site.btaTheodore Ushev's First Animated Feature Earns Venice Gap-Financing Market Selection

The upcoming feature-length animated film Light Boxes, directed by Theodore Ushev, has been selected for the Venice Gap-Financing Market 2026, part of the Venice Production Bridge at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival (September 2-12), says the Montreal, Canada, based Bulgarian animator in a post on Facebook.

It is one of only two animated films selected for this year's edition. According to Ushev, Light Boxes is a majority Bulgarian co-production supported by Sofia's National Film Centre and produced in partnership with Canada, Poland, France and Belgium.

Light Boxes has been inspired by the novel of the same name by American author Shane Jones. Ushev describes it as "a poetic, visually daring story about war, love, imagination and resistance to darkness". The screenplay was written by Ushev and edited by Chris Robinson.

"This is my first feature-length animated film, combining stop-motion puppet animation with live action – a form that allows me to explore new territory in storytelling and visual expression," the director says. He adds that the Venice selection represents an important step in the project's development and a strong indication of its international potential.

Ushev goes on to say: "After years of working in animation, this project is particularly personal to me. Not only because it takes me into previously unexplored creative territory, but also because of the coordination required between so many countries. It will be the most ambitious and the most expensive film I have ever worked on."

He adds that further details about the project will be announced at a later stage. He describes its inclusion in the Venice Gap-Financing Market as "an important milestone for the development of animation in Bulgaria".

"It is an honour for me that this film will be part of one of the world's most prestigious professional platforms for cinema," Ushev adds in his post.