site.btaOver 50 Feature, Documentary, and Short Films in This Year's Sofia MENAR Festival

The 18th edition of the Sofia MENAR Film Festival is showcasing a diverse lineup of over 50 feature, documentary, and short films, bringing the best of cinema from the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa to Bulgarian audiences. The festival, which opened on January 15, is organized by Pozor and introduces viewers to the rich culture and traditions of the Islamic world.

The festival runs until February 1, with screenings at Sofia venues including the House of Cinema, G8, Odeon, Vlaikova, and Euro Cinema, as well as online through one of Bulgaria’s largest video platforms.

The opening film, A Sad and Beautiful World, Lebanon’s submission for International Feature Oscar, is one of the country’s most celebrated films in recent years. The programme also features Once Upon a Time in Gaza by the Nasser brothers, winner of the Best Director award at Cannes and three prizes at the Cairo International Film Festival, including Best Actor for Majd Eid and Best Arab Film.

Among the highlights are Summertime by Mahmoud Kalari, which received four awards at the Fajr Film Festival in Tehran, and Chang’an, Xi’an, a co-production of China, Kazakhstan and Iran.

This year, Sofia MENAR shines a spotlight on Indian cinema, featuring five of the country’s most acclaimed recent productions: the comedy English Vinglish, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (You won't get this life again), the Oscar-winning RRR: Rise, Roar, Revolt, and the 1983-themed 1983.

For the first time in Bulgaria, the festival will screen a digitized copy of the 1972 classic The Deceived by Tawfiq Saleh. This initiative is presented in collaboration with the Bulgarian National Film Archive.

A 35mm screening of Fatih Akin’s Soul Kitchen will be held in memory of actor Birol Unel, who passed away five years ago.

Sofia MENAR takes place annually in January and, according to Pozor, is the largest cultural festival of its kind in the Balkans. The festival’s name comes from the abbreviation for the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENAR). In Arabic, menár (منار) means “lighthouse” or “guiding light,” reflecting the festival’s mission to illuminate and connect cultures.