SOFIA FILM FESTIVAL
#RECONNECT
16-31 March 2023
Let's reconnect through CINEMA!
A special magic comes to life through film images, irrepressibly drawing viewers into unique journeys through different stories and worlds. The power of art brings us closer together, energizes our daily lives, we continuously discover new perspectives, and together enrich the multi-colored mosaic of Cinema. 27 festive, festival years - for the Sofia Film Festival team it is an honor and a privilege to be together, dear audience, participants, and professionals!
The 27th Sofia International Film Festival will await its viewers from the 16th to the 31st of March 2023 - the official opening of the 27th Sofia International Film Festival is on the 16th of March in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture. A preliminary program will start on the 10th of March at the Cinema House and the Czech Centre with retrospectives and the special competition "SIFF Teen", and festival screenings will continue in Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, and Varna until the 6th of April 2023. The screenings will be traditional - in cinemas, where viewers can experience the film stories together and meet many of their creators. We are looking forward to welcoming the authors of the selected works in the competition programs to present them in person to the Bulgarian audience, as well as many world-famous guests with their latest films.
The festival is organized by Art Fest under the patronage of Sofia Municipality, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the National Film Centre, and the Creative Europe MEDIA program of the European Union, in partnership with the National Palace of Culture, cultural institutes, sponsors, partners, and friends.
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In 2023 Sofia International Film Festival embraces the "green idea" and opens its 27th edition with the new film by the famous director Volker Schlöndorff "The Forest Maker". The Oscar and Palme d'Or winner will plant the first tree in the Sofia Film Fest forest - an initiative supported by Sofia Municipality and the telecommunications company Yettel. The launch will take place immediately after the official opening of the festival on 16 March 2023. Together with the German director, trees will be planted by the Mayor of Sofia Municipality, Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova, and a representative of Yettel. A special Schlöndorff retrospective will be presented in the hall of the Goethe-Institut and will be realized in partnership with the German cultural institution.
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Legendary actress Geraldine Chaplin will be one of the special guests of the 27th Sofia Film Fest and will receive the Sofia Award of the Sofia Municipality. Together with director Jessica Woodworth and her team, they will present their latest collaboration "Luka", inspired by the novel "The Tatar Desert" by Dino Buzzati, which premiered a few days ago in the competition program of the Rotterdam Film Festival. The gala screening of "Luka" is scheduled for 25 March - the evening of the Sofia International Film Festival awards!
One of the iconic names in Bulgarian cinema - the cinematographer, director, and screenwriter Radoslav Spassov will celebrate his 80th anniversary in 2023. This March he will receive the Sofia Municipality Award for his contribution to the seventh art. The plaque was created by the famous artist Georgi Chapkanov - Chapa, who is also celebrating his 80th anniversary this year!
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For the 21st time, an international jury will determine the Grand Prize in the competition for the first or second feature film "Sofia - City of Cinema", provided by Sofia Municipality. The jury is chaired by the world-famous director Milcho Manchevski, winner of the Golden Lion and nominated for a foreign-language Oscar.