17-02-2018

FNE at Berlinale 2018: Bulgarian Film in Berlin

By Bulgarian National Film Center

    ÁGA
    Directed by: Milko Lazarov                                                            
    Screenplay by:   Milko Lazarov, Simeon Venstislavov
    Production: Red Carpet                                                                               
    Co-production: 42film, Arizona Productions,  BNT, ZDF/ARTE
    Producer: Veselka Kiryakova
    Co-producers: Eike Goreczka, Christoph Kukula, Guillaume De Seille
    SUPPORTED BY:
    Bulgarian National Film Center
    Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung
    Aide aux Cinémas du Monde
    Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée
    Institut Français
     
    For a long time, I’ve been fascinated how the modern and quickly developing world concerns the small communities; how processes that have nothing in common at first sight, affect fatally the life of entire nations.
    My intention with this movie is to look steadily at how the global warming and the offensive civilization put to proof the conservation of Northern communities. I am interested how these same people, who live in unbearable conditions for the modern man, have succeeded to preserve the delicacy in their interpersonal relations, and to perceive life with smile and sympathy.

    Milko Lazarov
     
    SCREENINGS:
    Fri,  Feb 23  15:00     Official Press Screening CinemaxX 7&9
    Fri,  Feb 23   22:00    Gala Premiere Berlinale Palast                                  
    Sat, Feb 24   10:00    Haus der Berliner Festspiele 
    Sat, Feb 24   15:00    Friedrichstadt-Palast 
    Sun, Feb 25   09:30   Zoo Palast 1 

    TOUCH ME NOT
    Directed by Adina Pintilie
    Romania - Germany - Czech Republic - Bulgaria - France / 125' / 2018

    Tell me how you loved me, so I know how to love.
    On the fluid border between reality and fiction, TOUCH ME NOT is a personal research about intimacy, and how human beings can find it in the most unexpected ways.

    Production: Manekino Film - Rohfilm Productions - PINK - Agitprop - Les Films de l'Etranger
    WORLD SALES
    Doc & Film International
    Paris, France
    +33 1 42775687
    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
    www.docandfilm.com

    SCREENINGS:
    Thu, Feb 22   15:30      Official Press Screening CinemaxX 7&9
    Thu, Feb 22   22:00      Gala Premiere Berlinale Palast                                  
    Fri, Feb 23     12:00      Friedrichstadt-Palast                                     
    Sat, Feb 24    18:00      Friedrichstadt-Palast                                     
    Sun, Feb 25   22:30      International     
                   
    MARKET SCREENINGS (Buyers only):
    Saturday 17/02 at 9:00 - CinemaxX 15
    Tuesday 20/02 at 11:15 - CinemaxX 13

    BULGARIAN NATIONAL FILM CENTER AT BERLINALE 2018 / EUROPEAN FILM MARKET (EFM)
    The Bulgarian National Film Center kindly invites you to meet the Executive Director Jana Karaivanova and our team at the European Film Market. Martin Gropius Bau / Stand #G9.
    To schedule a meeting please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
    Jana Karaivanova - Executive Director
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    (15-25 Feb)
    Kamen Balkanski - Head of MEDIA Desk – Bulgaria
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    (15-22 Feb)
    Irina Kanousheva - International Relations
    Eurimages Fund National Representative
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    (15-22 Feb)
    Gergana Dakovska - International Relations
    Eurimages Fund National Representative
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    (15-22 Feb)
    Bosila Dontcheva - International Relations
    Public Relations
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    (15-22 Feb)


    Two Bulgarian films supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center in the Berlinale Competition

    Milko lazarov’s Аga has been selected for the Berlinale Competition at the 68th edition of the festival

    For the first time in 29 years Bulgarian feature film is selected to participate at the Berlin IFF's Competition section. In 1989 Ivan and Alexandra by Ivan Nichev participated in the prestigious selection.

    Aga by Milko LazarovAga is the second feature by Milko Lazarov, whose debut Alienation (2013) was selected at Venice IFF. The script was written by Milko Lazarov and Simeon Ventsislavov and was awarded the prestigious Krzysztof Kieslowski ScripTeast Award for the Best Eastern and Central European Script in 2015. The project was started at Sofia Meetings under the working title Nanook. Behind the camera is Kaloyan Bozhilov. The shooting took place in Yakutia Republic in Russia – one of the coldest places on Earth.

    Aga is a Bulgaria/ Germany/ France co-production. The film is produced by Red Carpet – Veselka Kiryakova and coproduced by 42film, ARIZONA PRODUCTIONS, BNT, ZDF/ARTE with the financial support of Bulgarian National Film Center, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Aide aux Cinémas du Monde, Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, Institut Français.

    In the far North, Sedna and Nanook dream of bringing back their family together. After Sedna’s death, Nanook walks a long way to find his daughter Ága, who ran away years ago.

    For a long time, I’ve been fascinated how the modern and quickly developing world concerns the small communities; how processes that have nothing in common at first sight, affect fatally the life of entire nations. 

    My intention with this movie is to look steadily at how the global warming and the offensive civilization put to proof the conservation of Northern communities. I am interested how these same people, who live in unbearable conditions for the modern man, have succeeded to preserve the delicacy in their interpersonal relations, and to perceive life with smile and sympathy. 

    by Milko Lazarov

    Screenings:

    23 Feb 22:00 Berlinale Palast (E,G)
    24 Feb 10:00 Haus der Berliner Festspiele (E,G)
    24 Feb 15:00 Friedrichstadt-Palast (E,G)
    25 Feb 09:30 Zoo Palast 1 (E,G)

    The Bulgarian minority co-production Touch Me Not will compete at Berlinale. The debut feature Touch Me Not is a Romania / Germany / Czech Republic / Bulgaria / France co-production by Romanian director Adina Pintilie.The cast includes Irmena Chichikova and Georgi Touch Me Not by Adina PintilieNaldzhiev. The Bulgarian co-producer is Agitprop – Martichka Bozhilova with the support of Bulgarian National Film Center.

    Touch Me Not is a hybrid between reality and fiction, in which the characters are looking for intimacy. Their solitudes intersect – by chance or by faith – in a long yearn for attempt for communication. This is a personal inquiry into intimacy, which questions the ways in which we perceive it. The film tackles the question how human beings could achieve intimacy in the most unexpected ways.

    Screenings:

    FEB 1708:50  Cinestar 5 - BUYERS ONLY
    FEB 2011:15  CinemaxX 13 - BUYERS ONLY
    FEB 2121:30  CinemaxX 7 & 9 - PRESS
    FEB 2215:30  CinemaxX 7 & 9 - PRESS
    FEB 2222:00  Berlinale Palast - WORLD PREMIERE
    FEB 2312:00  Friedrichstadt-Palast
    FEB 2418:00  Friedrichstadt-Palast
    FEB 2522:30  Kino International

    This selection proves to be yet another great success for Bulgarian cinema after last year’s participation at Cannes of Directions by Stephan Komandarev and the co-production Western by Valeska Griesebach and the Golden Leopard from Locarno awarded to Ilian Metev for his feature 3/4. 

    In the recent years Bulgarian films benefit from not only international recognition, but also increasing audience engagement and box office sales in Bulgaria.

    Bulgarian National Film Center @Berlin EFM - MGB #G9