REPORT: Based-on-Books @ Cinelibri 2024
- We take a closer look at five of the twelve projects pitched at the Sofia-based industry gathering
Day 1 of this year’s Based-on-Books Cinema Forum (26-27 October), organised by Sofia’s Cinelibri, hosted the pitches of twelve projects based on books and with great potential to be turned into features. In this article, we take a closer look at five of the projects pitched at the Bulgarian gathering.
Yan Bibiyan – Yavor Gardev (Bulgaria)
Presented on stage by the director himself, the “coming-of-age tale boasting a dark, sinister look” is based on Elin Pelin’s fantasy novel. Its story is deeply rooted in the country’s culture and folklore, and it is known nationwide by children and adults alike.
In the novel, the titular protagonist befriends a mischievous devilkin, Fyut, and becomes trapped in the kingdom of the wizard Mirilaylay, blending fairy tale and fantasy elements. The story then shifts to science fiction as Yan travels to the Moon, highlighting themes of adventure, personal growth, and bravery.
Now in the late development stage and soon entering pre-production, the picture aims to start filming next spring. The crew includes concept artist Vladimir Todorov (best known for his work on the likes of Harry Potter, Stuart Little, and Beowulf). Some of the attached cast members are Zachary Baharov (Game of Thrones, The [+see also:
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Chamkoria – Victor Bojinov (Bulgaria)
Based on the novel penned by Milen Ruskov and pitched by the helmer himself, the story is set in 1920s interwar Bulgaria. We follow an ordinary man, a driver called Slave Zhelyakov, who finds himself entangled in some of the darkest secrets of his time owing to his profession. It also tackles one of Bulgaria’s most painful historical events, the St Nedelya Church assault – the third bloodiest terrorist act after the Lockerbie tragedy and the 11 September attacks.
The project has already secured 80% of its budget and received backing from the Bulgarian National Film Centre and BNT. The team is seeking co-producers and sales agents. An undisclosed domestic distributor is already attached.
If I Were a Boy – Fatmir Koci (Albania)
The story, based on the novel by Haki Stermilli and told through a non-linear storytelling approach, follows the tragic vicissitudes of a young girl called Dije, enslaved and abused by her own family in the name of their religious beliefs. In it, we follow the girl until she turns seventeen, from 1989 to 2001. The plot touches on key events of Albanian history including the “first ‘opening’ of Albania in 1991/1992” after the fall of the socialist regime and the late 1990s civil war, prompted by pyramid schemes which made “almost every Albanian lose money.”
Zooming in on the lead character, the helmer said: “She likes the Quran but she likes her freedom. She doesn’t want to be enslaved and fears being sold to a rich oligarch while her stepmother convinces her father to cover her. When she discovers her fate – her father wants to sell her to a rich man in Istanbul – she tries to escape.”
Defective – Director TBC (Italy)
This book, published by Fandango Libri (the publishing division of Fandango, also active in film and music) this month and presented on stage by literary agent Clementina Liuzzi, begins with a tragic car accident in Tripoli, Libya’s capital. A mother and a father were on board while their newborn baby was thrown out of the car and hit a tree. The child, author Nagla Augelli, becomes paraplegic and is left by her family in an orphanage. For a while, her father comes to visit her. When she turns seven, her father brings her to Italy for some treatment and abandons her in a hospital. “This is a true story of a minor who had to start anew,” said Liuzzi. “In the meantime, she completely forgot Arabic and at some point she couldn’t speak any language at all. It’s the story of an abandoned non-European citizen. Today, she’s become a woman who has managed to change her life for the better.”
“At some point, Nagla meets a quite well-known author, and she finds herself telling her her story. One of the first things that came out is that she could tell her story in such a light-hearted, ironic way. And some stories are so incredible that they seem to be part of a film,” she summed up.
Little Sins – Director TBC (Bulgaria)
This novel, a psychological drama penned and pitched by Paulina Georgieva, revolves around six friends who meet at a famous retreat centre in Crete. They are middle- and upper-middle-class individuals who meet first in Berlin, sharing their “little sins” and struggling with different anxieties.
The characters are Israeli therapist Saul (whose “little sin” is conceit); an artist called Lilith (hers is lying); Greek entrepreneur Adrian (a control freak); Nora, the Bulgarian CEO of a multinational firm (she is addicted to psycho-stimulants); Swedish photographer Johann (who hides “more than one little sin”); and Italian pop diva Verda, “the only innocent in the group.”
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