At a January 22 screening of the first Bulgarian films, Opening of the Great National Assembly in Veliko Tarnovo, (1911) and Vassil Gendov's Love Is Madness (1917) were highlights commemorating the founding of the Archive on January 29, 1959

The head of the country's main institution for preservation of film heritage Plamen Maslarov (a well known cinema director himself) will show a symbolic50 valued films produced after 1959. The free weekly screenings at the Odeon Theatre will include famous animations and shorts.

"The choice is made by film critics working in the Library in accordance with the artistic value of the films, the number of their national and international awards, and the audience esteem," said Boriana Mateeva, program director. In collaboration with the Vreme film studio, the staff also prepared a long selection of documentaries and scientific films which will begin screening in March.

Together with the Goethe-Institute four unique Bulgarian-German co-productions will be also rediscovered. The 1959 Konrad Wolf and Angel Wagenstein anti-nazi drama Stars will be followed by Vladimir Yanchev's 1965 comedy The Ancient Coin, and Wolfgang Ebeling's 1933 Reichstag Fire Trial Hammer or Anviland Wolfgang Staudte's 1969 criminal Little Secrets.