasko's home. Ana finds her there and decides to take her revenge on him. She becomes intimate with the director. The story about the Aneliya case is ready, but as desk editor is drunk, Nasko fakes his OK signature. He sham is discovered. The relationships between the erstwhile friends are marred by insincerity, falsehood, tacit intrigues. Nasko plucks up courage to tell his friends the truth. In this way, he wins back Ana's love and he boy's trust.

A provincial town at the end of the 19th century. An adversary arrives who amazes the women with his incredible predictions. He enters the mayor's house and promises a lot of money to the whole family and to a guest - the priest. Allegedly unbelieving, the priest and the mayor pricked up their ears. The money would come from a young man who had recently arrived in the town. The only new arrival is Mancho - the photographer. The mayor and the priest find their way to him, and soon after the two, and after them other prominent citizens, are entangled in the crook's web, to become victims of his greed...

A story about three friends, who live together and have grown terribly tired of each other. Still they cannot live without each other.

In a white ward in a clinic, a lifetime balance on the verge of death. Memories are herding together in the mind of seriously ill Aleksandrov, a scientist, who evaluates and reevaluates his own life: friendships, loves, career. Images of his youth are crowding in: of his beloved, of his children, of evenings spent with his friends, ups and downs. And no one is able to say if all this made any difference.

The intelligence officer Emil Boev is tracking a group of drug addicts, who were recruited by a foreign intelligence office. Among them is Boyan, the son of Emil's dead comrade. He should help the boy. He includes Boyan in the counterintelligence action plan. The faith of the young people is sealed - they should be eliminated as unwanted witnesses. They are given hot doses. Boev and Boyan discover the plot, but it is too late for some of the people. The deadly needle gets in the hand of the girl that Boyan loves. The foreign resident is captured. There is hardly anyone at the grave of the girl. Only Boev and Boyan come and listen the requiem.

A dramatic documentary about both the dark and the bright sides of the genius; about the ups and downs of a Bulgarian winner, who is a last-ditcher by nature; about the mission to be a leader, taking the lead in crucial moments; about the real events and the myths; about national self-confidence and national nihilism.

This film was commissioned by the International Children's Assembly, 1985. Ernesto is a boy from Nicaragua. In his homeland, a Bulgarian doctor works, who is friends with Ernesto. The boy sings well. He is invited to visit Bulgaria during the children's assembly. Along the way, he experiences a number of twists and turns. His Bulgarian friends are looking for him all over Bulgaria. Ernesto and his friends meet at the closing of the assembly. They experience unforgettable hours.

Plamen's parents are separated. His father is an old river wolf, his mother a nurse in the big city. The boy's longing for his father keeps him going. His studies don't go well. One day Plamen sneaks onto his father's barge and secretly sets sail with him. On this long and very interesting voyage, Plamen befriends his father, and when they have to return to Varna, the boy is happy: he hopes that all three of them will be together again.

A young Bulgarian inspector Georgiev is in Warsaw to lead an operation to defraud and capture a Dutch-based gang leader involved in currency crimes. To accomplish this task, he needs to use Jeanne as a "decoy duck". She's Bulgarian, married to a gang member.

A retelling of a crucial story of Bulgaria's troubled times based on the memoirs of Zahariy Stoyanov

A-5-year-old boy of divorced parents is sitting all day long at home, watching TV. His mother is full-timer, and the father visits him just occasionally. The only dream of the boy is to have a puppy. So, he and three friends of his decide to buy a pup. No sooner said than done. The kids are ready to do everything for their pet, but the heartlessness and lack of understanding of the part of their relatives and neighbors bereaves them of such of joy. The puppy is destined for a village, and the kid is once again all alone at home, watching TV.

The grand auto-tour of Bulgaria begins. Excellent drivers take part in it. The Bonev brothers are in the Bulgarian team. They have decided to win this race no matter what. With great efforts, they manage to get ahead from the rest. An unexpected problem arises - some rocks nave fallen on the road. The confident drivers manage to avoid the crash closely. Their road to victory is open. However, a feeling of responsibility arises. There will be accidents for sure. The brothers stay at he crash site to warn the other.

In a yurt on the snow-covered fields of the North, Nanook and Sedna live following the traditions of their ancestors. Alone in the wilderness, they look like the last people on Earth. Nanook and Sedna's traditional way of life starts changing - slowly, but inevitably. Hunting becomes more and more difficult, the animals around them die from inexplicable deaths and the ice has been melting earlier every year. Chena, who visits them regularly, is their only connection to the outside world - and to their daughter Ága, who has left the icy tundra a long time ago due to family feud. When Sedna's health deteriorates, Nanook decides to fulfill her wish. He embarks on a long journey in order to find Ága.

After the death of esteemed philosophy teacher Angel Dimitrov, the administration of the National High School of Ancient Languages and Cultures launches an all out investigation in search of the killer

Casey moves to her new apartment, where some drums are left behind.

The death of his father urges Zeus to contact his older half-brother Vasil, who left the family years ago. Vasil has no intentions to help his younger brother finance the funeral. When he finally agrees to help Zeus to sell his car, the 2 brothers start on a fateful journey.

Scandalous Italian ex-premier arrives in Bulgaria to support EU parliament application of a Bulgarian politic. The host and his much younger wife invite the ex-premier to a remote villa. A Dead body, naughty adventures and many compromising events happen before the true greedy, traitorous and selfish nature of the host shine bright among the awkward circumstances.

Sasheto dreams to be a filmmaker. Together with his best friend Miteto, he goes on a mysterious investigation, which may turn into his best film or unexpected disaster.

She Who Remains is an upcoming Bulgarian/Albanian/Italian co-production, directed by Kostadin Bonev, based on the award-winning novel by Rene Karabash. The film centers on 16-year-old Békia, who becomes a "sworn virgin" in the Albanian mountains to escape a forced marriage, triggering a chain of violent consequences. It explores patriarchal traditions.

A story about Bulgarian musicians, making a tour of Europe. In the morning they had a matinée in Graz and at nigh they are supposed to have a gala in Vienna. Fly by Rossinant is a musical incorporating opera and silent movies elements.

A diver gets trapped at sea and needs to be rescued by the man whose love and life he has ruined.

In our difficult modern life when social difference and inequality cause even children to be submitted to undeserved humiliation, two kids of different fates shall touch this lonely old man's strange and interesting world of spiritual richness. The kid's spiritual growth - the realization of true human kindness and the choice of justice to falsehood and lie are moral messages of this film. Mark Twain's novel becomes a character in the story and establishes direct connections with modern society; thus the story of the two boys turns into modern parable of good and evil.

The intricate relations between an Artist, an Actress and a Poet are seen against the background of one of the most dramatic events in the recent history of Bulgaria: uprising, which broke out in 1923.

This short film is about two life styles - the healthy, training-intense one versus the sedentary, junk food eating one. "Vseki ima svoya izbor" is Kiril Totev's graduate work from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts.

One of the best Bulgarian mountain runners – Kiril Nikolov, known as Disl, attempted to set a new record – to run through the longest and legendary Bulgarian mountain route – 600 km from the mountain peak of Kom on the west border to cape Emine on the Black Sea coast, in less than 5 days. Through steep mountain paths, pouring rain, and sticky mud, the glorious adventure takes him beyond the barriers of his own consciousness, facing hidden fears, pain and exhaustion. Tо the point where he has to make a tough choice – to quit or to push his will to the ultimate challenge, beyond his own limitations.

When Zach Dains uncovers a chilling link between an antique red box and his wife Bella’s death, he must reconnect with his estranged son Max to save him from being pulled into the afterlife by Bella’s tormented spirit.

The story of St. Cyrilus (Constantine The Philosopher) in his quest of enlightening the Slavic people.

The five-year-old kid Dimo must go to the kindergarten. He is not used to talking to the other kids and he has problems adjusting. His teacher gives him the task of taking care of aquarium. Dimo caused a flood, catches a old and stays at home for few days. Once day his parents take him to the zoo. His mother shows him the tiger cage and tells him that he looks as a little tiger. When Dimo goes back to the kindergarten, he makes a mess again, refuges to apologize and runs off. He walks around the streets of Sofia, plays on the swings in the park, goes to the distorted mirrors room, watches a soccer practice and becomes an unwilling participant in a TV show. The teachers in the kindergarten are worried about his disappearance. A search begins. Without suspecting anything, two young people take Dimo to a restaurant but have an accident on their way back. The young people run away and Dimo hides in telephone booth, from where he calls his house. His parents look for him with no success.

A young modern woman goes to church and all hell breaks loose.

This grim Bulgarian drama explores the effects that the postwar Stalinist-led social reorganization of that country had upon the lives not only of those who suffered public denunciation, but upon those who were coerced into going along with those denunciations against their will, and especially upon the children. In the story, the schoolgirl Alexandra's father was a celebrated partisan who fought against the Nazis in World War Two. His prominence must have been considered a threat, because at the beginning of this film, he denounced and arrested. Not only that, but Alexandra (Monika Budjonova) has her cherished Young Pioneer (communist youth league) membership stripped from her. Her teachers have been forced to publicly humiliate her for being the daughter of an enemy of the state, and her friends, except for the inexplicably loyal Ivan (Kliment Corbadziev) have had to abandon her.

An eccentric psychologist has limited time to experiment with a group of artists, applying unconventional methods to cure their fears, while she herself struggles with a problem that has no solution.

It's never too late to do the right thing, to say the words that have been gnawing at your soul for a long time, to admit that you love - her, him, others, life. It's dangerous, it's risky. Autumn reveals all our colors. It changes everything.

The wars of 1912-1913 pass as a distant echo in Dozhden, a small village in the Rhodopes. Overwhelmed by a dream to fly, the young shepherd Sirachko, the son of a skilled craftsman, set about building an aircraft.

Hilarious comedy about a bunch of crazy private detectives who are trying to save the world from a nuclear disaster! Everything would be easier if there were not so many pretty Bulgarian girls who destract some of the agents, but sometimes help with fighting back. This is a second instalment of the Rapid Response Corps with the same characters from the first movie.

A poetic exploration of heaven and hell, the apocalypse and the afterlife, through the lens of a VHS camera.