site.bta"Tenderness Is the New Punk": Kinomania Film Festival Opens with a Message of Rebellion against World of Aggression and Greed

"Tenderness Is the New Punk," the slogan of this year’s Kinomania film festival, is not merely a reflection of the selection themes: it is the organizers' message to the contemporary world, Hermina Azaryan, the festival’s organizer, said at the opening gala in Hall 1 of the NDK convention centre on Thursday night.

She added: "Tenderness is the new rebellion - against the world of aggression, the world of arrogance, the world of greed, the world of vanity, of false idols. And this is our message about the path to art. Because art, including cinema, is the place that humanizes us - something we need very much today. I believe that the films in our selection will contribute with their emotional charge, their impact, and the messages they carry."

She urged film lovers to go to the cinema. "Come see the movies. Let the screening halls be full. I believe that these will not just be unforgettable, but deeply moving evenings that will keep you grounded and inspired for months to come."

She paid tribute to one of Kinomania's founders, Vladimir Trifonov (1973-2023). "I cannot fail to thank the unforgettable Vlado Trifonov, who is deeply missed. His energy, his support stood with us throughout the entire year; he was with us, and I believe he is with us now," said Azaryan.

Bilyana Genova, director of the Culture Directorate at Sofia Municipality, called Kinomania "a wonderful and longtime favorite festival of Sofia’s audiences". "It is one of the festivals that remains in history and in the hearts of Sofia’s discerning public, and it places us among the world’s cinema cities, giving Sofia its rightful place as a UNESCO City of Film".

Petar Todorov, executive director of the National Film Center, said that "for 39 editions, this festival has shown that it is a benchmark for uncompromising selection and the cultivation of good taste".

Speaking minutes before the screening of the first film in the program - Made in EU by Stephan Komandarev, film director Hristo Hristozov said he was happy to announce that on Friday the festival will welcome Italian actress Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. who is visiting to present her new film Duse by Pietro Marcello and will have two meetings with the audience.

"For our team and personally for me, it is a great honor, pleasure, and responsibility to open Kinomania. You will see a film that allows you to look behind the glossy labels of the beautiful clothes we all love to buy from malls and luxury boutiques," said Hristozov.

After the film ended, he invited much of the production team on stage. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and, in the words of Bilyana Genova, received an eight-minute ovation.

Made in EU tells the story of a seamstress in a small town and her son. The seamstress, Iva, is accused of causing an outbreak of a pandemic in the town and becomes a scapegoat, persecuted by a system that has profited for years from her labor. The film was shot in Haskovo, Dimitrovgrad, Madan, and Rudozem. It features actors Gergana Pletnyova, Todor Kotsev, Gerasim Georgiev–Gero, Ivaylo Hristov, Ivan Burnev, Anastasia Ingilizova, and Ovanes Torosyan. The film is a co-production of Bulgaria, Germany, the Czech Republic, and France. Katya Trichkova is the producer, Simeon Ventsislavov the screenwriter, and Veselin Hristov the cinematographer.