site.btaSixth Edition of OKO Ethnographic Film Festival to Screen 90 Films from 52 Countries in Bulgaria and Ukraine

The 6th OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival, scheduled for autumn 2025 in Bulgaria and Ukraine, will present 90 films from 52 countries, grouped into seven main sections, alongside a cultural programme, Festival Executive Director and Programme Advisor Serhii Zeinalov told BTA on Tuesday.

The screenings, spanning five continents and presented in 24 languages, include Oscar and BAFTA award-winning films, as well as participants and winners from leading global film forums such as Sundance, Rotterdam, Berlinale, Cannes, Venice, Locarno, Toronto, and IDFA. Selected titles from national festivals, including Sofia Film Fest, Golden Rose, and In the Palace International Short Film Festival, will also be featured.

The Festival will open with Dead Flower, an auteur project by OKO Director-General Tetiana Staneva. The film tells the story of the Director’s native Ukrainian Bessarabia and how its traditions and winter rituals are transforming under the conditions of war. This will be the world premiere of the film.

The closing film will be Pamfir by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, which the agency describes as a powerful blend of dramaturgy, directorial skill, and ethno-cultural context, including elements of malankuvannya (traditional folk celebrations), aligning with the thematic focus of this year's edition.

The full programme for the festival’s Bulgarian edition (Sofia, October 3-11) and Ukrainian edition (Kyiv, September 5-10; Bolhrad, September 12-14) is available on Letterboxd online platform.

Films in the competition programme will be judged by an international jury composed of film professionals, researchers, folklorists, anthropologists, creators, and members of the international cultural community.

The festival features four competitive sections: OKO GLOBAL FICTION for international feature-length fiction films; OKO GLOBAL NON-FICTION for international feature-length documentaries and/or non-fiction films; NASHE OKO for Ukrainian documentaries created with the participation of Ukrainian filmmakers; and OKO SHORT for short films.

Each competition category awards a Grand Prix and a special prize for ethnographic theme. The short film section also includes a prize for the best film produced in Ukraine, Bulgaria, or in co-production between the two countries.

With the support of the Bolhrad City Council, a separate audience award for the best Bulgarian film will be granted. Additional special distinctions will be awarded for best feature and short films, creative approach to ethnographic themes, as well as innovation and artistic excellence.

The Festival will also host discussion panels featuring cultural figures, film professionals, and opinion leaders.

The Bulgarian segment of the Festival in Sofia will include screenings, exhibitions, and panel discussions open to the public free of charge.

The 6th OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival is supported by the European Union through the House of Europe programme; Viktor Kurtiev (Festival President and Chair of the OKO Supervisory Board); the Orlivka–Isakcha ferry line; Yurii Dimchoglo (Honorary President of OKO); the Bulgarian National Film Centre; Sofia Municipality; Neterra; the Austrian Cultural Forum; the French Institute in Bulgaria; the Polish Institute in Bulgaria; the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ukraine; the Embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria (Bulgarian edition only); MEGOGO; Villa Tinta; Power Film Production; the Odesa Regional Military Administration; Ukrainer; Suspilne; and the Bolhrad City Council.

The OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival is a Ukrainian-Bulgarian project, which has been organized in both countries since 2023. The main focus of the film festival is on ethnography, folklore, anthropology, history, life, culture, national traditions and customs, as well as on the problems, hopes and significant events and personalities of both nations.