Producer, festival director, distributor, exhibitor
From 1992 through 1999, he was director and programmer of the Cinema House, the leading art house cinema in Bulgaria. In 1997 he founded Sofia International Film Festival, considered as the most important film festival in Bulgaria and one of key film events in Central and Eastern Europe, accredited by FIAPF.
Since 1995 with both production companies he founded – RFF International and Art Fest – he has produced and co-produced more than 20 films which received national and international recognition most acclaimed of which is ‘The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner’ (2008) by Stephan Komandarev (shortlisted for Foreign Language Oscar, 30 international awards, released and broadcasted in more than 100 countries). Recent project include films by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (‘The Wild Pear Tree’), Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens (‘King of the Belgians’ and ‘Barefoot Emperor’), Nadejda Koseva (‘Irina’), Levan Koguashvili (‘Brighton 4th’), Dusan Milic (‘Darkling’).
Over the last 15 years Kitanov has released theatrically in Bulgaria over 100 European films by directors as Wim Wenders, Michael Haneke, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Lars von Trier, Aki Kaurismaki, Terry Gilliam, Dardenne Brothers, Danis Tanovic, Francois Ozon, Fatih Akin, Ken Loach, Andrej Zviagintzev, Cristian Mungiu, Dusan Milic, Radivoje Andric, among others.
Kitanov was Bulgarian representative in the Board of management of Eurimages, 1997-2000. He was member of juries in Venice, Cannes, Karlovy Vary, Moscow, Cluj, Wiesbaden, Thessaloniki, Yerevan, Komarom, Torun, European Parliament, EFA. He is a member of the European Film Academy.