For the second time, Sofia Meetings, one of the most influential industry platforms in Eastern Europe, will be held online because of the pandemic. The 18^th edition of the event will take place between 17 and 24 March, introducing 43 feature-length projects to a select audience of producers, distributors and festival representatives.

The 18^th edition of Sofia Meetings may be the most diverse so far, with projects hailing from many European countries, but also from Canada, Azerbaijan and Russia. The films’ topics are equally diverse, ranging from mediaeval fantasies with orphans becoming popes, to conflicts between Muslims and Christians in Iranian villages, and the shattered American Dream experienced by a German teenager at the beginning of the millennium.

Ten projects will be pitched in the Second Film Projects sidebar, with another 13 being presented in the Plus One Minus One strand. Twelve screenplays are included under Projects in Bank, with the remaining eight projects being part of First Films First, a traditional partner of Sofia Meetings.

The selection of projects hailing from Bulgaria (fewer than last year) seems to confirm an interesting local trend: actresses and actors making the leap behind the camera for their directorial debuts. With three of the most interesting Bulgarian films of 2020 being helmed by directors who first made a name for themselves as actors (Ivaylo Hristov’s Fear [+leggi anche:
recensione
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intervista: Ivaylo Hristov
scheda film], Yana Titova’s A Dose of Happiness [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] and Ivan Yurukov’s Till the Final Caprice), two very popular Bulgarian actors are also now investing their time in directing features: Asen Blatechki, developing The Most Beautiful Woman I Ever Killed with Front Film, and Stefan Denolyubov, developing 69 Meters with Geopoly.

Here are all 43 projects set to be presented, in one form or another, at the 18^th Sofia Meetings:

Second Film Projects

Cold as Marble [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] - Asif Rustamov (Azerbaijan/France)
Producer: Guillame de Seille (Baku Media Center, Arizona Productions)

Frost - Pavle Vuckovic (Serbia)
Producer: Stefan Mladenovic (Plan 9)

Gregorius the Chosen One - Tomasz Mielnik (Czech Republic)
Producers: Klara Zaloudkova, Mikulas Novotny (Background Films)

Luxembourg, Luxembourg [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Antonio Lukich
scheda film] - Antonio Lukich (Ukraine)
Producer: Vladimir Yatsenko (ForeFilms)

Maya - Tonia Mishiali (Cyprus)
Producers: Stelana Kliris, Tonia Mishiali (Bark Like a Cat Films)

Medium [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Christina Ioakeimidi
scheda film] - Christina Ioakeimidi (Greece)
Producers: Louizos Aslanidis, Yorgos Noussias (Ekso Productions)

Sage - Gentian Gjikopulli (Albania)
Producer: Eno Milkani (Bunker Film+)

Sand Chronicles - Petar Ristovski (Serbia/Bulgaria)
Producers: Mirjana Tomic, Galina Toneva (Living Pictures, Gala Film)

The Eagle of Barwaq - Kiarash Anvari (Canada/France)
Producers: Sadaf Foroughi, Guillaume de Seille (Sweet Delight Pictures, Arizona Productions)

The Most Beautiful Woman I Ever Killed - Asen Blatechki (Bulgaria)
Producer: Svetla Tsotsorkova (Front Film)

Plus Minus One Projects

I'll Be Gone in June - Katharina Rivilis (Germany)
Producer: Léa Germain (Road Movies)

Feline - Memi Koupa (Greece)
Producer: Fenia Cossovitsa (Blonde SA)

DJ Ahmet [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Georgi M. Unkovski
scheda film] - Georgi M Unkovski (North Macedonia)
Producers: Ivan Unkovski, Vladimir Atanasov, Angela Nestorovska (Cinema Futura, Sektor Film)

Figuring Love - Avner Matsliah (Israel)
Producers: Saar Yogev, Naomi Levari (Black Sheep Film)

Grace for Sale - Emre Sert, Gozde Yetiskin (Turkey)
Producer: Suzan Guverte (Guverte Film)

My Father’s Shoes - Hristo Simeonov (Bulgaria)
Producer: Katya Trichkova (Contrast Films)

The Genesis Hotel & Spa - Ali Jaberansari (UK)
Producer: Babak Jalali (Here & There Productions)

The Glass House - Taras Dron (Ukraine)
Producers: Igor Savychenko, Valeria Sochyvets (Directory Films)

Takotsubo - Miki Polonski (Israel/France)
Producers: Shira Hochman (Mina Films), Janja Kralj (Kinoelektron)

The Subletter - Caspar Newbolt (Germany)
Producer: Valerie Steinberg (Valerie Steinberg Production)

The Talentless - Radivoje Bukvić (Serbia)
Producer: Jovana Jovičić (Prikaz Film)

The Bloc - Viktor Chouchkov (Bulgaria)
Producers: Viktor Chouchkov, Katya Trichkova (Chouchkov Brothers)

The Great Match - Filip Syczyński (Poland)
Producer: Tarik Hachoud (Match&Spark)

Projects in Bank

69 Meters - Stefan Denolyubov (Bulgaria)
Producer: Pavlina Jeleva (Geopoly)

Aqua Vita - Abdullah Sahin (Turkey)
Producer: Halil Kardaş (Filmcode Production)

Bongoland - Adrian Silvestre (Spain)
Producers: Alba Sotorra, Guillermina Ortega (Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions)

Catane - Ioana Mischie (Romania)
Producer: Sorin Baican (Studioset)

Dirty Land - Luis Campos (Portugal)
Producer: Luis Campos (Bro Cinema)

Hello - Aren Perdeci, Ela Alyamaç (Turkey)
Producers: Kutsi Alyamaç, Ela Alyamaç, Aren Perdeci (Kara Kedi Film)

Lee Chun - Stefan Tenev (Bulgaria)
Producer: Darina Shopova (Bright Films)

Plateau - Ilian Metev (Germany/Bulgaria/UK)
Producers: Ingmar Trost, Sutor Kolonko, Ilian Metev (Chaconna Films)

Summer's End - Natalia Posovalova (Russia)
Producers: Alexander Mindadze, Liza Antonova (Passenger Film Studio)

The Elevator - Yassen Grigorov (Bulgaria)
Producers: Viktor Chouchkov, Borislav Chouchkov (Chouchkov Brothers)

The Convulsions - David Gutierrez Camps (France/Spain/Portugal)
Producers: Luis Ortas Pau, Irena Lopez, Pablo Gregorio Venegas, Tathiana Sacilotto (Imy Prod, Timber Films, La Cinetica, Persona Non Grata)

Usud - Stefan Malešević (Serbia)
Producer: Andrijana Sofranic Šućur (Set Sail Films)

First Films First

A Deserved Kiss - Murat Uğurlu (Turkey)
Producer: Asena Bulduk (Rubikon Film)

Apollon by Day, Athena by Night - Emine Yildirim (Turkey)
Producers: Dilde Mahalli, Emine Yildirim (Giyotin Film)

Blue Banks - Andreea Borțun (Romania)
Producer: Gabriela Suciu (Atelier de Film)

Embryo - Maša Šarović (Montenegro)
Producer: Jelena Šoškić (Kino)

Glory B. - Konstantinos Antonopoulos (Greece)
Producer: Fani Skartouli

Lost Years - Aron Horvath Botka (Slovenia)

Night Waves - Filip Heraković (Croatia)
Producers: Tamara Babun, Matija Drniković

Yugo Florida - Vladimir Tagić (Serbia)
Producer: Marija Stojanović