The documentary film "Baba and Meza" by director Martin Genovski will participate in the competition program of the Sarajevo Festival (August 14-21). The production is competing for the "Heart of Sarajevo" award for best documentary film among 13 international titles. According to the producers from "Agitprop," participation in this festival provides an opportunity to join the race for an "Oscar."
The film is a co-production with the German television station ZDF/Arte and is the first Balkan project selected for broadcast in the Grand Format prime-time slot in 2027. The plot follows the story of retired artist Maxi, who lives with her last living bear, Natasha, in a parking lot near Amsterdam. An important detail in the story is that Maxi can only stay at the parking lot as long as the bear is alive. The main roles are played by Maxi Niedermaier, Marcello Martino, Bilyana and Kiril Kirilovi, Robert Kroyf, Dragomir Draganov, and Martina Troanska.
The project team includes producer Martichka Bozhilova, screenwriters Mikhail Veshim and Martin Genovski, cinematographer Vladimir Trifonov, editor Bohos Topakbashyan, and composer Alexander Kostov.
Participations in San Sebastian
At the 74th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival (September 18-26), Hristo Simeonov's debut feature film "My Father's Shoes" will be presented. The production by "Contrast Films" (Bulgaria) and "Films de force majeure" (France) will compete in the New Directors section for the Kutxabank–New Directors Award. The film follows the story of a young girl and her mother, who must recognize the lifeless body of a father who has been absent from their lives for a long time. The main roles are played by Valeria Varbanova, Tanya Shahova, Vyara Kolarova, and Borislav Rusev.
Director Hristo Simeonov graduated in film directing from South-West University "Neofit Rilski" and is a participant in programs such as Berlinale Talents and Talents Sarajevo. His short films have been shown and awarded at over 100 international festivals, including Clermont-Ferrand, Tampere, Palm Springs, Krakow, and Odense. He is a winner of three "Golden Rose" awards for the films "The Son," "Dimov's Forest," and "Nina."
Another production with Bulgarian participation will participate in the main competition of San Sebastian – "Whatever Remains" by Turkish director Yesim Ustaoğlu. The film is a co-production between Turkey, Luxembourg, France, and Bulgaria. The cinematographer is Kiril Prodanov, the focus puller is Delian Georgiev, the gaffer is Alexander Benev, and the head makeup artist is Rositsa Gerasimova. The producer from the Bulgarian side is Stefan Kitanov, and the executive producer is Svetla Tsotsorkova.
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Yesim Ustaoğlu is an internationally recognized director with successes from the film "Journey to the Sun" (1999), awarded in Berlinale, Valladolid, Sao Paulo, and Jerusalem; "Waiting for the Clouds" (2004), which won the directing prize at Sundance; and "Pandora's Box" (2008), which triumphed in San Sebastian with awards for best film and best actress. She was a member of the International Jury of the Venice Film Festival in 2002 and president of the jury at "Sofia Film Fest" in 2013.