Diary of the 24th Sofia International Film Festival
Day 12, Monday
INTRODUCTION
Dear Friends,
Sofia Film Festival is a peculiar festival. It starts before the official opening with retrospectives and other films, and after the main programme ends, it continues with more screenings, including documentary premieres. The 24th edition is no different. In Day 12 of our imaginary diary, we present to you the Bulgarian films “Letters from Antarctica” by Stanislav Dontchev and “Rounds” by Stephan Komandarev. We would like to give a special mention also to “Synonyms”, “Golden Bear” winner at Berlinale 2019 and also to one of the absolute festival hits for the last year - “The Lighthouse” by Robert Eggers. We will remember some starry moments from this day Monday at the Sofia Film Festival throughout the years with some pictures where you will see Konstantin Lopushanskiy, Zeynep Atakan, Siegfried, Abel Ferrara, Ildikó Enyedi, and our dear friend Claudia Cardinale who has birthday today. Buon Compleanno, cara Claudia!
In partnership with the Wim Wenders Foundation, we have the pleasure to present the world online premiere of the special masterclass Wim Wenders gave at Cinema House on the 11th of March 2018 about the digital restoration of his masterpiece “Wings of Desire”. In the programme of the 24th Sofia Film Festival we have a similar event. Such a talk will be given by Dobromir Tchotchov from Dolly Media Studio who will tell us about his experience with the digital restorations of Bulgarian classics “Measure for Measure”, “Khan Asparuh” and “Pieces of Love”.
On today's Day 12 of the festival, we have 19 films scheduled for screening. We will see them!
Yours,
Stefan Kitanov - Kita
Director of SIFF
NEW BULGARIAN FEATURES: ROUNDS
HERE YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION about "ROUNDS" on the Sofia Film Festival website.
NEW BULGARIAN FEATURES: LETTERS FROM ANTARCTICA
HERE YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION about "LETTERS FROM ANTARCTICA" on the Sofia Film Festival website.
FILM OF THE DAY: GOD EXISTS, HER NAME IS PETRUNYA
HERE YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION about "GOD EXISTS, HER NAME IS PETRUNYA" on the Sofia Film Festival website.
The 24th Sofia Film Festival's programme includes a special section dedicated to and supported by the European Parliament's LUX Prize, our faithful partners, and a number of presented films will have the opportunity to be featured in the "SFF on the Road" initiative. One of them is Teona Mitevska's "God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya", which won LUX Prize in 2019. The film is included in the "Francophonie 50" programme as well.
FILM OF THE DAY: SYNONYMS
HERE YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION about "SYNONYMS" on the Sofia Film Festival website.
FILM OF THE DAY: THE LIGHTHOUSE
HERE YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION about "THE LIGHTHOUSE" on the Sofia Film Festival website.
FILM OF THE DAY: CUNNINGHAM
HERE YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION about "CUNNINGHAM" on the Sofia Film Festival website.
PHOTO ON THIS DAY WITH A SOFIA FILM FESTIVAL'S FRIEND
On 10th of March 2014, Monday, Russian director Konstantin Lopushanskiy presented his film "The Role".
On 9th of March 2015, Monday, the Turkish producer and good SIFF friend Zeynep Atakan presented Palm d'Or 2014 winner "Winter Sleep", directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
On 12th of March 2018, Monday, at Lumiere Lidl Cinema the International Jury's president of 22nd SIFF, the Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi, received the special FIPRESCI Platinum Award, presented to her by general secretary of the organisation Klaus Eder. Ildikó Enyedi presented her film "On Body and Soul", "Golden Bear" winner at Berlinale 2017, nominated for Foreign Language Oscar.
On 19th of March 2018, Monday, at Odeon Cinema the French director, screenwriter, musician, composer, photograph, cameraman, writer and a big SIFF friend - Siegfried presented his film "Riga (Take 1)".
On 19th of March 2018, Monday, the cult American director Abel Ferrara gathered fans at the Cinema House for his special master class, part of the 22nd SIFF programme.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLAUDIA!
Today, 15 April 2020, the great Claudia Cardinale has a birthday.
Volker Schlöndorff and Claudia Cardinale accompanied by Stefan Kitanov and Krassimir Ivanoff, the organizer of Cardinale's visit in 2011.
Carissima Claudia, This is Love from Sofia to YOU!
MASTER CLASS: WIM WENDERS
On 11th of March 2018 Wim Wenders gave a special master class at Cinema House, talking about the digital restoration of his masterpiece "Wings of Desire". In partnership with Wim Wenders Foundation we have the pleasure to share with you this video for the first time!
MUSICAL GREETING FROM SIFF
And for your good mood, our musical greeting for today is the song “Volver” by Carlos Gardel. It is present in the films of Aki Kaurismaki, but here we offer you the performance of Penelope Cruz' heroine from Pedro Almodovar’s “Volver”, also starring a guest of the 24th SIFF – the actress Lola Dueñas.
THE FESTIVAL TRAILER
