The Bulgarian Edition of the 6th OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival starts in Sofia

alexfannytv
Sep 23
14 min read

The Bulgarian edition of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival will take place in Sofia from October 3 to 11, 2025. There the winners of the main competition sections of the Festival will be announced:OKO GLOBAL FICTION — international feature fiction films, andOKO GLOBAL NON-FICTION — international feature documentary and non-fiction films.

The official opening ceremony of the Bulgarian edition will be held on October 3, and the closing ceremony will take place on October 11 at the City Mark Art Center, located at 30 Yanko Sakazov Blvd, Sofia Center (Сити Марк Арт Център, София център, бул. „Янко Сакъзов“ 30). Both events will begin at 6:00 p.m., and admission is free for everyone.

The 6th edition of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival presents 95 films by 103 directors, in 25 languages from 55 countries across five continents.

Out of these, 93 films will be screened in Sofia across three venues:

Cultural Center G8, 8 Gladstone Street, Sofia Center (Културен център G8, София център, ул. „Гладстон“ №8) — screenings from October 4–10
House of Cinema, 37 Ekzarh Yosif Street, Sofia Center (Дом на киното, София център, ул. „Екзарх Йосиф“ 37) — screenings from October 6–10
French Institute in Bulgaria, 3 Petko R. Slaveykov Square, Sofia Center (Френски институт в България, София център, пл. „Петко Р. Славейков“ 3) — screenings from October 6–8

The Festival program includes four competitive sections:OKO GLOBAL FICTION, OKO GLOBAL NON-FICTION, NASHE OKO, and OKO SHORT, as well as the thematic section OKO FOCUS,special screenings (OKO SPECIAL),retrospectives (OKO RETROSPECTIVE & SPOTLIGHT),and the films that will open and close the Festival.

Among the program’s highlights are films that are Oscar and BAFTA winners or nominees, as well as participants and awardees of major international film festivals such as Sundance, Rotterdam, Berlinale, Cannes, Venice, Locarno, Toronto, and IDFA. The program also features selected films from leading Ukrainian and Bulgarian film festivals.

For the first time in Sofia, the opening film of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival 2025,"From Bloom to Flame", will be presented — an auteur project by the Festival’s director and filmmaker Tetiana Stanieva.The film explores her native Ukrainian Bessarabia and the transformation of traditions and winter rituals of ethnic Bulgarians under the conditions of war.The world premiere of the film took place earlier in Kyiv, during the opening of the Ukrainian edition of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival.

Festival founder Tetiana Stanieva remarked:

"This year’s edition is diverse — in its films, in the topics of discussion, in the audience, and in the locations. In Kyiv and Bolhrad (Odesa region), we held a very focused and intense program. Now, we are bringing it to our native Bulgaria. And we are truly anxious to see how the Bulgarian audience will evaluate both the films and the surrounding cultural program.Unfortunately, the topic of war resonates less and less globally, and it's difficult to draw the world's attention to it. But we will not stop speaking about our pain — because we simply cannot stay silent.We just want to live, and we have no other choice but to protect the truth and fight for justice and freedom with our cultural weapon.

Among the program there is also my own film, "From Bloom to Flame", which raises the issue of preserving the intangible cultural heritage of the Ukrainian Bulgarians during wartime. We are going to speak about this problem in a panel discussion.The culture of the Ukrainian Bulgarians is part of culture of Bulgaria.That’s why I truly hope this theme will resonate with Bulgarian viewers, and that together, we can find answers.

We invite everyone to come and see the truth on screen — about how the heart of our planet and Ukraine beats — and to synchronize the rhythm of your own heart with it."

The festival will close with "Pamfir" by Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk — a powerful blend of dramaturgy, directorial mastery, and ethnocultural context, notably featuring elements of Malanka traditions that resonate with this year’s thematic focus.

As part of the Bulgarian program (OKO SPECIAL section), the Festival will present the film officially selected by Ukraine for the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category — a new documentary about the Russian-Ukrainian war titled “2000 Meters to Andriivka” by director and Pulitzer Prize winner Mstyslav Chernov. This film offers a poignant testimony of frontline reality: it documents the mission of a Ukrainian platoon overcoming a fortified two-kilometer forest section to liberate a strategic village from Russian forces.The world premiere took place in January 2025 in the World Documentary Competition section at the Sundance Film Festival, where Chernov received the award for Best Directing. The Bulgarian screening will be the national premiere of the film.

Additionally, within the OKO SPECIAL section of the Bulgarian edition of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival, special screenings of films supported by the French Institute in Bulgaria will take place:

- City of Wind / Сэр сэр салхи, 2023, dir. Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (France, Germany, Mongolia, Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar)

- Àma Gloria, 2023, dir. Marie Amachoukeli (France)

- Eureka, 2023, dir. Lisandro Alonso (France, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Argentina)

Among the films not shown during the Ukrainian edition of the Festival, Bulgarian audiences will have the opportunity to see:

- Grey Bees, 2024, dir. Dmytro Moiseiev (Ukraine) — part of the OKO GLOBAL NON-FICTION section.

- Attention: Children, 2025, dir. Svitlana Rudiuk (Ukraine) — part of the OKO SPECIAL section; international premiere

- Rocky Road to Berlin / Я, Побєда і Берлін, 2024, dir. Olha Riashyna (Ukraine) — part of the OKO SPECIAL section

International Jury of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival-2025

The films in the competition programs will be evaluated by a distinguished international jury composed of film professionals, researchers, folklorists, anthropologists, artists, and representatives of the global cultural community.

In Sofia, the winners in the following sections OKO GLOBAL FICTION (international feature fiction films) and OKO GLOBAL NON-FICTION (international feature-length documentary and non-fiction films), will be selected by the following jury members:

Gennady Kofman — director, producer, and co-founder of Docudays UA (Ukraine); Denys Tarasov — film director (Ukraine); Oksana Volosheniuk — film scholar, head of the Union of Film Critics of Ukraine; Olesia Naumovska — folklorist, professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; Kalin Yanakiev — Bulgarian philosopher and cultural theorist; Olena Rubashevska — film critic, vice president of FIPRESCI; Albena Stamenova — Bulgarian linguist and translator

Let us recall that the winners in the two other competition sections — NASHE OKO (Ukrainian documentary and non-fiction films) and OKO SHORT (short films) — were selected and announced during the closing ceremony of the Ukrainian edition of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival in Bolhrad (Odesa region).The jury for these sections included:

- Karina Bedkowska — Polish documentary filmmaker

- Volodymyr Shchybria — Ukrainian ethnologist and traditional clothing researcher

- Olga Panteleymonova — Ukrainian producer, head of UPHub

- Vyacheslav Dovzhenko — Ukrainian film and theater actor

- Rymma Ziubina — Ukrainian actress and civil activist

- Volodymyr Bakum — Ukrainian director and screenwriter

- Aleksandar Alexiev — Bulgarian actor and producer

- Georgia Efremova — Swedish anthropologist and cultural innovator

This year, an independent parallel jury from the Ukrainian Film Critics Association (UFCA) will also evaluate the four competition sections of the 6th edition of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival:

- Aleksandr Gusev — film critic, festival programmer, and film columnist for Ukrinform and Yabl. Collaborates with the Euregion Film Forum and SHIFT Film Festival. Member of the Ukrainian Film Academy, the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine, and the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). Board member of the Ukrainian Film Critics Association.

- Liudmyla Novikova — film critic, art historian, and festival organizer. Member of the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine and FIPRESCI.

Yaroslav Pidhora-Gvyazdovsky — journalist, film critic, and screenwriter. Member of the Ukrainian Film Academy and the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine. A veteran and reserve captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The UFCA jury will select its favorite films across all competition sections. In addition, each jury member will be able to award a personal special mention to one film of their choice. The jury’s decisions will be announced at the closing ceremony of the OKO International Film Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Thematic Focus of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival 2025

The visual and conceptual theme of the 2025 edition is reflected in the OKO FOCUS section, which is dedicated to traditional folk masquerades in all their diversity.

OKO RETROSPECTIVE & SPOTLIGHT

The OKO RETROSPECTIVE & SPOTLIGHT section includes retrospective films that have previously been screened at the Festival during past editions, as well as a special focus on the work of Magika Films and the producing career of Gennady Kofman.

The festival will honor Gennady Kofman with a special award for his contribution to the development of cinema.

Serhii Zeinalov, Executive Director of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival, noted:

“OKO is a unique festival that connects two countries, various cities, and regions.This year, for the first time, we brought Bulgarian films to Kyiv to introduce the capital’s audience to contemporary Bulgarian cinema.At the same time, in Bessarabia — home to over 200,000 ethnic Bulgarians — we fulfill the local communities’ need to watch films in their native language. This is an essential part of our mission.

In parallel, we present Ukrainian cinema in Bulgaria, introducing Bulgarian audiences to the latest Ukrainian films.Our strength lies in building a two-way cultural bridge: we open up Bulgarian films to Ukrainians and Ukrainian films to Bulgarians.

This year, we were joined by international partners, and the Festival has become even more expansive.The program features films from nearly every continent. In addition to our core mission, we also showcase highlights from the world’s most renowned film festivals, as well as premieres — so that our audience can experience the most relevant and powerful works of contemporary cinema.

Despite a modest budget, we feel genuine support and openness from our Bulgarian partners, viewers, and organizations, who help us make this cultural dialogue possible.”

Program of the 6th OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival 2025

OPENING FILM

1. From Bloom to Flame / Мертва квітка, 2025, dir. Tetiana Stanieva (Ukraine)

CLOSING FILM

1. Pamfir / Памфір, 2022, dir. Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk (Ukraine, France, Poland, Luxembourg, Chile)

OKO GLOBAL FICTION

1. Baghdad Messi, 2023, dir. Sahim Omar Kalifa (Iraq, Netherlands, Belgium)

2. Banzo, 2024, dir. Margarida Cardoso (Portugal, France, Netherlands)

3. Eid, 2024, dir. Yousef Abo Madegem (Israel)

4. * Grey Bees / Сірі бджоли, 2024, dir. Dmytro Moiseiev (Ukraine)

5. Hundreds of Beavers, 2022, dir. Mike Cheslik (USA)

6. Mami Wata, 2023, dir. C.J. 'Fiery' Obasi (Nigeria, France, UK)

7. Our Lovely Pig Slaughter / Mord, 2024, dir. Adam Martinec (Czech Republic, Slovakia)

8. People / Ludzie, 2024, dir. Maciej Ślesicki, Filip Hillesland (Poland)

9. The Breaking Ice / Ran Dong, 2023, dir. Anthony Chen (China)

10. The Reeds / Son Hasat, 2023, dir. Cemil Ağacıkoğlu (Turkey, Bulgaria)

OKO GLOBAL NON-FICTION

1. Against the Tide, 2023, dir. Sarvnik Kaur (India, France)

2. House with a Voice, 2024, dir. Kristine Nrecaj, Birthe Templin (Germany)

3. Machtat, 2023, dir. Sonia Ben Slama (France, Lebanon, Tunisia)

4. On Dusty Tracks / Chemin de terre, 2025, dir. Simon Desjobert (France)

5. Silent Observers / Тихи Наблюдатели, 2024, dir. Eliza Petkova (Bulgaria , Germany)

6. The Lions on the River Tigris / Løvene ved elven Tigris, 2025, dir. Zaradasht Ahmed (Norwey, Netherlands, Iraq)

7. The Mother of All Lies / Kadib Abyad, 2023, dir. Asmae El Moudir (Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt)

8. The Road to Patagonia, 2022, dir. Matty Hannon (Australia)

9. Mâine mă duc - Tomorrow I Leave, 2023, dir. Lukas Schöffel, Maria Lisa Pichler (Austria)

10. To the West, in Zapata / Al oeste, en Zapata, 2025, dir. David Bim (Cuba, Spain)

NASHE OKO

1. A Bit of a Stranger / Трішки чужа, 2024, dir. Svitlana Lishchynska (Ukraine, Germany, Sweden)

2. A Picture to Remember / Фото на памʼять, 2023, dir. Olga Chernykh (Ukraine, France, Germany)

3. Checkpoint Zoo / Блокпост «Зоопарк», 2024, dir. Joshua Zeman (USA, Ukraine)

3. Change My Mind / Velký vlastenecký výlet / Велика патріотична поїздка, 2025, dir. Robin Kvapil (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine)

5. Cognition Trilogy: Separation / Трилогія Пошуку: Сепарація, 2024, dir. Sophia Gera (Ukraine)

6. Dad's Lullaby / Татова колискова, 2024, dir. Lesia Diak (Ukraine, Romania, Croatia)

7. Glyadyelov. Focus On Infinity / Глядєлов, 2024, dir. Ksenia Kravtsova (Ukraine, Lithuania)

8. Homefront / Thuisfront, 2024, dir. Anna Yutchenko, Anna Ilchenko (Netherlands)

9. Photophobia / Svetloplachosť / Фотофобія, 2023, Ivan Ostrochovský, Pavol Pekarčík (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine)

10. The Basement / День як день, 2024, dir. Roman Blazhan (France, Ukraine)

OKO SHORT

[Ukrainian and Bulgarian Short Films]

1. A Fairy Tale in Embroidery / Приказка в шевици, 2024, dir. Veselin Dochev (Bulgaria)

2. A Pike is No Fish / Щука не риба, 2024, dir. Yelyzaveta Sherstnova (Ukraine)

3. Beware of a Good Dog / Uwaga, dobry pies! / Увага, добрий пес!, 2024, dir. Adelina Borets (Poland, Ukraine)

4. Chop Chop! / Чоп Чоп!, 2024, dir. Ievgen Koshyn (United Kingdom, Ukraine, Portugal, Estonia, Ireland)

5. Ever After / Віддалені наслідки, 2025, dir. Kateryna Molokopeieva (Ukraine)

6. I Died in Irpin / Я померла в Ірпені, 2024, dir. Anastasiia Falileieva (Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic)

7. Lessons of Happiness / Уроки щастя, 2025, dir. Oleksii Yeroshenko (Ukraine)

8. Mermaid Cow Saga / Сага про корову-русалку, 2024, dir. Sashko Danylenko (USA, Ukraine, Iceland)

9. My Closet / Моя шафа, 2025, dir. Iuliia Kotsiuba (Ukraine)

10. My Morning Routine / Моя ранкова рутина, 2024, dir. Vadym Adamov (Ukraine)

11. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent / Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti, 2024, dir. Nebojša Slijepčević (Croatia, France, Bulgaria, Slovenia)

12. Uncle Tolya / Дядя Толя, 2024, dir. Bohdan Adamenko (Ukraine)

13. Under the Skins / Под кожите, 2025, dir. Petar Penev (Bulgaria)

[International Fiction Short Films]

14. A Bear Remembers, 2025, dir.Linden Feng, Hannah Palumbo (UK)

15. Across the Waters, 2024, dir. Viv Li (France)

16. Almost Certainly False / Neredeyse Kesinlikle Yanlış, 2024, dir. Cansu Baydar (Turkey)

17. Blue Heart / Coeur Bleu, 2025, dir. Samuel Frantz Suffren (Haiti, France)

18. Even Though It's Night / Aunque es de noche, 2023, dir. Guillermo Galoe (Spain, France)

19. If the Sun Drowned Into an Ocean of Clouds / Et si le soleil plongeait dans l'océan de nues, 2023, dir. Wissam Charaf (France, Lebanon)

20. La Durmiente, 2025, dir. Maria Inês Gonçalves (Portugal, Spain)

21. Pasta Negra, 2025, dir. Jorge Thielen Armand (Venezuela, Columbia, Canada, Italy)

22. Rock Paper Scissors, 2024, dir. Franz Böhm (UK)

23. The Tie / Kravat, 2024, dir. Çamran Azizoğlu (Turkey)

24. Three Keenings, 2024, dir. Oliver McGoldrick (UK, Ireland, USA)

25. Yellow / Amarela, 2024, dir. André Hayato Saito (Brazil)

[International Non-Fiction Short Films]

26. A Spectre Is Haunting the City, 2025, dir. Karl Kaisel (Estonia)

27. Bazaar Bus / Basris avtobusi, 2024, dir. Magnus Lorenz (Germany, Georgia)

28. Circle of Truth, 2024, dir. Nicola Hawkins (Canada)

29. One More Cup of Coffee for Ambe', 2024, dir. Shinta Retnani (UK, Indonesia)

30. Placekeepers, 2025, dir. Robert Hope (Georgia, USA)

31. The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing, 2024, dir. Theo Panagopoulos (UK)

32. Through the Window / Okienko, 2025, dir. Daniel Stopa (Poland)

33. We Beg to Differ, 2024, dir. Ruairi Bradley (Ireland, UK)

34. We Were the Scenery, 2025, dir. Christopher Radcliff (USA)

35. Who Loves the Sun, 2024, dir. Arshia Shakiba (Canada)

[International Animated Short Films]

36. Criss Cross / Krížom krážom, 2023, dir. Nina Rybárová, Tomáš Rybár (Slovakia, Czech Republic)

37. Freeride in C / Brīvais nobrauciens, 2024, dir. Edmunds Jansons (Latvia)

38. Hello Summer / Ahoj leto, 2024, dir. Martin Smatana, Veronika Zacharová

(Slovakia, Czech Republic, France)

39. Hush Hush Little Bear / Čuči, čuči, 2022, dir. Māra Liniņa (Latvia)

40. In the End / Beigu beigas, 2023, dir. Linda Stūre (Latvia)

41. In the Shadow of the Cypress / Dar Saaye Sarv, 2023, dir. Hossein Molayemi, Shirin Sohani (IRI, France)

42. On Weary Wings Go By / Linnud läinud, 2024, dir. Anu-Laura Tuttelberg (Estonia, Lithuania)

ОКО FOCUS

1. Krasna Malanka / Красна Маланка, 2013, dir. Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk (Ukraine)

2. Malanka and Christmas / Маланка та Різдво, 2024, dir. Mykola Nosok (Ukraine)

3. Masquerade Spirit / Духът на маскарадните игри, 2025, dir. Rossita Lazarova Sbaraglia (Italia, Bulgaria)

4. Pamfir / Памфір, 2022, dir. Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk (Ukraine, France, Poland, Luxembourg, Chile)

OKO SPECIAL

[Ukrainian Panorama]

1. *Attention: Children / Обережно: Діти, 2025, dir. Svitlana Rudiuk (Ukraine)

2. Flowers of Ukraine / Квіти України, 2024, dir. Adelina Borets (Poland, Ukraine)

3. Rave Толока / Rave Toloka /, 2024, dir. Anton Shtuka, Vital Karaban (Ukraine)

4. * Rocky Road to Berlin / Я, Побєда і Берлін, 2024, dir. Olha Riashyna (Ukraine)

5. Waves of Bakota / Хвилі Бакоти, 2025, dir. Volodymyr Bakum (Ukraine)

6. Remember Me / Памʼятай мене, 2022, dir. Serhii Zeinalov (Ukraine)

[Bulgarian Panorama]

7. ** Class ‘90 / Клас ’90, 2025, dir. Boiko Boyanov (Bulgaria)

8. ** Gundi — Legend of Love / Гунди — Легенда за любовта, 2024, dir. Dimitar Dimitrov (Bulgaria)

[French Institute in Bulgaria Presents]

9. * City of Wind / Сэр сэр салхи, 2023, dir. Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (France, Germany, Mongolia, Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar)

10. * Àma Gloria, 2023, dir. Marie Amachoukeli (France)

11. * Eureka, 2023, dir. Lisandro Alonso (France, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Argentina)

[Special Screening of Ukraine’s Official Entry for the 98th Academy Awards]

12. *2000 Meters to Andriivka / 2000 метрів до Андріївки, 2025, dir. Mstyslav Chernov (Ukraine, USA)

OKO RETROSPECTIVE & SPOTLIGHT

[Retrospective]

1. Krasna Malanka / Красна Маланка, 2013, dir. Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk (Ukraine)

2. We Will Not Fade Away / Ми не згаснемо, 2023, dir. Alisa Kovalenko (Ukraine, Czech Republic, France, Poland)

[Spotlight – Gennady Kofman & Magika Films]

3. Ivan’s Land / Земля Івана, 2021, dir. Andrii Lysetskyi (Ukraine)

4. National Museum / Національний музей, 2021, dir. Andriy Zahdanskyi (Ukraine, USA)

5. Pryvoz / Привоз, 2021, dir. Eva Neymann (Ukraine)

6. Bobe Maises / Бобе Майсес, 1993, dir. Olena Kasavina (Ukraine)

7. Prychynna. The Story of Love / Причинна, 2017, dir. Andrii Shcherbak (Ukraine)

Program Note:* — not screened during the Ukrainian edition** — not included in the Bulgarian edition

You can explore the full program and list of films on the festival’s official page on Letterboxd:👉 https://boxd.it/LNJFg

Discussion Panels

OKO is a platform for intercultural dialogue, the exploration of ethnic diversity, and the rethinking of our roots. It’s about who we are — diverse, yet authentic.

As part of the Bulgarian edition of the festival, a series of public discussion panels will be held with cultural figures and opinion leaders, covering topics such as:

Power of Cultural Diplomacy through Films

Tradition and gender discrimination: A comparative analysis across time, cultures, and countries based on films.

Preserving the cultural heritage and memory of Bulgarians in Ukraine as part of Bulgaria's cultural heritage and historical memory.

The Bessarabian Bulgarians and Russian propaganda: Truths and lies about language and identity

Folk masquerades around the world: How folk theatre preserves culture. Kukeri and Malanka

Visual Concept

The visual identity of this year’s OKO edition is based on unique documentary photographs of winter rituals from Bulgaria, Bessarabia, and Ukraine.

Images of Kukeri costumes were provided by renowned Bulgarian photographer and theologian Ivan Shishiev, whose works have been published in National Geographic, EUobserver, Vogue US, Le Monde, and others.A photographic exhibition of his work will be presented during the Festival in Sofia.

Collaborations & Art Exhibitions

This year, OKO is also partnering with Ukraïner — a multimedia cultural organization and community that has been documenting and promoting Ukrainian culture since 2016. Ukraïner tells the stories of Ukrainians and their traditions (including Vasyl and Malanka winter rituals) and shares them with the world in dozens of languages.

A highlight of the visual program will be the exhibition:

"Art in Support of Heroes" by Silvia Atipova — an artist, journalist, and writer of Bulgarian origin living and working across Europe.This exhibition offers a Bulgarian artistic perspective on the Russian-Ukrainian war.

"Yellow-Blue Album" by Lesia Babliak — a painting series dedicated to Ukraine’s resistance against the Russian invasion.Her works are a creative reflection on the lived experience of being in her homeland during wartime.

Tickets for the screenings can be purchased at the G8 Cultural Center (Културен център G8) box office as well as at the House of Cinema (Дом на Киното) box office and online:domnakinoto.com

Donations over 100 BGN automatically grant full access to all screenings and Festival events.Support the Festival here: https://platformata.bg/...

The 6th OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival is supported by the European Union under the House of Europe program.

The OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival extends its sincere gratitude to our sponsors and partners in Bulgaria:

Institut français de Bulgarie, Austrian Cultural Forum, Sofia Municipality, Polish Institute in Sofia, National Film Center of Bulgaria, Embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria, Release BG, and Manol and Friends Foundation.