05-02-2024

BOX OFFICE: Admissions to Domestic Films Declined in Bulgaria in 2023

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    Chalga by Marian Valev Chalga by Marian Valev credit: Wolfsbane Films

    SOFIA: Admissions to domestic films declined in Bulgaria from 644,238 in 2022 to 410,785 in 2023, even though 28 new titles were released, compared to 25 in 2022. However, general admissions and box office increased.

    Admissions to domestic films in 2023 were almost identical to those in 2021: 410,883 from 16 new domestic films released.

    General admissions in 2023 were 4,464,478 compared to 3,957,349 in 2022 and 2,553,845 in 2021, according to the official statistics issued by the Bulgarian National Film Centre (NFC).

    Gross box office increased from 21,419,217 EUR / 41,892,338 BGN in 2022 to 27,176,436 EUR / 53,152,478 BGN in 2023.

    The Bulgarian film with the most admissions in 2023 is Chalga by Marian Valev, produced by Wolfsbane Films and distributed by bTV Studios, with 112,782 admissions.

    It is followed in the domestic Top Ten by Dyad by Yana Titova, produced by Portokal in coproduction with No Blink and distributed by No Blink, with 55,048 admissions; Game of Trust by Martin Makariev, produced by Spirit House Production and distributed by BTV Studios, with 37,355 admissions; Mother by Zornitsa Sophia, produced by MQ Pictures in coproduction with Bulgaria’s Nu Boyana Films, Germany’s Ostlicht Filmproduktion and Croatia’s Focus Media, and distributed by MQ Pictures and No Blink, with 23,636 admissions; The Tesla Case by Andrey Hadjivassilev, produced by Incomes project and distributed by Alexandra Films, with 20,473 admissions; The Price of Power by Isidor Karadimov, produced by Story Station Pictures and distributed by bTV Studios, with 17,851 admissions; Murda Boyz - Mahlenska Klasa by Violet Pancheva, produced by Devil Cinema and distributed by Alexandra Films, with 16,937 admissions; Blaga’s Lessons by Stephan Komandarev, produced by Argo Films, coproduced by Germany’s 42 film GmbH and distributed by A plus Films, with 16,531 admissions; The Picasso Affair by Yan Yanev, produced by Wild Pictures and distributed by BTV Studios, with 13,017 admissions; and Vasil by Avelina Prat, produced by Distinto Films and Diferente Films, coproduced by Activist 38 and distributed by Alexandra Films, with 12,926 admissions;

    The most watched Bulgarian film in the last five years is still The Naked Truth about the Zighuli Band by Victor Bojinov, produced by Concept studio and distributed by BTV Studios, with 155,687 admissions.

    The top 5 titles in the overall 2023 chart by admissions were US hits Avatar: The Way of Water (with 476,991 admissions), Barbie (with 212,758 admissions), Fast and Furious X (with 203,562 admissions), Oppenheimer (with 202,492 admissions), and The Super Mario Bros. Movie (with 130,036 admissions).

    The most important distributors by the number and share of released films in 2023 are Alexandra Films, BTV Studios, A plus Films and No Blink films.