SOFIA: Bulgarian director Zornitsa Sophia is working simultaneously on two projects united by the theme of motherhood. Mother is in the final stage of financing and its sequel, Three Kilograms of Happiness (Baby), is in early stage of development. Sophia is mostly Known for her Mila From Mars (2004, produced by All Things Production) and Voevoda (2017, MQ Pictures).

SOFIA: The Sofia Meetings Coproduction Market, which this year took place online 3-8 July 2020 and consisted of 37 projects for first, second and third films, unveiled its winners. Six of them were decided after the completion of the pitches and the one-to-one meetings, and three will be announced in the coming weeks.

SOFIA: Svetla Tsotsorkova’s second feature Sister (Omega Films / Doha Film Institute) won the Grand Prix in the international competition of the 24th Sofia IFF, which was split into a summer and autumn edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOFIA: The Bulgarian National Film Center decided to allot 1,987,397 EUR / 3,877,000 BGN at its first session for Bulgarian feature films in 2020. Nine films, including two with higher budgets, three with lower budgets, one debut and three shorts, will receive public funding for production. Another nine projects will be supported for development. The decisions were announced on 30 June 2020.

SOFIA: The Coproduction Market which takes place within the 17th edition of the Sofia Meetings, postponed from its initial dates (18-22 March 2020) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is restarting online.

SOFIA: The director/writer Dimitar Kutmanov is in postproduction with his feature debut Lament for the Silent Fool. The film was screened during the 17th Sofia Meetings Works in Progress, held online at Festival Scope.

SOFIA: Victor Bojinov is preparing his second feature Chamla (aka Kingdom Chamla). The film was to start shooting on 27 April 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the director is expected to resume work on it in early autumn.

SOFIA: The 24th Sofia International Film Fest, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic three days before its official opening on 12 March, will restart earlier than initially announced. It will be split into two parts – one to kick off on 25 June, and another by the end of September 2020.

SOFIA: The Bulgarian director/producer Ivaylo Penchev is in the final postproduction stage of his comedy Last Call. The film was screened during the 17th Sofia Meetings’Works in Progress, held online at Festival Scope.

SOFIA: Memento Film International has picked up Kamen Kalev’s fourth feature February, one of the 56 titles from the Cannes 2020 Official selection. The French/Bulgarian coproduction between Koro Films and Waterfront Film will be launched during the forthcoming online edition of the Cannes Market, scheduled online for 22-26 June 2020. MFI also handled world wide sales of Kalev’s 2009 debut Eastern Plays (coproduced by Bulgaria’s Waterfront Film, Sweden’s Film i Väst and Norway’s The Chimney Pot).