site.btaMaria Bakalova Opens 23rd Sofia Film Fest At The Coast in Burgas

Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova officially opened the 23rd Sofia Film Fest At The Coast here on Thursday. Her first major public appearance in her hometown aroused great interest and filled the hall of the Cultural Centre in the seaside city. "The moment a person slows down, it is as if they start to take a step back, so that is why it is good to challenge each other," Bakalova said in her speech.

The film fest opened with the screening of Triumph, a Bulgarian-Greek black comedy directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, starring Bakalova, Julian Kostov and Julian Vergov, amongst others. "I hope people laugh out loud. I hope they think about the events that happened, because Triumph is inspired by real events. History is about either repeating the things we liked, or learning from them", Bakalova noted. She described Valchanov and Grozeva as world-class professionals, and the opportunity to partner with them as aerobatics.

She stressed that actors should not be treated differently based on their nationality. "Actor hygiene, work ethic, discipline and partnership are important," Bakalova underscored, adding however that it is always cooler when one can work in one's native language.

Bakalova added that after the Bulgarian premiere of the film, she is scheduled to attend the premiere at the London Genesis cinema on March 22, before visiting Berlin for the German premiere of the production. She promised her fans to stop by Burgas again before returning to the US.

She pointed out that the dynamics do not bother her, as she believes that a person manages to adapt to different states. "When you are calm, you start to feel comfortable in the calm," the actress said, adding that it is the same with tension. According to her, the moment a person slows down, it is as if they start to take a step back, and that is why it is good to challenge each other. Among her future professional commitments are both high- and low-budget films in various genres, which the actress commented is good for her mental health.

As for future work in a Bulgarian production, Bakalova commented that if a project suitable for her appeared, she would not refuse, adding that together with her colleague Julian Kostov they work as producers in the direction of supporting other authentically Bulgarian film projects with potential for world cinema screens.

Participants in the Sofia Film Fest At The Coast will compete for three main prizes, with the most prestigious one being the audience award, for which viewers have the opportunity to vote after each screening. The Silver Seagull of Burgas Municipality is awarded by a seven-member jury, while the winner of the Regional Governor's Award will be chosen by the youth jury of Kinoklas Burgas.

"We have never had such a rich and colourful programme before," said Bulgarian actress Kristina Ingilizova, one of the organizers of the film festival. "This year's selection will show over 40 films, including a record number of Bulgarian feature, documentary and short productions. A large part of their creators will be present and will personally present their films, after which they will stay for an open meeting and conversation," she noted.

Before the official opening of Sofia Film Fest At The Coast, Prof Georgi Dyulgerov, one of the founders of the film fest, honoured the memory of the other three founders, who are no longer among the living. He emphasised that their work is worthily continued by their children, who have been at the heart of the organization of the festival for the past few years.