The 19th edition at Casa del Cinema left dozens without a seat on opening night, as organizers look to grow beyond RomeThe 19th edition of the Bulgarian Film Fest, held from September 18 to 20 at Casa del Cinema in Villa Borghese, began with an unusual scene, evidence of its growing popularity. If you were to pass by on opening night, you would see dozens outside the cinema, most of them Bulgarians, proud of the festival’s success. Brunch for Beginners had drawn a crowd too large for the size of the venue. Many were willing to sit on the stairs just to be able to watch the film, but safety regulations prevented them from doing so.Organized by the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Rome, with support from the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture and the Bulgarian Embassy in Italy, the festival has spent nearly two decades presenting Bulgarian cinema in the Italian capital.From experiment to traditionThe festival’s story began in 2005, when Jana Yakovleva, its current artistic director, and a few of her colleagues founded the Italo-Bulgarian Cultural Association “La Fenice” (The Phoenix). The main goal of the association was to encourage cultural exchange and creative collaboration between the two countries. Three years later, in 2008, the first edition of the Bulgarian Film Fest was held in Palazzo delle Esposizioni. In the beginning, the audience was, of course, predominantly Bulgarian. “The first edition was an experiment. Back then, I would never have imagined that I would be planning the 20th edition,” Yakovleva recalls. Since then, the festival has established itself at Casa del Cinema and has attracted a diverse following. Throughout the years, Italian viewers, sometimes even outnumbering the Bulgarian ones, have become a crucial part of the audience, shaping the festival and even the selection of the films. The international success of Blaga’s Lessons, directed by Stephan Komandarev and starring Eli Skorcheva, also helped draw attention to Bulgarian cinema. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 18th Rome Film Fest in October 2023, demonstrating the potential and international appeal of Bulgarian art. The films of the 19th edition (September 2026)This year’s program brought together five films, reflecting the diversity in contemporary Bulgarian cinema. Rather than focusing on one or two genres, the organizers decided to combine two documentaries, a comedy, a tragicomedy, and a drama. Despite their differences, the films explored similar themes of identity, family history, and memory. The festival opened with a welcome aperitivo, followed by the screening of the comedy Brunch for Beginners. It was selected as the first film, Yakovleva says, because of its light-hearted tone. The screening was accompanied by a panel with director Yana Titova, some of the actors, and Bulgaria’s Minister of Culture, Evtim Miloshev. The rest of the films were also presented by their respective directors, often joined by actors or cinematographers. The film selection included two documentaries, which Yakovleva believes intrigued Italian viewers the most. Sylvie Vartan: Out of Love explored the life and career of the Bulgarian-born French singer and actress, while A Life, Scary and Yet Very Beautiful followed the life of Penka Kasabova and her relationship with the legendary opera bass Boris Hristov. In Wild Strawberries, directed by Tatyana Pandurska, a Bulgarian-American returns to her roots, confronted by questions of belonging and heritage. The festival concluded with the screening of 3.0 Kilograms of Happiness, a film based on a true story. Looking towards the 20th editionThroughout the years, the Bulgarian Film Festival in Rome has become a place where cultures meet. With its 20th edition approaching, the organizers are looking for ways to expand, ideally, by hosting events in other Italian cities, such as Milan and Naples. They are also considering combining the screenings in Rome with an exhibition at Gallery Bulgaria, located in the city center, or perhaps a concert. These plans reflect the purpose of the festival: to make Bulgarian art and culture more visible beyond the country’s borders. After nineteen editions, this year’s opening night attracted the largest crowd in the festival’s history, indicating that the audience is eager to discover what contemporary Bulgarian cinema has to offer. Ph: REPORT / Shutterstock.com

The 19th edition of the Bulgarian Film Fest, held from September 18 to 20 at Casa del Cinema in Villa Borghese, began with an unusual scene, evidence of its growing popularity. If you were to pass by on opening night, you would see dozens outside the cinema, most of them Bulgarians, proud of the festival’s success. Brunch for Beginners had drawn a crowd too large for the size of the venue. Many were willing to sit on the stairs just to be able to watch the film, but safety regulations prevented them from doing so.Organized by the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Rome, with support from the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture and the Bulgarian Embassy in Italy, the festival has spent nearly two decades presenting Bulgarian cinema in the Italian capital. The festival’s story began in 2005, when Jana Yakovleva, its current artistic director, and a few of her colleagues founded the Italo-Bulgarian Cultural Association “La Fenice” (The Phoenix). The main goal of the association was to encourage cultural exchange and creative collaboration between the two countries. Three years later, in 2008, the first edition of the Bulgarian Film Fest was held in Palazzo delle Esposizioni. In the beginning, the audience was, of course, predominantly Bulgarian. “The first edition was an experiment. Back then, I would never have imagined that I would be planning the 20th edition,” Yakovleva recalls. Since then, the festival has established itself at Casa del Cinema and has attracted a diverse following. Throughout the years, Italian viewers, sometimes even outnumbering the Bulgarian ones, have become a crucial part of the audience, shaping the festival and even the selection of the films. The international success of Blaga’s Lessons, directed by Stephan Komandarev and starring Eli Skorcheva, also helped draw attention to Bulgarian cinema. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 18th Rome Film Fest in October 2023, demonstrating the potential and international appeal of Bulgarian art. This year’s program brought together five films, reflecting the diversity in contemporary Bulgarian cinema. Rather than focusing on one or two genres, the organizers decided to combine two documentaries, a comedy, a tragicomedy, and a drama. Despite their differences, the films explored similar themes of identity, family history, and memory. The festival opened with a welcome aperitivo, followed by the screening of the comedy Brunch for Beginners. It was selected as the first film, Yakovleva says, because of its light-hearted tone. The screening was accompanied by a panel with director Yana Titova, some of the actors, and Bulgaria’s Minister of Culture, Evtim Miloshev. The rest of the films were also presented by their respective directors, often joined by actors or cinematographers. The film selection included two documentaries, which Yakovleva believes intrigued Italian viewers the most. Sylvie Vartan: Out of Love explored the life and career of the Bulgarian-born French singer and actress, while A Life, Scary and Yet Very Beautiful followed the life of Penka Kasabova and her relationship with the legendary opera bass Boris Hristov. In Wild Strawberries, directed by Tatyana Pandurska, a Bulgarian-American returns to her roots, confronted by questions of belonging and heritage. The festival concluded with the screening of 3.0 Kilograms of Happiness, a film based on a true story. Throughout the years, the Bulgarian Film Festival in Rome has become a place where cultures meet. With its 20th edition approaching, the organizers are looking for ways to expand, ideally, by hosting events in other Italian cities, such as Milan and Naples. They are also considering combining the screenings in Rome with an exhibition at Gallery Bulgaria, located in the city center, or perhaps a concert. These plans reflect the purpose of the festival: to make Bulgarian art and culture more visible beyond the country’s borders. After nineteen editions, this year’s opening night attracted the largest crowd in the festival’s history, indicating that the audience is eager to discover what contemporary Bulgarian cinema has to offer. Ph: REPORT / Shutterstock.com