Kita 20 - page 9

While I travel throughout Bulgaria, I love to discover places, which I enlist in my blackberry as Kita’s Place. This is a list of 20 restaurants and several bars. I have also included places from the past, which are no longer the same, but are still part of my memories. I live at the city's center, at 1, Kniaz Boris Str. As I travel a lot throughout the year, I love to stay at home when I am in Sofia. I work mostly from home and I go out rarely – mostly for meetings in the festival’s office or in a place nearby. That is why most of the places I visit, are on the first parallel street – „Tzar Assen“. Kita’s Shortlist of the neighbourhood places: „Fun Housе The Clock“, 81, Tzar Assen Str., Tel: +359 888 309 090. My favorite place for meetings, no matter personal or business. It is a tradition for me to meet here the International Jury. „Memory“, 66, Kniaz Boris I, Tel: +359 888 896 985, 02 952 6250. My favorite bar in the neighbourhood. „Sun and Moon“, 18-A, Gladstone Str., Tel: +359 895 648 477. A vegetarian restaurant with superb organic food and the best bread in Sofia. „Murphy’s”, 6, Karnigradska Str., Tel: +02 980 2870. The closest Irish pub, where I watch Berbatov play and drink dark beer. „Pastorant“, 16, Tzar Asen Str., Tel: + 359887 026 190. My favorite Italian restaurant in Bulgaria. And more: „Family“, Sofia, 52, Gladstone Str., Tel: +02 980 9012. We discovered this beer house with Mexican cuisine two years ago, in the summer – when we tried to quench our thirst with the Czech beer Konrad, we became fans forever. „Hambara“, Sofia, 22, 6th September. The incomparable and unique Sofia’s № 1 Bar. Outside the neighbourhood the classic Kita’s Place е: „Pod lipite“, Sofia, 1, Elin Pelin Str., Tel: +359 888 954 406. The elite restaurant with Bulgarian cuisine. This is the place for Sofia Meetings’ opening traditional dinner, which is one of the most impressive festival’s dinners. I have several favorite places outside Sofia as well, that I discovered after many trips mostly for our Sofia Film Fest on the Road festival: „Molerite“, Bansko, 41, Glazne Str., Tel: +359 888 844 944, (0)898 844 944, (0)887 844 944. My favorite Bulgarian mehana which we discovered with a great joy at the beginning of the 90s. It was in a 100-200 years old house at that time. Now it is a hotel with a restaurant and live music. „Istanbul“, Trakia highway, close to the tunel Trayanovi vrata, the owner is Zeku Okzus, Tel: +0899 255 595. The classical Turkish restaurant in Bulgaria. „Grolsch”, Burgas, The Park by the sea, Tel: +0894 383 634. I have been going in this beer house in the past 10 years, after Jordanka and Georgi Ingilizovi, Georgi Djulgerov and Boreto Chakrinov took me there for the first time. We visit it after the closing of Sofia Film Fest at the Coast and we were there even last spring, a month before Dancheto Ingilizova left us forever. „Erevan“, Plovdiv, 29, Otez Paisii Str., Tel: +0894 762 779. An Armenian restaurant with tasty cuisine. „Naylova“, Plovdiv, 7, Benkovski Str., Bar № 1 in Plovdid. An underground athmosphere, a bit laid-back, but stylish and tasteful, that hasn’t been changed for decades by the owner Vozhda. „Stara Varna“, Varna, 5, Tzar Kaloyan Str., Tel: +052 654065, 0887 280 697. A very interesting photography museum on the first floor of a house in the town’s Greek quarter with a spending winehouse in the basement. of the „Buhchevata kashta“, Stara Zagora, 52, Ivan Shishman Str., Tel: +0896 103 992, 0542 600 570 Over 100 years old and a rare example of art nouveau. A rich and quality menu in an elegant and tasteful athmosphere. „Nikulden“, Silistra, 2, Pristanishtna, +086 822 214 Silistra’s fish restaurant. „Malkiat Inter“, Veliko Tarnovo, 22, Ivan Vazon Str., Tel: +0885 152 722. A wonderful as a bar and as a restaurant. „Hadzhivelinov Han“, Bozentsi, Tel: +0885 333 148. You can trust the chef and don’t miss the rakiya that the owner Velin would suggest to you. And two places from the past: „Banska kashta Mile Popyordanov“, Sofia, 5, Vasil Drumev Str. Now the restaurant is called „Veliko Tarnovo“. I still remember it as it was in the mid 90s. We dined, we sang with unforgettable clarinetist Malaka. „Otvad aleyata zad shkafa“, Sofia, 31, Budapeshta Str. This elite Sofia restaurant is now gone. It is now called „Adi's Cook & Book“, Tel: +359 882 686 802, 0898 686 802. „Otvad aleyata“ made happy our most demanding guests. Konchalovsky went there twice, so did Otar Iosseliani.

The Festival band is something Sofia Film Fest can't breathe without. Ever since the days of the first two Rock Film Fests the band has been part of the events we hold, represented by at least Kita and Pesheto. In 1993 and 1994 we had remarkable concerts with Radio Tangra in the Summer theater. Since 1997 the so-called Festival band performs at the closing of each festival edition. The band is internationally famous due to the participation of the other two Stefans apart from Kitanov - Stephane Laudin (Warsaw film festival director) and Stefan Uhrik (Prague film festival). The two main members of the band are Kita and Pesheto. Through the years we’ve had also Vassil Giurov, Kiki (Kiril Stoyankov), Angel Kasparyanov, Dimitar Argirov, Nuffry, Dakata, Lyubaka, Valdi, Kiril Marichkov, Stefan Valdobrev, Vasko the Patch, Sancho Finzi, Dieter Kosslick and, of course, the festival director Ivaylo Kraychovski-Pifa perform. Here are some of the tracks the Festival band has often played: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles Drive My Car – The Beatles Roadhouse Blues – The Doors Come Together – The Beatles Jumpng Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones Born To Be Wild Message in a Bottle - Police Desire – U2 One – U2 Helter Skelter – The Beatles Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix Rock'n'Roll – Led Zeppelin Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash All Along the Watchtower – Bob Dylan Suzie Q – Creedence Clearwater Revival My My Hey Hey – Neil Young Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan Mrs Robinson – Simon and Garfunkel The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel

The garden in the courtyard of the building where Kita lives is an oasis in the centre of Sofia. Only 5 minutes away from the NPC, the garden will make someone believe that it is actually in a small town. After the yard was cleaned, a wall was built and a grass was planted, the actor Mihail Bilalov, who is also a landscape arcitect, suggested which plants where to be arranged, during the shooting of Which Way Today. There is a variety of plants in the garden, such as: a magnolia, three hibiscuses, two leanders, a yew, a maple tree, two cypresses, two euonimuses, two thujas, a boxshrub, a barberry,virgin's bowers, an Oregon grape, Ilex vomitoria, forsythia, roses, hortensia, fuchsia, Impatiens and begonias, lilium, tulips, daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops.

20 selected international festivals, which the Sofia International Film Festival visits through the year: Rotterdam – January Berlin – February Istanbul – April Wiesbaden – April Cannes – May Cluj – June Moscow – June Karlovy Vary – June Sarajevo – July Yerevan – July Jerusalem – July Locarno – August Venice – August/September San Sebastian – September Warsaw – October Ghent – October London – October Cottbus – November Thessaloniki – November Talinn – November/December SIFF's director Stefan Kitanov and SIFF's deputy director and head of Sofia Meetings, Mira Staleva, travel mostly on those festivals. In some years, the list varies and the festivals in the following cities could be visited instead some of the above mentioned: Trieste, Plzen, Vilnius, Vologda, Odessa, Sankt Peterburg, London, Mar De Plata, Gijon, Lece, Bari, Adana, Torino, etc.

Sofia International Film Festival has been traveling in Bulgaria for years now and has had editions in 20 towns so far: Burgas – since 2003 Plovdiv – since 2006 Russe – first screening in an open air in 2007, Sofia Film Fest on the Road edition in 2009 Kozlodui – singular screenings since 2009 Stara Zagora – since 2010 Varna – since 2010 Blagoevgrad – since 2010 Gabrovo – since 2010 Sliven – since 2010 Dobrich – since 2010 Sozopol – since 2010 Malko Tarnovo – a special screening in 2011 Godech – a special screening in 2011 Chernomorets – a special screening in 2011 Targovishte – since 2012 Veliko Tarnovo – since 2012 Kazanlak – since 2012 Pomorie – since 2012 Lozenetz – since 2012 Tran – a special screening in 2012

Panahi's talent as a master of fascinating stories has long been recognized in the world of cinema - the director has in his collection the Venice's "Golden Lion" (for "Circles", 2000), the Berlin's "Golden Bear" (for "Taxi", 2015) and the "Golden Palm" for his latest film " It Was Just an Accident ", which big screen premiere in Bulgaria will be in the 30th anniversary Sofia Film Festival's programme. The latest film by the renowned Iranian director has been included as France's entry in the shortlist for the Oscar nominations for Best International Film. Among the Golden Globe nominations, " It Was Just an Accident " competes in four categories - for best picture, director, screenplay and film in a non-English language. The prestigious prize received by Panahi from Cate Blanchett and jury president Juliette Binoche in Cannes marks a new stage in his work, after all the hardships, restrictions, censorship and years of imprisonment in his native country Iran. " It Was Just an Accident " is Jafar Panahi 's first film since his release from prison and follows a man, his pregnant wife and their daughter who had a car crash, and this accident transforms into a series of events with important personal and societal consequences. True to his approach to film narratives, Panahi uses a deceptively simple plot twist and gradually delves into complex moral cases, critiques of social order, and the fragility of humanity and existence. Panahi is a key figure in the Iranian New Wave. His socially engaged films explore themes such as repression, social injustice and restrictions on freedom in Iran. His feature debut "The White Balloon" (1995) won the Camera d'Or at Cannes, the first major recognition for Iranian cinema at that festival. Despite his numerous arrests and bans, he continues to create films that pose sharp social and political issues. In the immediate aftermath of the latest sentence against him by the Iranian government, he dedicated several of his film's awards to " the creators who continue to shoot in silence, without support, often risking everything they have for their belief in truth and humanity ." Jafar Panahi is among the best friends of Sofia Film Festival, having been a special guest at the 2002 and 2004 editions, and in 2021 he was awarded with the Sofia Award for his contribution to the art of cinema. * * * We're WAITING for you at the #CINEMA! #30SofiaIFF