site.btaInternational Red Cross and Health Films Festival Marks 60th Anniversary

The International Red Cross and Health Films Festival celebrated its 60th anniversary with a gala ceremony in Varna on Saturday. The Festival's creative director, Prof. Bozhidar Manov, said in his address that this is a truly dignified age for a cultural event conceived in 1965. "One of the largest and most prestigious festivals with category A, which is determined by the International Federation of Film Producers," he  added.  

He recalled that the Festival did not have an easy story, because after the changes of 1989 it was cancelled, but in 2014 it was restored with the efforts of the National Council and the Regional Council of the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC), the Municipality of Varna, the Medical University in the city, sponsors and most of all people with good will and heart who responded to this highly humanitarian idea, essential for the international Red Cross movement, he noted.

Festival Director Iliya Raev read out a congratulatory address from Vice President Iliana Iotova. The address reads that the Vice President feels honored that the event is held under her auspices, and thanks for "the undying energy and faith in the good of all those who donate of themselves to the festival - do-gooders who with their bright deeds infect others with good."  

Varna Regional Governor Andriyana Andreeva said that the International Red Cross and Health Films Festival ranks among the world's elite film festivals. "Through the tools of cinema, it leads us to humanity, compassion and draws attention in a special way to the Red Cross - an institution that has gathered in itself the goodness in the purest sense of the word," she said in her address. 

Bulgarian Red Cross Director General Krasimir Gigov presented awards on the occasion of the Festival's anniversary. "The festival is an event with deep traditions and international significance. It was created with a clear mission to unite the efforts of the medical and humanitarian community through the language of cinema and 60 years later, it is living proof that where art meets compassion, the universal language of humanity is born, which brings us closer and connects us, regardless of borders and faith," noted Gigov.

Vladislav Nikolov, founder of the I Believe and Help charity campaign, received the Philanthropy Award. He stressed that so far, they have donated the funds collected in the initiative for the purchase of 25 expensive devices, Varna's first specialized children's ambulance, which for two years has helped in over 6,200 cases, as well as for the first mobile blood donation points, which travel around the small settlements, thanks to the partnership with the Regional Administration. "So far, we have donated about BGN 1 million, I have promised that by the end of 2025 it will become BGN 2 million, without a single penny of costs," he added. 

The Donation Award went to Prof. Vilian Platikanov, national coordinator for donation. The action of treating patients with extremely serious diseases is far from a stand-alone process. One person can do nothing. Everything happens thanks to teams, he recalled.  

The Volunteering Award was presented to the Volunteer Emergency and Disaster Response Team. They have actively helped in overcoming the damage from the flood in the Asparuhovo borough in Varna. We hope that more and more people in the future will be interested in helping themselves, their loved ones and the community in times of crisis, the team said. 

A special award for services to the International Red Cross and Health Films Festival was given to actress Eli Skorcheva, who was unable to attend the ceremony. 

The Festival, its Director Iliya Raev, and the Bulgarian Red Cross received awards from the Greek Lifesaving Sports Association.