From the 27 th to 31 st of May the Bulgarian Association of Cinematographers had their biannual Golden Eye Film Festival. The festival takes place in the central Bulgarian town of Popovo , since this is the birthplace of one of the most renowned Bulgarian Cinematographers - Dimo Kolarov (1924-97). The municipality of Popovo host the BAC Golden Eye Festival.

I participated at the festival, invited by President Georgi Nikolov, and Vice-President Ivan Tonev.

Guest at the Golden Eye Festival was also Tomasz Wybinski, from Torun , Poland - representing CAMERIMAGE.

The camera festival screen competition films in four categories - feature, documentary, TV-productions and student films. So the whole program was quite comprehensive. I couldn't see everything, but concentrated on the features and documentaries. The standard was very high, and it was very interesting to see Bulgarian films, not so common in European distribution, although several of the film had been nominated and received prizes at European film festivals.

President of the jury was DoP Viktor Chichov.

Outside the festival premises

Plamen Somov BAC, Kristina Nikolova, Georgi Nikolov BAC, Tomasz Wyrbinski, Andreas Fischer-Hansen DFF

The Golden Eye Prize, Feature Film, went to DoP Plamen Somov BAC, acknowledging the marvellous cinematography of Stolen Eyes ( Otkradnati ochi ) - director Radoslav Spassov. The film has been a prize winner at Bergamo Film Meeting (2006) and Moscow International Film Festival (2005).

Second Prize went to DoP Rumen Vasilev for the cinematography of Mila from Mars - director Zornitsa-Sophia. This production had likewise earlier received prizes, among others at Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival and Sarajevo Film Festival (2004).

Plamen Somov with the Golden Eye Trophy

The Popovo Municipality and BAC plan over the next few years to establish the festival as a more international event, and to build a new cinema and premises for the biannual event.

The Festival was richly represented by Bulgarian filmmakers, directors, producers and cinematographers. Also many students attended.

The BAC hosted IMAGO with great hospitality, covering all travel expenses, many very nice dinners, representational events in Sofia and Popovo - and tours in the country side.

And many thanks to cinematographer and producer Kristina Nikolova for constant assistance and tireless translating. Kristina, educated at University of Chicago , BA in Cinema and MediaStudies, was also represented at the festival with the documentary Death and all the way back - director Zornitsa-Sophia.

It was a great experience.

by Andreas Fischer-Hansen

At a cave monastery in the central part of Bulgaria

Kristina Nikolova - Georgi Nikolov - Plamen Somov - Tomasz Wyrbinski