site.btaTheodore Ushev Retrospective Planned in Annecy

Oscar-nominated Bulgarian-Canadian film director Theodore Ushev will be featured in a retrospective at the chateau of the French town of Annecy between June 2 and October 2, the Bulgarian Cultural Institute (BCI) in Paris said in a Facebook post.

Visitors will be able to see over 250 works by Ushev, including sketches, paintings, drawings, film parts and installations. The artist will give a live performance between June 1 and 7. His presentation will be complemented by screenings of some of his films and demonstrations of the transition from a still image to a motion picture, with insights into Ushev's artistic approach. The exhibition will highlight the abundance of his universe, BCI said.

A plastic installation on a large wall, specially commissioned for the occasion, will present Ushev's 20th Century film trilogy. It will be accompanied by illustrated books, posters and installations making the impression of his art more complete.

After moving to Canada in 1999, Theodore Ushev gained international recognition for his animated films, whose style was influenced by other visual arts, literature and music. Animated films by Ushev have won or have been nominated for various prestigious awards. In 2017, he received an Oscar nod for his animated short film Blind Vaysha, based on a short story by Georgi Gospodinov. In April 2023, he won the Special Award of the Jury at the 45th Moscow International Film Festival for his feature film Phi1.618 but refused to accept it.

The exhibition in Annecy is a joint project by the Cinematheque quebecoise and Theodore Ushev, supported by the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the National Film Board of Canada and BCI.