The reputable industry platform focusing on Central and Eastern European film projects Sofia Meetings steps into its third decade of providing filmmakers with a stage and opportunities for future collaborations. As usual, it takes place during the Sofia International Film Festival, this year between 20 and 24 March. For five days, directors and producers will have the chance to pitch their first, second or third feature-length projects, in order to aid them in their search for future co-producers, sales agents or distributors. Industry professionals will also attend closed screenings of projects at various stages of post-production, whose teams will be in contact with key decision makers.

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The Feature Films Pitching selection includes 27 projects in total, with a strong Bulgarian presence, made up of both relative newcomers and festival veterans. Sofia Meetings’ various strands will welcome pictures by Yana Titova, Tonislav Hristov, Eliza Petkova and Milko Lazarov, as well as three directorial duos: Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova, and Svetoslav Ovcharov and Svetla Tsotsorkova. Other production countries include Kosovo, Cyprus, Angola and Canada.

The films in the Plus Minus One section are either first or third features, for a total of 13. Four features will be presented under the Second Fiction Feature banner, and five TV-series projects will be pitched, hailing from Bulgaria and the wider region. As for Projects in Bank, the only strand that’s not presented publicly, there will be ten titles, including some from Ukraine, Italy and Turkey.

The Work In Progress selection encompasses 20 features, including one title hailing from Kyrgyzstan and three creative documentary films. A total of eight of those projects are either Bulgarian productions or co-productions, and another WIP Focus on Bulgaria strand gathers seven more.

The Bulgarian capital will thus turn into an industry hotspot for the week, welcoming hundreds of film professionals to pitching sessions, workshops and talks. Alongside the usual distribution-centred workshops led by Europa Cinemas and Europa Distribution, Sofia Meetings delivers a programme of industry talks, supported by ACE, EAVE, MIDPOINT and the MFI in collaboration with Thessaloniki’s Crossroads Co-production Forum/Agora Market. Event highlights include a talk on film adaptations in the presence of the author of the International Booker Prize-winning book Time Shelter, Georgi Gospodinov; a session on virtual reality led by Michel Reilhac, the founding curator of Venice VR; and a talk on neuroscience and storytelling by Cineuropa’s own Domenico La Porta.

Here is a full list of the projects partaking in the 2024 edition of Sofia Meetings:

Second Fiction Feature Film Projects

Arcadian Shepherds – Daniel Florêncio
Producers: Nancy Kokolaki, Dionyssis Samiotis, Nefeli Zygopoulou – Tanweer Productions (Greece), I Made It Films (UK)

Ballerina Shoes – Teodor Kuhn
Producers: Jakub Viktorín, Tomáš Hrubý – nutprodukcia sro (Slovakia)

Làstima – Mario Piredda
Producer: Chiara Galloni – Articolture (Italy)

Surviving Pölkowitz – Jannis Alexander Kiefer
Producers: Paula Elina Klossner, Stephen Buske – Tidewater Pictures (Germany)

Plus Minus One Film Projects

Barefoot Bull – Petar Krumov
Producer: Rossitsa Valkanova – Klas Film (Bulgaria)

Bear Hug – Alexandros Skouras
Producers: Eleni Oulani, Lina Yannopoulou – Argonauts Productions (Greece) (in partnership with the MFI)

Boys’ Game – Corinna Avraamidou
Producer: Andros Achilleos – Seahorse Film Productions (Cyprus)

Death Is for the Living – Kristiyan Bozov
Producers: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov – Abraxas Film (Bulgaria)

Heartbeat – Sergej Waldrat
Producers: Samaya Hillenbrand, Thomas Hillenbrand – Doghouse Filmproductions (Germany), Mew Movies (Azerbaijan), Quiet Revolution Pictures (Canada)

I Will Drink With the Bees – Léa Triboulet
Producer: Jérôme Blesson – La Belle Affaire Productions (France)

Lady Sunshine – Anna Korom
Producer: Anna Szijártó – Kinomoto Kft (Hungary) (in partnership with Crossroads Co-production Forum)

Portrait of Fortuna – Tomasz Jurkiewicz
Producer: Magdalena Sztorc – Before My Eyes (Poland) (in partnership with EAVE)

Report on the Miracles of the Earth – Carlos Conceição
Producers: João Matos, Kamen Velkovsky, Carlos Conceição – Terratreme (Portugal), Alaz Film (Bulgaria), Mirabilis (Angola)

Sydney Smile Future Perfect – Gregoris Rentis
Producers: Mando Stathi, Myrto Stathi – BYRD (Greece) (in partnership with EAVE)

The Miracle Number Three – Grzegorz Jaroszuk
Producers: Alicja Gancarz, Magdalena Zimecka – ORKA (Poland)

This Broken World – Richard Keane
Producer: Richard Keane – Out Left Productions (Ireland), TBC (Finland)

Vestige – Rita Krasniqi
Producer: Jon Gojani – Kot Productions (Kosovo)

TV Series

Brain Drain
Producer: Maja Popovic – Sense Production (Serbia) (in partnership with MIDPOINT)

Spare Life – Boris Despodov
Producer: Boris Despodov – Arthouse Blockbusters (Bulgaria/Germany)

Little Red Fox – Nuria Gómez Garrido
Producer: Hector Ulloque – Chakalaka Films (France)

The Gene of Doubt – Zornitsa Sophia
Producer: Krastyo Lambev – Concept Studio (Bulgaria)

The Shepherd – Filippos Tsitos
Producers: Stelios Mavrodontis, Nicholas Alavanos – Filmiki Productions (Greece)

Projects in Bank

Emil – Yana Titova
Producers: Ivan Hristov, Andrei Arnaudov – Medium Station (Bulgaria)

Fly! – Zornitsa Sophia
Producer: Zornitsa Sophia – MQ Pictures (Bulgaria)

In the Meantime – Gordan Matic
Producers: Gordan Matic, Ales Pavlin, Riccardo Di Pasquelle – Re-Kreativno dud (Serbia)

Mother Tongue – Caterina Biasiucci
Producers: Antonella di Nocera, Claudia Canfora – Parallelo 41 Produzioni (Italy), Tangaj Film (Romania)

Lazarus – Dimitris Georgiev, Mariy Rosen
Producers: Teodora Mladenova, Elena Doroshenko – New European Entertainment (Bulgaria)

Nature Morte – Elena Rubashevska
Producers: Arne Dahr, Veronika Kryzhna – IE Kryzhna (Ukraine), Lightsource Film Productions (Norway)

Panna Sophia/Comenius – Václav Kadrnka
Producers: Václav Kadrnka, Simona Kadrnková – Sirius Films (Czech Republic)

Peter Deunov - The Teacher – Dimitar Gotchev
Producers: Dimitar Gotchev, Zlatina Filipova – Elbur Films (Bulgaria)

Rahma – Faysal Soysal
Producers: Faysal Soysal, Ivan Tonev – Balkon Film (Türkiye), ARSDIGITAL (Bulgaria)

Womaniser – Vesela Kazakova, Mina Mileva
Producers: Vesela Kazakova, Mina Mileva, Julie Baines – Activist38 (Bulgaria), Dan Films (UK)

Works in Progress Selection

The Shameless [+leggi anche:
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Producers: Nicolas Wadimoff, Philippe Coeytaux, Palmyre Badinier, Frédéric Corvez, Maéva Savinien, Rossitsa Valkanova, Vincent Wang – Akka Films (Switzerland), Urban Factory, House on Fire (France), Klas Film (Bulgaria)

Triumph – Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov
Producers: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Konstantina Stavrianou, Irini Vougioukalou, Maria Bakalova, Julian Kostov – Abraxas Film, Five Oceans, Red Carpet Films, Dystopia Films (Bulgaria), Graal Films (Greece)

Tarika – Milko Lazarov
Producer: Veselka Kiryakova – Red Carpet Films (Bulgaria), 42film (Germany), Amour Fou Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

Mum – Nikola Lezaic
Producers: Nicola Lezaic, Marija Lero, Sinisa Juricic, Nikolay Moutafchiev – Qče (Serbia), Nukleus Film (Croatia), Premierstudio (Bulgaria)

Apollon by Day Athena by Night – Emine Yildirim
Producers: Dilde Mahalli, Emine Yıidirim – Rosa Film, Ursula Film (Turkey)

Cold Clouds – Kakhaber Kikabidze
Producer: Vladimer Katcharava – 20 Steps Productions (Georgia)

Deal at the Border – Dastan Zhapar Uulu
Producer: Suiumkan Sulaimanova – “Kyrgyzfilm” National Film Studio, Creative Center Foundation (Kyrgyzstan)

Facing the Sun – Lyubomir Mladenov
Producers: Poli Angelova, Nikolay Todorov – Screening Emotions (Bulgaria)

Geri’s Wish – Tonislav Hristov
Producers: Kaarle Aho, Andrea Stanoeva – Making Movies (Finland), Soul Food (Bulgaria)

Kafe 404 – Alexandros Tsilifonis
Producer: Katerina Kaskanioti – Central Athens Film Productions (Greece)

Overtime – Aron Horvath Botka
Producers: Ana Kovacic, Aron Horvath Botka – Lilit, Lavina (Slovenia), Ave Nim (Austria)

Our Lovely Pig Slaughter – Adam Martinec
Producers: Matěj Paclík, Anna Mach Rumanova – Breathless Films, Czech Television, Innogy, FAMU (Czech Republic), Filmsomnia (Slovakia)

Still Life With Ghosts – Enrique Buleo
Producers: Alejandra Mora, Alicia Yubero – Quatre Films Audiovisuales, Cuidado con el perro (Spain), This and That (Serbia)

Strandzha – Pepa Hristova
Producers: Julia Cöllen, Karsten Krause, Frank Scheuffele – Fünferfilm (Germany), Agitprop (Bulgaria)

The Children of Popodia – Sofia Babluani
Producer: Gela Babluani – Les Films de la Strada (France), Cinema 13 (Georgia)

The Last Son – Darko Štante
Producers: Miha Černec, Nina Robnik – Staragara (Slovenia), Propeler Film (Croatia), Kaval Film (North Macedonia), Staragara IT (Italy), Graal (Greece)

The Other Side of Summer – Vojtěch Strakatý
Producer: Ondřej Lukeš – Beginner’s Mind, Czech Television (Czech Republic), Wolfgang & Dolly (Croatia)

The Pleasure Is Mine – Sacha Amaral
Producers: Agustin Gagliardi, Soledad Mariel Fernández – Protest Studios (France), Gentil Cine (Argentina), Quadrophenia Films (Brazil)

Those Who Whistle After Dark – Pınar Yorgancıoğlu
Producers: Zeynep Ekmekci, Dilde Mahalli, Bekir Yusuf Açıksöz, Önder Furkan Besli, Pınar Yorgancıoğlu – İndiBindi Film (Turkey), Marlene Film GmbH & Co KG (Germany), Portokal (Bulgaria)

The Wheels of Heaven – Ben Charles Edwards
Producer: Dessy Tenekedjieva – Black Sea Film (Bulgaria), Goldfinch Entertainment (UK)

Focus Bulgaria

Snescha and Franz – Svetoslav Draganov
Producer: Svetoslav Draganov – Cineaste Maudit Production (Bulgaria), Wiener Stadt und Landesarchiv (Austria)

Silent Observers – Eliza Petkova
Producer: Veselka Kiryakova – Red Carpet Films (Bulgaria), Wood Water Films (Germany)

Eternity Package – Magdelena Ilieva
Producer: Martichka Bozhilova – Agitprop, Little Wing Productions (Bulgaria), Mammut Film (Italy)

Gundi - Legend of Love – Dimitar Dimitrov
Producers: Ivan Hristov, Andrey Arnaudov – Medium Station, ImmerseFX (Bulgaria)

Shepherd/The Angel’s Bread – Milena Andonova
Producer: Nevena Andonova – Proventus Film House, Bulgarian National Television, Doli Media Studio, Magic Shop, Nu Boyana Film Studios, Kinolight, Maxim 15 (Bulgaria)

We Are All Children – Svetla Tsotsorkova, Svetoslav Ovcharov
Producer: Svetla Tsotsorkova – Front Film (Bulgaria)

Zvezda – Kamen Stoyanov
Producers: Zornitsa Sophia, Petar Minchev – MQ Pictures Ltd, Doli Media Studio, Magic Shop (Bulgaria)