Prague will host the 18th Bulgarian Film Festival from March 25 to 28 at Lucerna Cinema.

This year’s program features six recent Bulgarian films that explore contemporary society and human dignity, reflecting struggles familiar across borders.

The festival opens with Birthday, directed by Ivaylo Penchev. Attendees will meet the director and actress Meglena Karalamba, setting the tone for a festival that balances drama with human insight.

One of the highlights, Made in EU by Stefan Komandarev, examines the social pressures faced by the seamstress Ivy, who becomes a victim of public shaming.

The film will screen on March 26 alongside a Q&A with Komandarev. The director will also introduce The World is Big and Rescue Calls from Everywhere, symbolically taking audiences back eighteen years and revisiting the winner of the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The festival also explores themes of aging and memory. In Before I Forget, actor Ivan Savov portrays Stoyan, a man losing recognition of even his closest family due to illness. Savov reflects on the role: “Despite my age, I played someone whose life is slipping from his grasp. It’s a reality becoming more common. We should cherish moments with loved ones while they—and we—still remember each other.”

Similarly, Blaga’s Lessons follows Blaze, a retired teacher caught in a fraud scheme, while Než zapomenu focuses on Stojan, a grandfather with dementia, and his daughter’s and grandson’s efforts to preserve his last memories.

The festival concludes with Eternity Package, a debut drama by Magdalena Ilievová. The film centers on Boby, a funeral home owner confronting corruption while striving to maintain his dignity and pride.

All films will be subtitled in Czech and English, ensuring accessibility for international audiences. Black humor continues to be a recurring element in several screenings, adding nuance to stories of human vulnerability and societal pressure.

Program Overview:

25. 3. | 18:00 Birthday + introduction with the director

26. 3. | 18:00 Made in EU + Q&A with Stefan Komandarev

27. 3. | 18:00 Before I Forget + meet actor Ivan Savov

27. 3. | 20:15 The World is Big and Rescue Calls from Everywhere + Q&A with the director

28. 3. | 18:00 Blažiny lekce

28. 3. | 20:30 Eternity Package

The Bulgarian Film Festival in Prague is organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Prague.

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