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- One of the most talented actors from Bulgaria. He was born in Sofia in 1942. In 1962 he graduated from famous Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts as an actor. His first appearance in the movies was in 1956 when he was a only a teenager. With the well known series Na vseki kilometar he gained international reputation.
- Baba Vanga, born Vangeliya Pandeva Dimitrova, in Strumica, North Macedonia, then the Ottoman Empire, in 1911, was a mystic, clairvoyant, and herbalist. Vanga lost her sight when she was 12. She was swept away by a mighty tornado. Later she was found alive, covered with dirt and stones, with sand in her eyes. She became blind as a result. In 1925 Vanga was brought to a school for the blind in the city of Zemun, in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, where she spent three years, and was taught to read Braille, and to play the piano. In 1927 she started making minor predictions about local phenomena. Her powers of foreseeing, clairvoyance, deepened and expanded after she turned 30. She attracted believers with her ability to heal and soothsay, fortune telling, a great number of people visited her, hoping to get a hint about whether their relatives were alive, or seeking for the place where they died. One of them was the Bulgarian Tzar Boris III. Another was Adolf Hitler. In 1942 Vanga married Dimitar Gushterov, a Bulgarian soldier, and moved to Petrich, Bulgaria, where she soon became well-known for her gifts and predictions. After the Second World War, Bulgarian politicians and leaders from different Soviet Republics, including Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev, sought her counsel. Several researchers have studied the phenomenon of Vanga in the attempt to establish whether she has any extraordinary capabilities. One of the first studies was initiated by the Bulgarian government and is described in the documentary "Fenomen" (1977). Fulfilling Baba Vanga's last will and testament, her house in Petrich was turned into a museum, which opened for visitors on May 5, 2008.
- Actress
- Director
Nevena, born in Dupnitsa on December 12, 1938, is keenly aware of the inequities of the world from a very young age. Her father Bogdan is a military officer in the Kingdom of Bulgaria. When the Communist-led Fatherland Front government takes power in the 40's, it consolidates its victory by persecuting the government and military elite of wartime Bulgaria as "enemies of the people". Her father spends several years in the labor camp. Even after his release, the stigma of being an "enemy's" daughter will haunt her throughout her life. With her family unable to live in Sofia, Nevena spends her childhood in the village of Kumarica, where she draws relentlessly and develops a passion for acting. After being fascinated by tales of a film shoot happening nearby, she is recruited as an extra and given a single line in the 1956 film "Two Victories". The experience is the final push that convinces the 18-year old Economics Institute graduate to audition for the National Institute for Theatrical Art in Sofia. In her audition, she gives a contemporary, unorthodox take on the study "woman sees a mouse in the room", which runs counter to the theatrical dogma of the time. That, possibly coupled with the stain on her father's name, contributes to her rejection. In her moment of discouragement, she received an offer for an apprentice position in the troupe of the country theatre. Nevena begins her stage career with classical ingénue roles, playing a bare-footed Juliet to great acclaim, fascinating critics with her unpolished, organic talent. She is cast in her first major screen role opposite Lyubomir Sharlandziev in the 1957 film "Years of Love". Lyubomir falls in love with her at first sight, and the 19-year old, inexperienced Nevena marries her first on-screen romantic partner. Her husband is not only an actor, he's a director. He directs Nevena in a multitude of plays, first in Gabrovo, then in Ruse, all the while acting as her unofficial acting tutor, constantly honing her skill. The screen adaptation of the novel "Tobacco" is a long and dramatic story. Author Dimitar Dimov is under tremendous pressure to rewrite portions of his work, to soften the impact of the characters within, while director Nikola Korabov has the uneasy task of reducing a 1500-page novel to a 150-page script. Kokanova has been in a few films already and Korabov hopes to have her play Irina, the female lead - a strong, independent, self-aware and ultimately self-destructive character. There is pressure from the Artistic Council of Cinematography to have another actress cast. Nevena is young, inexperienced, unschooled, provincial, and an undesirable to the Communist Party, which at the time exerts a tremendous amount of censorship and influence over anything produced in the country. There is even talk of bringing in a foreign actress to play Irina, but Dimov is against it. In the end, despite a tremendous amount of difficulty and at great risk to his career, Korabov secures Kokanova for the role. She has reservations herself, feeling unequal to the task of filling the shoes of the strong and experienced literary character that is Irina, but she is made for the screen and she becomes more confident with every shooting day that passes. "Tobacco" is presented at Cannes in 1963, with giants such as Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Gregory Peck and Burt Lancaster in attendance. French poet Andre Morois kisses her hand on the red carper with the words "You affected me!" The criticism and envy leveled at her is quelled. The tremendous success of "Tobacco" makes her a household name in Bulgaria. Her second iconic film role will be anything but effortless. Vulo Radev, having been director of photography in several of her films, makes his directorial debut with a film version of Emilian Stanev's novel "The Peach-Garden Trespasser". Set just after WWI, the film is about a Serbian prisoner of war who sneaks into a Bulgarian colonel's private garden, meeting his wife there by chance and starting a torrid love affair with her. Nevena's beauty and her recent success fan the flames of envy and Radev has to put his reputation on the line and assume a tremendous financial risk to cast her. Moreover, she is in the middle of a theatrical engagement in the Satirical theatre in Sofia under director Metodi Andonov, at the same time that she is desperately needed to film "The Peach-Garden Trespasser" in Veliko Tarnovo. With Andonov's help, Kokanova manages to shoot for the film while still performing nightly in Sofia. Despite the tremendous risk of her being fired from the theatre, she is driven by car to Veliko Tarnovo (some 4 hours) after every performance in Sofia. She is filming until noon the following day, when she is driven back to be on stage again at 8 pm. Needless to say, this puts a tremendous physical strain on the young actress, who has very little time for sleep. By the end of the 60's, Kokanova is the most prolific Bulgarian film actress and a fashion icon. She's offered four roles in East Germany and accepts a terrific role in Italian director Liliana Cavani's "Galileo" in 1969. The next decade, spent on stage and on screen, is a happy one for Kokanova, resulting in some of her best work. She appears in films such as "The Boy Turns Man" (1972) opposite Filip Trifonov, "The Weddings of King Ioan Asen" (1975), the last film appearance of Apostol Karamitev and "Ladies' Choice") (1980), an ensemble comedy alongside Stefan Danailov, Tzvetana Maneva, Doroteya Toncheva and Maria Statulova. However, this decade ends with a crushing blow. In July of 1979, while directing "Three Deadly Sins", her husband Lyubomir dies of a heart attack. Devastated, she occupies herself with caring for their daughter Teodora and completes the film in his stead. In the stagnation and standstill that descends on the arts after the fall of Communism in 1989, and without any work prospects, she retreats to a village in the Balkan Mountains, rebuilding a small cottage and claiming sanctuary there. Kokanova continues to act, marking a belated 60th birthday in 1999 with a performance in the theatre "Revival". Days later, she is honored in the Hall of Cinema by a concert in her honor. Highlight reels of her great movie roles are shown and toasts are made to her health. Unbeknownst to everyone except her, these toasts are futile. She has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer several years earlier. By the end of 1999, she is a shadow of her former self, but ready to face her final challenge, her ultimate role, with grace and resolve. Nevena Kokanova, the radiant, lovely, loved, irreplaceable first lady of Bulgarian cinema, died on June 3, 2000 at the age of 62, immortalized on the silver screen and in the heart of a nation.- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Vulo Radev (1 January 1923 - 28 March 2001) was a Bulgarian film director, writer and cinematographer. Radev was born in a village Lesidren. In 1953, Radev graduated from the filming faculty of the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow. His first film, a documentary, appeared in 1952. Radev later filmed Citizens of Dimitrovgrad (1956), On the Eve (1959, adapted from I. S. Turgenev's novel), and Tobacco (1962). In his first own film, The Peach Thief (1964, adapted from Emiliyan Stanev's novella), Vulo Radev expresses his anguish for modern man (along the lines of Godart and Antonioni) through the love story between the Serbian Officer Ivo, a prisoner of war at the concentration camp of the Bulgarians, and Lisa, the wife of the city's commander - a great love story amidst the inhuman hatred of war. The critics praise the excellent artistic knowledge; sensitivity in conception and structure of the subject matter; as well as excellent guiding of actors. As a chamber piece, the drama was made in the style of the then popular realistic psychological literature. Radev used the same style in his next film The King and The General (1966), a story of the conflict between King Boris III and General Zaimov, who tried in the beginning of the World War II to prevent both Bulgarian's alliance with Germany and its entry into the war against Soviet Union. Radev broke a number of conventions in this film too. Other films directed by him include The Longest Night (1967), Doomed Souls (1975, adapted from Dimitar Dimov's novella), and The Black Angels (1970). In 1981, he directed Adaptation, a film addressing issues of insanity. Radev received the Dimitrov Prize in 1969.- Petar Ivanov Popyordanov , known as Chocho Popyordanov, is Bulgarian theater and cinema actor. He was born on June 11, 1964 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He is a son of Ivan Popyordanov (born on 1938) - a longtime Chief of the cinema center Boyana Film Studios. He was also Chief of Bulgarian National Television in 1998. The Mother of Petar Popyordanov Katya was a doctor. The father's family originated from Veles, Vardar Macedonia. Chocho great-grandfather was a first cousin of the Macedonian revolutionaries - Chieftain Mile and his younger brother Jordan Popyordanov-Ortse, leader of Thessaloniki bombers. In 1989, Petar Popyordanov graduated National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in "Acting" in the class of Professor Krikor Azaryan and Todor Kolev. He studied at the Czech Republic one year. He has played in the troupes of Theatre "Sofia", Little City Theatre "Off the Channel" and in 1994 - in the National Theater. His most famous theater roles were in performances "Outcasts," "Midsummer Night's Dream," "At the foot of Vitosha Mountain," "The Tempest," "The man who makes the rain," "Kimono", "Decameron," "Ghosts in Naples, "" Hedda Gabler. " Chocho Popyordanov has involved in cinema productions, including "Yesterday" (1988), "Rio Adio" (1989), " The Love Summer of a Schlep " (1990), "Vampires, ghouls" (1992) "Canaries Season" (1993), "Frontier" (1994), "Spanish fly" (1998), "After the end of the world" (1998), "Danube bridge" (1999), "Sombrero blues" (1999), " Wolf Hunt" (2000). Petar Popyordanov has won numerous nominations and awards, including a nomination for "Asker" in 1996 and 1997 and the prize "Golden Bayar" in Belgium for Best Actor in the film "Border". He had also a presence on the small screen, starring in the TV show "UFO Club" on "Channel 1". In 2007 he began his participation in the series "Outcasts" for "Channel 1" of Bulgarian National Television. He has nephews Helen and Peter Koshnicharski. Albeit posthumously Chocho Popyordanov became a father of adopted him months earlier daughter Ekaterina Petrova Popyordanova. He died on May 5, 2013 in Boyana, Sofia Province, Bulgaria.
- Actor
- Director
- Art Director
Ivan Andonov graduated from the National Academy of Theater and Film Art in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1956. He is one of the most important Bulgarian cinema actors. Since 1965 he is a director and designer in animation. The films 'Difficulty', 'Esperanza' and 'Melodrama' bring him international awards and recognition. His début in features is in 1974 as a director of 'Difficult Love'. 'The Roof' won the Critic's Award in Varna, Bulgaria in 1978. 'White Magis' won Silver Prize in Cadiz, Spain. 'Dangerous Charm' won Grand Prix in Chianchiano, Italy, 1985 and Special Prize of the Jury in Chamrousse, France, in 1988. 'Dreamers' won First Prize in Varna, Bulgaria. 'Yesterday' won the Viewers, Award in Varna, Bulgaria, Grand Prix in San Remo, Italy, 1989, and Best Director Award in Moscow, 1989.- Actor
- Writer
Bulgarian stage and film actor, singer and showman. He graduated from "Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts" as an actor, just as many talented actors from Bulgaria did. Began his career in 1965, Kolev was best known for his roles in comedies like "Opasen Char", "Gospodin Za Edin Den" and "Dvoynikat" as well as for his songs and shows. His unique kind of acting won general approval in his country. In some ways, pretty much reminds Charlie Chaplin.
After the collapse of communism, he get involved in politics for a while and was a Member of Parliament.
Todor Kolev suffered from Lung Cancer for several years and died at the age of 73.- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Binka Zhelyazkova was born on July 15, 1923 in the town of Svilengrad, Bulgaria. She studied theater at the National Theater Institute in Sofia. Her career as a film director began in 1957 when she co-directed her first feature film Life Goes Quietly By... with her husband Hristo Ganev.
At the end of the 1950s Binka Zhelyazkova was one of the few women in the world making feature films. Her style was influenced by Italian Neo-Realism and the French New Wave, as well as Russian Cinema.
During her career she directed seven feature and two documentary films. Four of her nine films were banned from distribution and reached audiences only after the end of communism. She was the director of the Bulgarian section of Women in Film, an organization created in 1989 after the international women in film conference, KIWI, in Tbilisi, Georgia. She stopped making films after 1989, which coincided with the fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria. For some time after that she remained active in the women in film organization but soon completely withdrew from public life.- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Janine M. Clark was born on 23 November 1967 in Lynwood, California, USA. She was a production manager and producer, known for Descent Into Darkness (2002), Antibody (2002) and Daybreak (2000). She died on 11 September 2001 in Sofia, Bulgaria.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Naum Hristov Shopov is a popular Bulgarian theatre and film actor. His career starts on the stage of the Army Theatre, where he plays for more than three decades before moving to the National Theatre. He was presented to two "Askeer" awards. Among his unforgettable films are "The Penleve Case", directed by Gueorgui Stoyanov, "Villa Zone", directed by Eduard Sachariev, "Warm", directed by Vladimir Yanchev, "The Inspector and the Night", directed by Rangel Vulchanov. He was presented to "Icarus" Award for Overall Contribution. Naum Shopov went down in history for his roles as King Lear and Tsar Boris III. Shopov's debut in cinema was in Hristo Piskov's ''Poor Man's Street'' but it was not until Vulo Radev's ''The Peach Thief'' that his cinematic talent was fully recognized. Radev's next film, ''Tsar and General'', for the first time portrayed Bulgarian Tsar Boris III (r. 1918-1943) as sympathetic and human, trying to do what is best for his beloved homeland. Naum Shopov was cast as Tsar Boris III. In the movie a prominent Bulgarian general (Peter Slabakov) faces execution when King Boris III (Naum Shopov) decides to side with Russia in this World War II drama. Naum Shopov performed in more than thirty films since 1960. On the theatrical stage Shopov will be remembered best for his memorable appearance in King Lear, Hamlet, Socrates, Don Basilio, Crap. Naum Shopov famously said once that he likes only difficult parts. "If I don't suffer, if I don't undergo something with a character, he somehow doesn't stay with me. "- Djoko Rosic (born Dzhordzhe Mirko Rosic) was born on 28 February 1932 in Krupanj, which was then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, to a Bulgarian mother and a Serbian father. In 1951 he emigrated to Bulgaria and graduated in Economy, but completed also courses in Radio Journalism. After that he worked for 17 years as a journalist for the Bulgarian National Radio. He has acted in Bulgarian, Hungarian and Serbian films. He has been called "the legendary cowboy". He has acted in more than 110 films, The Eighth (1969), Aesop (1970), My Father the House-Painter (1974), Ivan Kondarev (1974), Captain Petko Voivode (1981), Khan Asparouh (1981), The Judge (1986), Time of Violence (1988), After the End of the World (1988), Tuvalu (1999), Zift (2008), Prima Primavera (2009), to name but a few. He received the Cyril and Methodius, 1st degree state order. In February 2010 the Ministry of Culture discerned the Golden Age Award to him for his outstanding merits to Bulgarian films. He was married to Lilyana Lazarova. He died on February 21, 2014 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Luchezar Dimitrov Stoyanov is a Bulgarian theater and cinema actor. He was born in Sofia. In 1965, he graduated at Lazar Dobrich studios for circus artists. Then he was accepted into the class of Professor Dr. Krustyu Mirsky in National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria. He graduated it and became an actor in drama theaters, but more popularity has brought him his participation in Bulgarian movies. He has played in more than thirty future films. Among his friends he was known as Luco the Stunt (Lucho Kaskadata). He died on June 3, 1991 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Writer
Isaac Solomonov Heskiya, known as Zako Heskiya (21 September 1922 - 3 June 2006) was a Bulgarian film director and screenwriter. He graduated Cinema and Photograph College in Sofia. Since 1956 until 1965, he had been an assistant director in Boyana Film Studio. His first own film was "Torrid Noon" (1965), based on the novel by Yordan Radichkov. Heskiya became in 1966 international audience for "Torrid Noon", the Bulgarian contribution to the Cannes Film Festival and a nomination for the Palme d'Or. Zako Heskiya fared better with his well-handled war stories The Eighth (1969), Three reservists (1971), and his two part Dawn over Drava (1972), which was the first Bulgarian war picture to be made as a super spectacle. In 1981, he won the special prize at the 12th Moscow International Film Festival for Yo Ho Ho, based on the script by Valeri Petrov. The Fall (2006) by Tarsem Singh is based on the script of Yo Ho Ho. Zako Heskiya is also known for Alone Among Wolves (1979), Nights with the White Horses (1985), and Scar-Free (1989), based on the script by Konstantin Pavlov. Zako Heskiya works as a leader of the group "Debut" in former Boyana Studio and opened the door to professional work for many young Bulgarian film directors.- King Boris III was born on 30 January 1894 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He was married to Princess Giovanna Elisabetta Antonia Romana Maria of Italy. He died on 28 August 1943 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Stoyanka Mutafova was born on February 2,1922 in Sofia . Her father , Constantine Mutafov was a playwright at the National Theatre "Ivan Vazov" . In 1941, she graduated from the First Sofia Girls' High School . Then she graduated from Classical Philology in Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and the State Theatre School in Sofia. From 1946 to 1949, she worked in Theater in Prague , and from 1949 to 1956 at the National Theatre. She is a founding member of the State Theatre of Satire "Aleko Konstantinov" , where she worked from 1956 to 1991. Mutafova has 3 marriages. In 1946, she married her first husband, the Czech director Robert Rosner, when she was 23 years old, and he - 51. After marriage she went to live in Vienna , and then moved to Prague . In Prague Mutafova finishes second higher education at the theater department of the Prague Conservatory. Her second husband was Leonid Grubeshliev , by profession a journalist and translator. From this marriage is the only daughter of the actress - Maria Grubeshlieva - Muky. The third husband of Mutafova was the actor Neycho Popov. About him she says that he is the big love of her life. They have seen each other for the first time at the National Theatre, where she began to work as an actress, and he was a student at the National Academy. Stoyanka Mutafova is awarded with the order " St. St. Cyril and Methodius ", I grade in 1962; with the Honorary title "Honored Artist" in 1963; with the "National Order of Labour" , gold in 1972; with the Honorary title " People's Artist " in 1977; with the title Honorary citizen of Sofia in 2000; with the Order " Stara Planina " - 2002; with the title Honorary citizen of the town Burgas in 2002; with the Theater Award " Asker " in 2002; with the Sign " Golden Age " in 2012; with the title Honorary citizen of the town Sredets in 2012; With the Award "Golden Kukerikon" on the name of Georgi Kaloyanchev in 2013; with the Award "Golden blend" of "Jameson" for the role of grandmother Mariyka in the series " Capital citizen more" 2013; with the Award "Bulgaria You" in 2015; with the Citation for "Contribution to the culture and the enrichment of world theater" in 2015.
- Vladimir Smirnov was born on 22 June 1941 in Chernogorsk, Khakasskaya AO, Krasnoyarskiy kray, RSFSR, USSR [now Khakassia, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Sbogom, priyateli! (1970), Front ohne Gnade (1984) and Pervorossiyanye (1967). He was married to Bogdana Marinova and Silvia Spassova. He died on 10 August 2000 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Katya Paskaleva played in 46 pictures in less than four decades. Her name turned into a synonym of the Bulgarian cinema. Her female characters are not glossy beauties, they win us over through the melancholic grace of Madonnas. She broke up the relief of Bulgarian cinema femininity and recreated the most arduous epitome filmed in Bulgaria ever - the one of Maria-the-mother and Maria-the-daughter in The Goat Horn (1972, director Metodi Andonov).
- Petar Slabakov was a Bulgarian Theatre and Film actor. He was born at April 23, 1923 in Lyaskovetz, Bulgaria. He studied by correspondence industry economics in Varna. He had worked as tractor-driver and founder. He joined up Bulgarian army against German troops in World War II as volunteer. He had worked in the troupes of the country theaters as an apprentice in the beginning, and after an exam - as a professional actor. He played many roles in the theaters of Varna (1953 - 1957), Burgas (1957 - 1960), Plovdiv (1960 - 1963), and then in the Sofia's theater "Trudov front" (1963 - 1965), in Pernik's theater (1965 - 1966). He was an actor in Boyana Film Studio two years (1966 - 1967). After that, he played in "Sofia" theater (1972 - 1979), and in Satirical Theater (1980 - 1991). On the theatrical stage Petar Slabakov will be remembered best for his memorable appearance in The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare (Lanes), The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov (Lopahin), The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorki (Luka), etc. Petar Slabakov was one of the most important Bulgarian cinema actors. He appears in films such as Captive Flock (1962) by Ducho Mundrov, "Shibil" by Zahari Zhandov, "Tsar and General" by Vulo Radev, "Stars in Her Hair, Tears in Her Eyes" by Ivan Nitchev, "Eternal Times" by Asen Shopov, "A Roof" by Ivan Andonov and many others. He was one of the initiators of the establishing of the "Ecoglasnost" in 1989, which were one of the first opposition societies against the communist regime in Bulgaria. He was elected to the National Assembly of Bulgaria twice - in 1990 - 1991 and in 1995 - 1997.
- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vladimir Yanchev was born on 30 December 1930 in Moscow, Russia. He was a director and writer, known for Otkradnatiyat vlak (1971), Lyubimetz 13 (1958) and Toplo (1978). He died on 1 July 1992 in Sofia, Bulgaria.- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Valeri Nissim Mevorah, better known by his pen-name, Valeri Petrov, was born on April 22, 1920, in Sofia to a Jewish father and Bulgarian mother. Besides poems, novels and translations from Russian, Italian and English, Petrov authored numerous film scripts and plays - both for adults and for children. During World War II, he took part in the resistance against the pro-Nazi regime in Bulgaria and remained close to left-wing political thought through his life. In 1970, he clashed with the communist regime in Bulgaria after refusing to sign an official petition denouncing the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn. As a result, Petrov was not allowed to publish for years, so he turned to translating. Petrov was held in high esteem in his country and after the collapse of the totalitarian regime in 1989, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature by Bulgaria's Writers' Union.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Nikola Korabov was born on December 7, 1928 in Ruse, Bulgaria. He studied at Moscow, VGIK. After coming back to Bulgaria, he has worked at Boyana Film Studio. Korabov is a Bulgarian film director and screenwriter. He directed thirteen films between 1956 and 1999. His film Tobacco (1962) was entered into the 1963 Cannes Film Festival. His film Bull (1965) was entered into the Fourth Moscow International Film Festival. His film Wrathful Journey (1971) was entered into the Seventh Moscow International Film Festival. He is known for Tobacco (1962), Destiny (1983), Ivan Kondarev (1974) and Yuliya Vrevskaya (1978).- Stoycho Mazgalov Todorov is a Bulgarian theater and cinema actor. He was born on May 2, 1930 in the town of Lyubimets , Haskovo region, Bulgaria. He studied in the Higher Economic Institute in Sofia. Then he graduated in "acting" in National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia Bulgaria in 1954 in the class of Professor Nikolai Masalitinov. He had played in Pernik Drama Theater (1954-1955), in the Theater "Labor Front" (1955-1964), in the Theater "People's Stage" (1964-1966). He is one of the founders of the Theater " Tears and Laughter " and its Chief Manager from 1969 to 1983. In 1985, he had played in the National Theatre . He was a member of the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers . He is a winner of the Order "Cyril and Methodius" - II, degree. He had played in 47 films , including the popular Bulgarian Song for man , King and General , Shibil , Eighth , Three Retired , Typhoons with Gentle names , War of the Hedgehogs , Han Asparuh and others. He is an author of the autobiographical book "When I am." At the time of his leadership Drama Theatr "Tears and Laughter" was perhaps the most interesting Sofia TheaterIt's a wonder he was Chief Manager for fourteen years (1969-1983) They must have cost him much, but he did not stop with a tenacity and cunning to do all that believed necessary and as if no thought for the consequences. It was externally strict and strong. He gathered around him smart and talented people and knew how to listen to their wise advice. But he knew that the responsibility has to carry personally. Impressive was his civil courage in times when it was a rare and dangerous. It was glamorous actor; he was playing always one of us. For him, theater was calling, and destiny - both looking very serious. He died on November 1, 2006 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Specializing in intense psychological dramas, Bulgarian filmmaker Metodi Andonov is best remembered for making one of his country's most popular films, The Goat Horn (1972). He also directed a pair of high-grossing detective dramas based on the novels and screenplays of Bogomil Rainov, There's Nothing Finer Than Bad Weather (1971) and The Great Boredom (1973). Andonov graduated from the Sofia Academy of Dramatic Art in 1955 after studying theater direction. Before entering the film industry, he directed productions at the Dramatic Theater in Burgas and at the Satirical Theater in Sofia. Andonov made his feature directorial debut in 1968 with The White Room, which was based on a Rainov novel. In addition to his work in theater and cinema, Andonov occasionally directed for television.
- Ivan Laskin was born on 10 March 1970 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He was an actor, known for Nai-vajnite neshta (2001), Dunav most (1999) and Staklenata reka (2010). He was married to Miroslava Gogovska. He died on 6 January 2019 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Leda Taseva (born Violeta Tsvetkova Tasseva ) is a Bulgarian actress, she was a winner of the Order "Cyril and Methodius" I degree. She was one of the originators of the new Bulgarian cinema , known for her elegant and refined eccentricity. She was born on August 22, 1926 in Vidin, Bulgaria. She graduated in "acting" in National Academy for Theatre and Film Art in 1956 in the class of Professor Stefan Surchadzhiev . She has participated in many productions of TV Theater. Her husbands were Stefan Surchadzhiev and Ivan Andonov . Both are actors and directors. Taseva was a member of the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers. Only 10 days before her death from cancer she was still on the scene. She died on July 4, 1989 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Director
- Writer
Sharaliev graduated from the St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University and the VGIK, Moscow. He has worked at Boyana Film Studio, Bulgaria and had been a member of the Parliament from 1972 to 1980. He was a Chair of the Board of the directors of Boyana Film Studio. He was the winner of a numerous Grand Prix at national and international film festivals. He is known for A Song about the Man (1954), Knight without Armor (1966), A Shooting Day (1969), Farewell, Friends! (1970), The Indispensable Sinner (1971), The Apostles (1976), All Is Love (1979), The Thrust (1981), Boris I: The Conversion to Christianity & Discourse of Letters (1985), Plyontek (1991).- Director
- Writer
Orfey Tzokov was born on 28 August 1937 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. Orfey was a director and writer, known for Pravilata (1978) and Zasada (1974). Orfey died on 5 March 2002 in Sofia, Bulgaria.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Brita Appelgren was born on 21 December 1912 in Matteus, Stockholm, Uppland, Sweden. She was an actress, known for Father and Son (1931), Sten Stensson Stéen från Eslöv på nya äventyr (1932) and Mordbrännerskan (1926). She was married to Sten Gunnar Hermansson (1915-1962) and Hans Petrus Nordgren (1900-1990). She died on 29 October 1999 in Sofia, Stockholm, Södermanland, Sweden.- Velko Kynev was born in Elhovo in 1948. He graduated in acting at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in 1973 in the class of Professor Apostol Karamitev . From 1973 to 1976 he played in the Drama Theatre Sliven , then played in the Satire Theatre for three seasons. Since 1979 he became a member of the troupe of the National Theatre "Ivan Vazov". Velko Kanev played over 40 roles in theater. For his role as Krusty Nikiforov in the drama "Easter Wine" by Konstantin Iliev Velko received the Prize "Asker" for leading actor in 1994. In 2007 " Teacher " by Jean-Pierre Dopa won second prize at the International Festival of mono performances "Monocle" in St. Petersburg. In 2008 he was invited to the Kings of Comedy. On 2 October the same year Velko Kynev was awarded the Order of St. St. Cyril and Methodius first degree of merit in the field of culture and art. On the same date Velko Kanev celebrated its 60th anniversary on the stage of the National Theatre with the premiere of the mono-drama " Twelve angry monologue ." He participated with leading roles in the films " Orchestra without a name ", " Boy last ", " Matriarchy ", " Manly Times"," Bon chance, Inspector! ", " All For Love " and others. Along with George Mamalev and Paul Poppandov create and band UFO, which is one of expressive satirists of socialism . They issued several plates, which enjoy great success. Their project later grew into a TV show club UFO. Velko Kanev died on 11 December 2011, 63 years after severe and prolonged illness.
- Milen Dimitrov Penev is a Bulgarian actor. He was born in Varna, Bulgaria. He graduated from National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in 1967 with a degree in "acting"in the class of Metodi Andonov. He has worked in the Plovdiv Drama Theater, the Pazardzhik Drama Theater, the "Aleko Konstantinov" Satirical Theater and the Sofia Theater. He died on 1 January 1992 under mysterious circumstances. His most important theatrical roles are: "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" (Brecht) - Simon; "The Big Profit" (E. Kintero) - Octavio; "Last summer in Chulimsk" (Al. Vampilov) - Shamanov.e has played the role of Bulfarian poet and national hero Hristo Botev in the movie "Liberty or Death", directed by Nikola Korabov and after hat all his creative efforts were concentrated upon this character.
- Antony Angelov Genov is a Bulgarian theater and cinema actor. He was born in Sofia, Bulgaria on February 9, 1950. He graduated from National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in 1974 with a degree in "acting" in the class of Professor Nadezhda Seykova. He played on the stages of Theatre "Tears and Laughter" (1974) and the National Theatre "Ivan Vazov" (1978-1979). He has duplicated films and series in his career. He has taken part in radio plays, television recitals and concerts. He was a member of Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers. Until his death he was married to actress Nelly Monedzhikova with whom he has one son - Angel Genov, who is also an actor. Antony Genov died on December 15, 2006 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Stage and film actor, best known for his roles in comedy movies. He was an important figure of the Golden age of Bulgarian Cinema (i.e. 1970s and 1980s). He began his career in the middle of the 1950s and made his feature length debut in 1958. He never got married or had children.
- Konstantinov spent most of his youth in Russia. Studied law at Odessa University and graduated in 1885, after which he returned to Bulgaria (which had become an independent state by then) to work at the Sofia Law Court. In 1893 he travelled to the United States and wrote the journal To Chicago and Back, published the same year. Konstantinov was politically active and he was murdered by political opponents in May 1897, barely 34 years old. As a writer he became famous for his Bai Gano stories.
- Tatiana Lolova was born on 10 February 1934 in Sofia. She graduated in Acting from National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia in 1955, then played a year at Ruse Drama Theatre and became one of the founding members of the State Theatre of Satire (1956-1978). In 1978-1989 joined the company of Sofia Theatre. In her early career she was more popular for her radio than her stage performances, but the advent of TV made her a real celebrity. Starring in over 50 features and TV series with, among others, An Incredible Story (1964); Birds and Greyhounds (1969); The Five of the Moby Dick (1970); Indian Summer (1973); Stars in the Hair, Tears in the Eyes (1977); Warmth (1978); Good Luck, Inspector! (1983); Dangerous Charm (1984); After the End of the World (1998); The English Neighbour (2011); House Arrest (2011).
- George Ganchev, whose birth name is Gheorghi Petroushev, was born on 29 August 1939 in Plovdiiv. In the early 1960s he emigrated from Bulgaria. He graduated from the British Fencing Academy and the Hollywood Theatrical Institute. In the period 1973 - 1988 he was engaged in directing, play-writing, film and play producing in Great Britain and the United States. Ganchev claims to be the author of seven Hollywood screen plays and plays produced in Hollywood, to have written books and poetry. In 1970 and 1974 he became world champion in professional fencing. He also performed as actor, has been a basketball player. Published in Bulgaria is his autobiography "George". According to his own public statements, his hobbies are horses, music, and poetry. He became actively engaged in Bulgaria's political life after 10 November 1989. Leader of the Bulgarian Business Bloc /BBB/ since its establishment on 24 November 1990. George Ganchev ran for president in the January 1992 election and received 17 percent of the vote, which ranks him third among the candidates in the first round. Chair of the Committee on Radio, Television and the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency in the 37th National Assembly (Dec. 1994-Apr. 1995). In the presidential election of 2001, he received 3.38 percent of the vote. Ganchev speaks English. Divorced, with two daughters who live in the United States.
- Director
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Art Director
Nikolay Todorov was born in Sofia in 1952. He graduated in Animation from the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in Moscow in 1979. From 1979 to 1987 he worked at Sofia Animation Film Studio as director, art director, animator and scriptwriter. He has created more than 90 animated films and is the recipient of prestigious international distinctions. His film Megalomania was selected for the Festival in Cannes. His film Odyssey was selected among the ten best animated films of the past 30 years at the International Film Festival in Hiroshima (Japan). The New York Museum of Modern Art has purchased some of his works. He has illustrated a great many Bulgarian and world classics.- Radko Dishliev is a Bulgarian actor. Radko Dishliev Borisov was born on June 15, 1951 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He graduated in "acting" in the class of Elka Mihaylova at National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria (1975). He won the Critics Award at National Film Festival "Golden Rose" in Varna, 1976 and the award of Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers for the role of Benkovksi in "Notes on Bulgarian Uprisings" (series). He participated in the movies: "Expectation" (1973), "The Apostles" (1976), "Powder Primer" (1977), "The Blood Remains" (1980), "Boris I" (1985), "A Place in the sun "(1986). He died on June 12, 2009 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Director
- Writer
Petar Borisov Vasilev-Milevin was born on June 26, 191 in Kriva Bara, Lom region, Bulgaria. He studied Law at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". He graduated film directing at State Cinema Institute in Moscow (1954). He was a Member of the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers. He has made some of the remarkable Bulgarian Cinema comedies. He received the title "Honored Artist" (1984) and the Order "Cyril and Methodius" (1960), the Order "People Republic of Bulgaria (1988). He died on July 29, 2001 in Sofia, Bulgaria.- Writer
- Soundtrack
Orhan Kemal was born on 15 September 1914 in Ceyhan, Adana, Ottoman Empire [now Turkey]. He was a writer, known for Anasi gibi (1957), Vukuat Var (1972) and Meyhanecinin kizi: Mapusane çesmesi (1958). He died on 2 June 1970 in Sofia, Bulgaria.- Ginka Konstantinova Stancheva was a Bulgarian stage and film actress. She was born on June 15, 1932 in Sofia. In 1955, she graduated from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in the class of Professor Stefan Surchadzhiev and began her career in the Blagoevgrad Drama Theater with the role of Blaga in "The Seedlings Bloom" by Slavcho Krasinski. She worked there until 1958. From 1958 to 1992 she played on the stage of the National Youth Theatere . From 1993 to 1998, she worked with the Barbukov theatre company and the municipal Renaissance Theatre. Stancheva played many stage roles, including Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet", Olivia in "Twelfth Night" and the Queen in "Richard II" (all by William Shakespeare); Mila in "The Skirts of Vitosha" by Peyo Yavorov; Maria in "Beautiful Lady" by Doncho Tsonchev; Anna in "Above All, Love" by Damyan Damyanov; Esmeralda in "Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo; Katya in "Humiliated and Offended" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky; Mary in "Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain; Dasha in the "Barbarians" by Maxim Gorky; and Sister Yankova in "Roses for Dr. Shomov" by Dragomir Asenov.
She also appeared in radio and television. She garnered fame in 1957 for her performance in the film "Earth", directed by Zahari Zhandov. The film competed at the Cannes Film Festival. Stancheva starred in 19 films, including "Lyubimetz 13", " Specialist Everything", and "Night of the White Horse". She also appeared in Bulgaria's soap opera, "Family Kalinkovi". In 1984, she participated in the dubbing, for Bulgarian TV, of the popular Spanish children's series "Blue Summer". - Composer
- Actor
Raicho Liubenov was born on 26 June 1935 in Belogradchik, Bulgaria. He was a composer and actor, known for Prizemyavane (1987), Prokurorat (1988) and Smartta na zaeka (1982). He died on 13 July 1992 in Sofia, Bulgaria.- Iliya Karaivanov is a Bulgarian theater and cinema actor. He was born on September 11, 1948 in Burgas, Bulgaria. He graduated from National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in the class of famous actor Apostol Karamitev. There were in the same class such actors as Velko Kynev, Filip Triffonov, Bogdan Glishev. Iliya Karaivanov has played roles in many Bulgarian movies, among them - Dr. Sokolov of "Under the Yoke", Asen of "Adaptation" and George Ikonomov of "Notes on Bulgarian Uprisings". One of the most memorable roles of late Karaivanov in cinema was in the film "Sofia History" based on the eponymous novella by Lyuben Stanev. He died on January 3, 2009 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Director
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
As a child Ivaylo Dzhambazov played in several Bulgarian children films. In 1984 he graduated from VGIK (State Institue Of Cinema Art), Moscow, Russia in Film Directing in the classes of Prof. Igor Talankin. From 1985 to 1987 he worked at the Boyana Film as an assistant director. He is author of documentaries, feature novelettes and TV programs.- Todor Zhivkov was born on 7 September 1911 in Pravets, Bulgaria. He died on 5 August 1998 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Maria Karl Vatsulka / stage name Maria Karel / was born on January 29, 1927 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She graduated from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in the Acting class of Professor Krastyo Mirski in 1958. She has played in the following theaters: Pleven Dramatic Theater,1958 - 1959: "The Iron Candlestick" - Niya; "Adriana Boudevska" Dramatic Theater, Bourgas, 1960- 1965: "Vacation in Arco Iris" - Pilar; "Divine Comedy" - Eve, "When Roses Dance" ; "Boyan Danovski" Pernik Dramatic Theater, 1966 - 1986: "Mary Tudor" - Mary Tudor, "Sadal and Orpheus" - Corsibleppa, "The Man Eater" - Yota, "A Double Bed for Adam and Eve","The Condemned of Altona". She has played in the following films: "Monkeys in Wintertime /the grandma/ - 2006, Kare /Olga's voice/ - 2002, Vampires, Ghouls - 1992, The Neighbor - 1988, The Echelons /Leon's wife/- 1986, The Salvation - 1984, The Golden River - 1983, I Killed No One - 1983, The Grand Piano - 1979, Swap - 1978, A Year of Mondays - 1977,A Bright Example /the mother teacher/ - 1976, The Last Bachelor - 1974, The Fortress Guard /Pepa/ - 1974, Ivan Kondarev - 1974, Exams at any Odd Time /Mitko's mother/ - 1973, The Best Person I Know /the math teacher/ - 1973, Freedom or Death 1969, At Every Kilometer /Olga/ 1969, A Favorite No. 13 - 1958. She died on 01 May 2016 in Sofia, Bulgaria
- Konstantin Iliev was born on March 9, 1924 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He graduated State Musical Academy "P.Vladigerov" in 1946. He studied "composition" in the class of Professor Pancho Vladigerov, "conducting' in the class of Professor Marin Goleminov and "violin" in the class of Professor. Vladimir Avramov. He specialized in the Prague Academy of Musical Arts in "conducting 'in the class of Professor V.Talich and "composition" in the class of Rzhidki, attends classes at quarter-tone composition of Professor Alois Habash (1946-47). In 1947, he returned to Bulgaria. Briefly he worked as a musicologist at Radio Sofia and then began to conduct as an active business. He was a founder of Ruse Symphony Orchestra (1947-48). He was a conductor of the Ballet of the Sofia Opera (1948-49). He was a Chief conductor of the Ruse Symphony Orchestra and the People's Opera Ruse (1949-52). He was a Chief Conductor of the Varna Symphony Orchestra (1952-56). Since 1956 he was a conductor and chief conductor of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. He was a Professor of "orchestral conducting" at State Musical Academy "P.Vladigerov" (1967). In 1969, he leaves the Philharmonic and till 1971 he performed a series of concerts and recordings for gramophone company "Balkanton". During the years 1971-72 and 1978-84 again was appointed chief conductor of the Philharmonic. From 1972 to 1978 he lived in Dobrich and founded the Festival of Chamber Music. As a conductor he received recognition in many countries of Europe, America and Asia and played a very big role in the promotion of the music of the twentieth century. There are many his records in Bulgarian National Radio, gramophone company "Balkanton" and foreign radio stations. He was one of the most important contemporary Bulgarian composers; his work is associated with so-called Bulgarian musical vanguard. He has worked in various genres: 2 operas and one ballet; cantata and oratorio works; 6 symphonies and other works for symphony orchestra; 7 Tempi concertos for different instrumental ensembles; 4 string quartets; Brass Quintet and other chamber ensemble and solo music; 5 songs for voice and piano; choral music for various compositions repertoire of performers; film and theater music. He is the author of three books, articles and studies. He died on March 6, 1988 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Grew up in the countryside outide Sofia. Studied to become a teacher at a local school in 1895. His first short story, published in 1901, drew the attention of literary circles in Sofia and he went to the capital to work as a librarian. This occupation gave him a lot of time to write and travel. During the First World War, he worked as a war correspondent. After the war, he became director of the Ivan Vazov Museum. Published novellas, short stories, children's stories and was co-founder of the literary periodical Razvigor.
- Kosta Tsonev was a Bulgarian actor of Greek heritage starring in theatre, TV and cinema. He was born on 10 June 1929 in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia. He studied at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts. He has been married three times: twice to Anahid Tacheva and then to his present wife Elena. He has a son, famed newsreader Dimitar Tsonev, and a daughter. His second oldest brother was the late Vasil Tsonev, a dry witted satirist who wrote many books, which have been published in several languages. His oldest brother was the late Iwan Tsonev (Iwan Zoneff) who moved to Australia in 1950 where he became one of the biggest property developers in South Australia during the mid 60 showing the diverse talents of the 3 brothers in each of their chosen fields. The father of the three brothers was a simple house painter. In 2001, Tsonev turned to politics and was elected to the National Assembly of Bulgaria as a representative of the former National Movement Simeon II. He was reelected in 2005. He is known for The Commander of the Detachment (1959), Freedom or Death (1969), The Indispensable Sinner (1971), The Weddings of King Ioan Assen (1975), The Swimming Pool (1977), The Conversion to Christianity & Discourse of Letters (1982), Crazy Day (2004) and My Father the House-Painter (1974). He died on January 25, 2012 in Sofia.
- Director
- Writer
- Production Designer
Christo Christov (11 April 1926 - 16 April 2007) was a Bulgarian film director and screenwriter. Before entering the theatre and film industry, Christov earned a medical degree in 1952. He graduated in Drama Directing at National Academy of Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria (1959) after studying theater direction. Between 1958 and 1966, Christov was a stage designer and director at the Plovdiv Theater. Between 1966 and 1967, Christov worked at Mosfilm Studios as an apprentice to several film directors, including Marlen Khutsiev and Mikhail Romm. Christo Christov made two of the seminal films in his country's cinema, Iconostasis (1969, in collaboration with Todor Dinov) and Last Summer (1974). Christo Christov was a professor in film and TV directing at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria. He was a member of European Film Academy. He directed 19 films between 1969 and 1997. In 1973, he was a member of the jury at the Eighth Moscow International Film Festival. His film Cyclops (1976) was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival. His film The Barrier (1979) won the Silver Prize at the 11th Moscow International Film Festival. In 1981, his film The Truck (1980) was entered into the 31st Berlin International Film Festival. His film Reference (1985) was entered into the 14th Moscow International Film Festival. In addition to his work in theater and film, Christov also works in television. From 1974 to 1982, he served as the Chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Film Workers.- Lubomir Petkov Kabakchiev is a Bulgarian actor and theater director , chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Actors since 1970 to 1986. He was born on December 1, 1925 in Kazanlak, Bulgaria. He graduated law at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (1946-1950) and acting in National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria (1949-1953). He was a Chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Artists and a member of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party; he won many state awards. The Kazanlak Theatre is named in his name, and also - the street that leads to the Thracian tomb. He began his career as an amateur on the stage of Theater "Iskra" in Kazanlak . After completing his higher education he has played in the National Theatre "Ivan Vazov". In addition to theater, he began acting in cinema. Lyubomir Kabakchiev debuted in cinema with the film " Morning over Homeland " in 1951. He also deals with the teaching. On January 24, 1969 he was declared "Honorary Citizen of Stara Zagora". He died on August 11, 1986 in Sofia, Bulgaria.