Festival of Animated Films in Sofia
More than 100 cartoons to be shown at International Festival of Animated Films in Sofia



Following a period of comparative stillness in Bulgarian cartoon making, creators in this field have started to return to the limelight with a whole series of cartoons displaying their rich imagination and sense of humour. The works will be screened at the first edition of the International Festival of Animated Films entitled The Golden Mummer and held in Sofia. The event that promises to turn into a real celebration for children and adults alike will take place between 13 to 17th October in Lumiere Hall of the Bulgarian Palace of Culture down town Sofia.

The audience will have the opportunity to get to know the latest trends in the field of modern cartoon making. Due to high technologies and computer design, this is one of the most fast-developing arts today. More than 100 cartoons will be shown during the Golden Mummer festival. Productions from Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, Estonia, and Russia will take part. Spectators will be able to see 11 Bulgarian cartoons of various genres and rich expressive means. Among them, we encounter works of Bulgarian cartoonist from the golden age of Bulgarian animation which, not until long ago, was well known across the world and was earning numerous awards. One of the emblematic names in this period was Rumen Petkov. In the past few years, he has been working in the USA and has been the director of some episodes of the popular animation series Johnny Bravo and Dexter’s Laboratory aired on Cartoon Network. During the festival days, a selection of cartoons made by students will also be screened.

“This is actually a festival of the young and talented cartoonists who work in a very modern manner”, Nadezhda Slavova, the festival’s director, says. “These artists create classic-type animation but at the same time they profit from the advancement of modern technologies. I am very happy that we will show 11 Bulgarian animated films. Given that currently state subsidies for filmmaking are virtually non-existent, this is a remarkable achievement. The last festival day will be devoted to children. We will organize a big celebration at which they will see many Bulgarian and foreign films, they will draw themselves and will take part in competitions. There will be sponsors who will give out prizes and sweets to our youngest participants”, Nadezhda Slavova says.

The organization of such a festival in the current economically unfavourable period gives ground for reflection upon the future of cartoon making in Bulgaria. A cycle of meetings and round table discussions will be organized with the participation of cartoonists, students, journalists as well as officials from Bulgarian state institutions. The Bulgarian National Radio, a media partner of the festival, will also have its own booth at the festival fair. The National Radio will present cartoons it has produced, which are based on some of the most popular Bulgarian children’s songs with a karaoke version added to them. During the festival days, there will be a special children’s concert at which these songs will be performed by the Radio Children Vocal Group conducted by Ilina Todorova. “I believe this will be a wonderful celebration for children and adults alike and we will be able to provide better prospects for the further development of cartoon making in Bulgaria”, said Valeri Todorov, director general of the Bulgarian National Radio:

“The Bulgarian National Radio plans to organize a competition for children’s cartoons and to how the best works at the next edition of the festival. We want to direct the attention of viewers to the art of animation and to children’s art in particular. Some of the cartoons shown during the festival will be later uploaded on the website of the Bulgarian national Radio where everyone can watch and download them. We also plan to create a special section on our website for children where we will show the best and most interesting programs made for the youngest part of the audience”, the national radio’s head Valeri Todorov said in conclusion.