site.btaMeetings of Young European Cinema Kick Off in Kazanlak

The Meetings of ​Young European Cinema Festival opened in the town of Kazanlak (Central Bulgaria) on Friday with screenings of animated films and a concert, the organizers from Arte Urbana Collectif told BTA. The concert brought together children and their parents at the local Military Club. The music was composed and performed by jazz pianist Stanislav Arabadjiev.

Arabadjiev, a native of Kazanlak, said that he had prepared his own arrangements for each film in the festival's selection and introduced the audience to his approach. The pianist noted that the music should correspond to the emotions the film evokes.

The film festival has been held in Sofia for nine years now, and this is its first edition outside the Bulgarian capital. The event, running from December 15 to 17, features free-of-charge screenings, discussions and film workshops for children and young people aged 3 to 19. The festival’s selection includes award-winning films from France, Croatia, Italy, and Ukraine, among others.

The first day of the film festival was held at the Acad. Dechko Uzunov National High School of Plastic Arts and Design and included a short film programme and a workshop. On December 16 and 17, the festival will present more short films, full-length features, and a poetic documentary.

The screenings in Kazanlak are organized in cooperation with the Nenko Balkanski House Museum, the Military Club of Kazanlak and the Dechko Uzunov National High School of Plastic Arts and Design. The initiative is supported by the Bulgarian National Film Centre and the Institut français de Bulgarie.