08/06/2022 - 35 feature-film projects, mostly from Central and Eastern Europe, are being presented at this year’s edition of the Bulgarian-based industry gathering

Director Beata Parkanová, who is taking part in the Plus Minus One Projects section with A Cry Like a Beautiful Song

After being postponed from its usual March dates during the Sofia International Film Festival, owing to pandemic-related restrictions, the hybrid 19^th edition of the Sofia Meetings co-production market is taking place online via Festival Scope (6-12 June) and physically in the Grand Hotel Sofia (9-12 June). Out of the 35 feature-film projects announced, eight hail from Bulgaria.

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The Plus Minus One Projects competition, for first or third projects, includes 12 titles, ten of which are Central and Eastern European productions or co-productions. Four titles will be locking horns in the Second Film Projects competition, and a further eight will be participating under the label of the First Films First training programme. Six projects are partaking in Projects In Bank, five of which are Bulgarian and one is from Turkey. Additionally, four TV-series projects are competing as well, all from Central and Eastern Europe. The Works in Progress programme is divided into three sections, encompassing 14 feature films – seven of these are documentaries, and five are short-film projects.

For the first time this year, Sofia Meetings is launching the professional Industry Talks schedule, an initiative organised jointly with Thessaloniki’s Crossroads co-production market, and run in partnership with established European training programmes such as ACE, EAVE, MIDPOINT and the MFI. The new sidebar will zoom in on screenwriting, marketing and event organisation, while this year’s particular focus is on the practices of green film production and cinema management.

Here is the complete list of the selected projects:

Plus Minus One Projects

A Cry Like a Beautiful Song – Beata Parkanová
Producer: Tomáš Hoffman – Infinity Prague Production (Czech Republic)

As Shadows Fade – Burcu Aykar
Producers: Nadir Öperli and Müge Özen – Liman Film and Solis Film (Turkey)

As If You Were Never Here – Eti Tsicko
Producers: Amir Harel and Vladimer Katcharava (Israel/Georgia)

Blok 62 – Vanja Vascarac
Producers: Danijel Pek and Stjepan Hundić – Antitalent d.o.o. (Croatia)

Madagaskarplan – Ivan Orlenko
Producer: Andriy Kornienko – Good Morning Films (Ukraine)

No Smoking at the Border - Svitlana Topor
Producer: Vasyl Malko – Emily Production (Ukraine)

Paris 18 – Kitodar Todorov
Producer: Magdalena Ilieva – Little Wing Productions Ltd (Bulgaria)

Prometheus – Yiorgos Fourtounis
Producer: Eleni Kossyfidou – Blackbird Production (Greece)

Remains of Life – Sevda Shishmanova
Producer: Veselka Kiryakova – Red Carpet (Bulgaria)

The Collaborator – Andris Gauja
Producers: Andris Gauja and Elza Gauja – Riverbed (Latvia/Lithuania)

The Father –Tereza Nvotová
Producer: Veronika Paštéková – Danae Production (Slovakia)

The Real Beings – Vakhtang Jajanidze
Producer: David Isakadze – Magnet Films (Georgia)

Second Film Projects

Chica Checa – Simon Holy
Producer: Alžběta Janáčková – Silk Films (Czech Republic)

Escape NET – Dzintars Dreibergs
Producers: Dzintars Dreibergs, Inga Pranevska and Marta Romanova-Jekabsone – Kultfilma (Latvia)

Immaculate – Steve Krikris
Producer: Steve Krikris – Filmiki Production (Greece)

The Lost Son – Darko Štante
Producers: Nina Robnik and Miha Černec – Staragara (Slovenia)

First Films First Projects

Our Father – Goran Stanković
Producer: Snezana van Houwelingen – This and That Productions (Serbia)

Consequences of Freedom – Lorin Terezi
Producer: Florenc Papas – Tunnel Film (Albania)

Secretary of the Year – Silva Ćapin
Producer: Rea Rajčić (Croatia)

A Girl Named Zeus – Nikos Dayandas
Producer: Stelios Apostolopoulos – Aori Films (Greece)

Fantasy – Kukla K
Producer: Barbara Daljavec – December Film (Slovenia)

Aisha – Hanis Bagashov
Producer: Hanis Bagashov (North Macedonia)

Vanja – Aleksandra Odić
Producer: Julia Peters – jip film & verleih (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Germany)

No Reverse – Branislav Milatovic
Producer: Miljan Vučelić – Bitter Frames Production (Montenegro)

Projects in Bank

Axis of Life – Atanas Hristoskov
Producer: Kalin Kalinov – Invictus Ltd (Bulgaria)

Ask the Wind – Dimitar Kotzev-Shosho
Producer: Jacqueline Wagenstein – Cinelibri Ltd (Bulgaria)

Love in Cold War Time – Lubomir Halatchev
Producer: Eleni Dekidis – Dekidis Films Ltd (Bulgaria)

Sleepless – Zeynep Ansoy
Producer: Omer Ozguner – OJO Pictures (Turkey)

Day Player – Maria Bobeva
Producers: Petro Dushkov, Jean-Francois Cavelier – HitterPetter Productions (Bulgaria/USA)

Ave Maria – Georgi-Jackie Stoev
Producer: Ivan Tonev – ARS Digital Studio (Bulgaria)

TV Series Projects

Childocracy – Janis Abele
Producer: Andris Gauja – Riverbed (Latvia)

Elephant – David Csicskar
Producer: Balazs Zachar – Proton Cinema (Hungary)

Afterparty – Dina Duma and Milica Tomovic
Producer: Maja Pek-Bruenjes – Antitalent (Croatia)

Your Man Tony – Kamen Kolarov
Producer: Eleni Dekidis – Dekidis Films Ltd (Bulgaria)