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Just back from Guanajuato Film Fest in Mexico, where together with director Andre Andreev we presented our film PLAMEN.
I want to highlight an incredible doc I watched while at the fest called THOSE WHO FEEL THE FIRE BURNING (watch trailer here), directed by Morgan Knibbe. The film tells a very poetic story about the hopeless existence of refugees stuck at the edge of Europe.
Do not miss this film if you ever come across it and congrats to its creators for receiving the Best Int’l Doc award at Guanajuato!
Check out #5 episode of the BRILLIANT IDEAS series, which I directed for MAKE Productions (London/Singapore). It features the truly brilliant and magical Mariko Mori – a contemporary artist working in photography, video, sculpture, indoor and nature-specific installations.
More info available in my portfolio section, which I finally got to update this week!
Check out the first episode of the BRILLIANT IDEAS series, produced by MAKE Productions for Bloomberg TV.
Each episode is dedicated to a different contemporary artist, in this case in the spotlight is the incredible Brooklyn-based Michael Joo.
Unfortunately I was not on board of the project when they did the interview with Michael so never met him in person. I participated in this one by interviewing 2 of the 3 experts.
Fortunate to have worked with Hafizah Abdul Wahid (producer/director), Eliana Alvarez (DP) and AC/Sound Marco Vitalle. Can’t wait for the next ones!
After a good fesitav launch (Sofia Film Fest premiere and Audience Award from Sofia Film Fest by the Sea – Burgas; Thessaloniki Doc Film Festival – Audience Award; official selections at San Francisco and Seattle Film Festival among others), you can finally watch the full version of FLAME (PLAMEN) online on the project website www.plamengoranovfilm.com or directly on vimeo.
FLAME is the exact translation of the protagonists’ name in this short documentary about 37-year-old Plamen Goranov, construction worker and artist from Varna, Bulgaria who set himself on fire as a form of political protest. I edited the film last year together with director Andre Andreev from DRESS CODE, New York and would love to hear what you think!
I rarely use this blog to write about projects, which I am not dierctly involved in as this could take a bunch of odd directions, but this is a special case where your support is much needed.
My incredible friend Daphne Ostendorf just launched a Kickstarter campaign for the post-production of her first feature film Keeping Olivia. Daphne lost her daughter Olivia to cancer and her husband to a broken heart almost simultaniously. Her family of 5 quickly became a family of 3, leaving her to pick up the pieces of her own life while remaining strong for her two gorgeous children. She is by far the most courageous person I have ever met, and the fact that she keeps helping others and having a positive outlook on life never siezes to amaze me!
I’ve seen parts of the film and know Daphne can complete this powerful story about balancing the pain of losing and the joy of life with your help.
Ther are several ways to support the campaign: share it in your networks, forward it to any journalists you might know and donate – doesen’t have to be tons of money, just consider it pre-buying a movie ticket and I promise you this movie will make you laugh and cry like you haven’t in a very long time.
I was invited to direct several episodes of a new documentary TV series on the world’s most exciting art personalities called BRILLIANT IDEAS, produced by MAKE Productions (London/Singapore) and funded by Hyundai. Starting in May, the series will air on Bloomberg TV and profile a living contemporary artist in each half hour episode, with 25 episodes each year over three years. It will be shot in multiple locations around the world to explore the true impact of their stories.
BRILLIANT IDEAS in its first year will feature a stellar line up of internationally acclaimed artists including English sculptor and ceramic artist Grayson Perry, American sculptor Michael Joo, New Zealand sculptor and installation artist Simon Denny, English sculptor and installation artist Cornelia Parker, Japanese visual and installation artist Mariko Mori, Indian painter NS Harsha and Swiss visual artist Pipilotti Rist.
I’ve been extremely fortunate with a talented team who also happen to be my dear friends: Eliana Alvarez, Director of Photography and Marco Vitalle, Second Cam Operator/Sound. Our Singapore-based Series Producer is Hafizah Abdul Wahid.
Will keep you posted, but for now – break a leg!
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Photo: Mariko Mori presenting her exhibition CYCLICSCAPE at the Sean Kelly gallery, NYC
Two short films I’ve worked on in the past years will be screening next Sunday (3 May) in Seattle: the multi-awarded FATHER, as well as PLAMEN, which recently got the Audience Award at the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival. Both will be part of a screening titled “Bulgain Short Film Evening”, organised by the Bulgarian Movie Circle in Seattle.
You can get $6.50 tickets upfront (please do if planning to go as it was sold out last time). All net proceeds support the Bulgarian School of Seattle and are part of the 100-year anniversary of the Bulgarian cinema! English subtitles available.
Artwork by Dmitry Yagodin, still from FATHER.
Very excited to host a special guest workshop on International Co-Productions as part of the New York Film Academy’s Documentary Program on 16 April, Thursday, 4PM, at the Union Square Screening Room.
Our guest will be the Robert Bosch Filmprize for International Cooperation director Frank W. Albers, who will tell us all about coproduction funding, markets, online platforms and educational initiatives in Europe and beyond. The workshop will feature a special closed “work-in-progress” preview screening of the feature documentary POSSESSED BY DJIN (Germany/Jordan, 2015), directed by Dalia Al-Kury, produced by Lino Rettinger, to premier at the 2015 Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival and samples of DRIFTER (Germany/Hungary, 2014), directed by Gabor Horcher, produced by Marieke Bittner, winner of the IDFA Award for the Best First Appearance Documentary, 2014.
I met Frank in 2008 while pitching FATHER at the Stuttgart Animation Film Fest. Our project received the Robert Bosch Filmprize in 2010 and was realized as an animated-documentary coproduction between Bulgaria, Croatia and Germany. As a director of the Filmprize, Frank has an amazing insight into the creative development and challenges of international coproductions and has been incredibly supportive throughout this complex process.
The workshop will be followed by our Jan’14 class Character film screening at 7PM and some drinks at Revival to congratulate everyone involved!
This event is open to NYFA students, faculty and grads, text/emial me if you’re not an alummi but want to join as I might be able to smuggle some people as my guests.
Check out the latest animation I produced for Nomadic Learning.
It is part of our new program Giving Voice to Values, aimed at MBA and undergraduate business degree students, studying disciplines like management, communications, and engineering.
Design and animation was done by Eddie Song, music by Tim Bright, post production by Joseph Hung. Thank you all!
Visit Noadic.fm for more exciting programs and if interested in the latest online learning trends, subscribe to our blog at blog.nomadic.fm.
After premiering at the Sofia Film Fest on 8 March and screening in the city of Varna shortly after, PLAMEN was selected to take part in the 17th eddition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival. I am very happy to share that we received the Audience Award for a film under 45’ in the International Selection!
Congrats to DRESS CODE, director Andre Andreev and the whole team! It has been a pleasure working on such a relevant political documentary and there is something quite special about recieving the audience award from the biggest Greek doc fest as the country has been having mass social protests and political tentsions similar to the ones which led Plamen to his tragic death.
