23rd SOFIA MEETINGS 2026
Sofia Meetings is a leading co-production market held within the framework of the Sofia International Film Festival, recognized as one of the most important audiovisual events in South-Eastern Europe. The event plays a proactive role in structuring the regional audiovisual industry and developing a sustainable, inclusive, and representative ecosystem, ensuring that emerging talents and professionals from the countries in the region gain meaningful access to European and international markets.
The programme includes four pitching sessions for feature films by emerging directors, TV series project pitchings, cross-media projects (XR), Works in Progress presentations, and Industry Screenings, providing projects with both visibility, financing, circulation and concrete development and co-production opportunities. Beyond these core modules, Sofia Meetings offers a comprehensive professional programme with industry discussions, workshops, a Transmedia/VR hub, book-related initiatives, tailored consultations, and exposure to innovations, new business models, and sustainability practices. By combining structured formats with hands-on guidance, mentoring, and curated matchmaking, the event actively strengthens the audiovisual ecosystem in the region, promoting cross-border collaboration and equitable opportunities.
Sofia Meetings is a long-established European co-production market and networking platform with a proven track record of strengthening cross-border collaboration, market access, and international circulation of European audiovisual works. Over more than 20 years, it has responded to a clear structural need within the EU A/V ecosystem: the limited access of professionals and projects from various countries in the Balkan region to major EU markets, financing structures, and decision-makers.
Positioned at the intersection of talent development, project-driven market activities, and international networking, Sofia Meetings plays a strategic role in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe, acting as a gateway between emerging audiovisual industries and more established European and international markets. Its EU added value lies in its capacity to identify, prepare, and connect new European voices and projects at an early stage, thereby contributing to the long-term sustainability, diversity, and competitiveness of the EU audio-visual sector.
Unlike large-scale global markets that primarily serve established companies and later-stage projects, Sofia Meetings is recognized as a talent- and project-oriented market, with a strong focus on first, second, and third feature films, early-career producers, and innovative creators. This positioning complements existing EU markets by addressing a critical gap: the professionalization and internationalization of emerging talents and projects that would otherwise struggle to access EU co-production and distribution networks. For WiP, timing is a key consideration: the selection aligns with the period just before major festivals and industry events such as Cannes, maximizing opportunities for screenings to festivals, sales agents, and distributors, and enhancing the films’ market visibility.
Participants, including producers, directors, and creative teams, are selected for their professional potential, commitment to their projects, and readiness to actively engage in co-production, distribution, and networking opportunities. This approach ensures a balanced, diverse, and high-potential lineup, fostering meaningful connections, professional development, and successful entry into EU and international markets. Cristi Puiu, Radu Jude, Lili Horvath, Konstantin Bojanov, Levan Koguashvili, Tom Shoval, Valentyn Vasyanovych, Nicos Labut, A. Palaoro, A. Smocinska, A. Kusjanovic, A. Sitaru, B.Jalali, H. Sigurdson, C. Mungiu, Petar Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva, Ilian Metev, Kamen Kalev, Ralitza Petrova, and many others all presented their works at SM. For many of them, it was a crucial step in their career.
