A number of cultural events marked Bulgaria's public life in 2011 despite severe budget cuts and raging economic crisis.

Cinema and Film Fests

Bulgaria's 'Eastern Plays' Fails to Make Cut for Oscar

"Eastern Plays", the Bulgarian foreign language 2011 Oscar competitor, failed to make the final shortlist.

Eastern Plays", which is the debut feature film of director Kamen Kalev, was chosen as the Bulgarian competitor for an Oscar for international film after it achieved a sweeping success not only in Bulgaria but also abroad in the fall of 2009 and the spring of 2010.

"Eastern Plays" won the award for best movie for 2009 of the Bulgarian Film Academy. Kalev, was also awarded for best director and for a debut in feature film. The motion picture also won film festivals awards, including in Sofia, Bratislava, Warsaw and Las Palmas. The movie was the first Bulgarian movie in the last 20 years to be selected at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009.

Bulgarian Movie 'Tilt' Tops National Box Office

In February, "Tilt" became the second Bulgarian movie to top the national box office after 2010 year's hit movie "Mission London". Following its hugely successful official premiere in Bulgaria on February 11, 2011, the movie has already been screened at 10 international film festivals with nine more ahead. The list features the festivals in Santa Barbara, Gothenburg, Montreal, Singapore, Raindance (London), Woodstock.

In October, the Bulgarian post-communist drama movie" received the "Best Debut Feature" Award at the prestigious London film festival "Raindance."

"Tilt" was also selected as the Bulgarian nomination for the US Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and entered the race for nominations in the same category of the Golden Globe.

"Tilt", which marks the debut of director Viktor Chuchkov Jr. and producer Borislav Chuchkov, is reaping immense success in the United States, where it has been selected to feature at five festivals, including the one in Seattle, the largest in the country. The movie made it to the second spot in the audience vote ratings among 450 productions from around the world.

Reviews in the US media, namely Variety and Hollywood Reporter, have been overwhelmingly positive. The movie is a co-production with "ostlicht filmproduktion" from Germany and the Bulgarian National Television. Script consultants are Bernd Lichtenberg ("Goodbye Lenin") and Bill Forsyth.

Love.net with 2nd Most Successful Premiere among Bulgarian Movies

At the beginning of April, Bulgarian blockbuster drama "Love.net" registered the second best opening weekend earnings after the already legendary comedy "Mission London." Love.net, a story about online dating, made a total BGN 189 729, attracting a total of 22 382 viewers after its premiere on Friday, April 1, 2011.

The ambitious film features top Bulgarian actors and is also the first movie appearance of British rock and roll and blues vocalist John Lawton known for his work with Lucifer's Friend, Uriah Heep and the Les Humphries Singers.

Love.net is a film about "love at first virtual sight" written and directed by Ilian Djevelekov. It is produced by the Bulgarian company Miramar Film. It failed to surpass the record of Mission London (BGN 355 120 and 46 291 viewers) but overtook another successful Bulgarian drama, Tilt, which was released in February (BGN 112 178 and 14 069 viewers).

'Mysterious' Bulgarian Movie Fails in Italy

In April, "Goodbye Mama," a movie directed by controversial Italian-based and Bulgarian-born actress Michelle Bonev, was described by Italian media as a complete failure.

The movie was released in 80 Italian theaters but earned a mere EUR 65 000 in the first days after its premiere. Only 9 000 Italians dared to watch it.

"Pathetic" and "pretentious" were some of the words used to describe Bonev's movie, the Ansa agency went further and called it a "crime".

Ever since Bonev received the first ever Action for Women award at the prestigious Venice movie fest in 2010, "Farewell Mom" had not been shown anywhere. The award itself, however, triggered massive media scandals in both Bulgaria and Italy, as it turned out to have been fabricated especially for her courtesy of her "friends", now-former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, and former Culture Minister, Sando Bondi.

In the aftermath, Bulgaria's Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov accepted two resignations over the case - of Alexander Donev, head of the Bulgarian National Film Center and Bulgaria's Deputy Culture Minister, Dimitar Derelviev, as it turned out the country's state budget has contributed with BGN 300 000 for Bonev's 'mysterious' movie. A 40-strong Bulgarian delegation, headed by Rashidov, enjoyed a luxurious dinner party in Venice to celebrate Bonev's phantom award. Italian taxpayers contributed with an additional EUR 1 M to the controversial movie.

Bulgarian Movie Gets Cannes Call

It was announced in April that "The Island", young Bulgarian director Kamen Kalev's new movie, is to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it is selected for the special Directors' Fortnight in May 2011.

This is Kalev's second movie. His debut, "Eastern Plays", became the first Bulgarian production to be selected for the prestigious festival's in the past 20 years. It was selected for the Director's Fortnight in 2009. French top model and actress Laetitia Casta and Danish actor Thure Lindhardt play the main roles in the movie, which was filmed on Bulgaria's St. Anastasia Island, formerly called Bolshevik Island, near the Black Sea city of Burgas.

"The Island" was listed in The Most Anticipated Films of 2011 in the influential French film magazine "Cahiers du cin?ma", alongside movies by Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. The Directors' Fortnight is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival, created in 1969. Fifteen of this year's 21 directors' pics come from Europe.

Bulgarian Movie Awarded at Moscow International Festival

On July 2, The Bulgarian movie (Ketsove") ("Sneakers") received the prestigious Moscow International Film Festival's Cinema clubs prize and diploma. "Sneakers", the debut feature of young directors Ivan Vladimirov and Valeri Yordanov, was also one of the 17 selected for competition for the festival's prestigious Saint George award.

"Sneakers" tells the story of six young people trying escape from the failures in their families, love lives and ambitions, fleeing the big city to settle at the quiet sea coast.

The prize was awarded by the head of the board of judges, Charlie Chaplin's daughter Geraldine. Geraldine Chaplin, head of the jury at the Moscow International Film Festival, appeared in a peculiar outfit during the graduation ceremony in order to protest against a Bulgarian movie not receiving an award.

Even though Chaplin and other jury members insisted on awarding the Bulgarian contestant, the organizers did not allow it, since they claimed the selection of the awards should be "balanced," referring to the political reasons behind the awards - a Russian movie had to receive a prize, leaving no place for the Bulgarian one among the winners. "Sneakers" still received an honorable mention on behalf of the jury, which is not a common practice.

Sofia Film Fest Opens with Oscar Hit 'Black Swan'

On March 5, the 15th anniversary edition of the Sofia Film Fest opened at the National Palace of Culture in downtown Sofia. The 2011 program included 118 movies and over 70 short films. Bulgaria was represented by "Shelter" of director Dragomir Sholev and by and by "Tilt," directed by Victor Chuchkov Jr.

The fest opened with the showing of Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan." On February 27, pregnant Natalie Portman picked up the year's best actress Oscar statuette for her role portraying a deranged ballerina in this same movie. The fest closed on March 13 with "The End," of Russian director, Alexey Uchitel.

The organizer of the event, Stefan Kitanov, proudly announced the showing of the movie "Pina" of Wim Venders, which is considered the greatest current movie event in the world. Venders was in Sofia for 24 hours. Other guests included Uchitel, Mincho Manchevski, and all-time movie star Claudia Cadinale. Bulgarian movie "Shelter" of Director Dragomir Sholev was bestowed the Grand Prix award of the 15th edition of Sofia Film Fest.

The Jury Special Award went to "White Snow" (Turkey) of Director Selim Gunes. The Best Director Award went to Joao Nuno Pinto for his film "America" (Spain-Brazil-Portugal-Russia). The FIPRESCI Award was bestowed to the film "Sound of Noise" by Directors Ola Simonson and Johannes Stjarne Nilsson. The festival presented a total of 205 films (118 movies, 24 documentaries and over 60 shorts) from all over the world. A total of 260 international guests were present - film directors, producers, festival directors, film experts and journalists.

2 Bulgarians Step on Cannes Film Fest Red Carpet

In May 2011, Maxim Behar, who is the CEO of M3 Communications Group, Inc., the largest Bulgarian PR agency, and revered Bulgarian actress Teodora Duhovnikova, became the first two Bulgarians ever to step onto the red carpet, a venue traditionally reserved exclusively for the Golden Palm nominees.

The only one, who have had the privilege of being invited so far, was actress Ginka Stancheva, who sashayed down in a traditional Bulgarian folk costume back in 1957 thanks to her role in the film "Earth", directed by Zahari Zhandov.

The names of the two Bulgarians and the country they represent were announced officially as they stepped onto the carpet for the information of the hundreds of journalists and producers who had come to welcome the guests.

In the framework of the visit, they conferred with dozens of representatives of the film industry, talked to colleagues from many countries and participated in events in the festival's program, which were available only for the official guests.

Duhovnikova and Behar attended the premiere of Turkey's "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia", which just hours later won the Grand Prix of the festival. They handed over to Lucy Shannon, Area Manager at Chivas Brothers, a special gift for actor Robert De Niro, who presided over this year's jury.

It re-produces the work of Bulgarian math wunderkind Radko Kotev, who recently solved the ancient geometrical problem of Apollonius in a way no other mathematician has ever done. The young Bulgarian's solution is only the fifth known in history.

Behar and Duhovnikova participated in the final two days of the Cannes Film Festival as ambassadors of Bulgaria at the invitation of the organizers and Chivas Regal, the exclusive partner of the Cannes Festival.

Each year Chivas Regal organizes an elite event in a specially selected house, to which popular personalities from around the world are invited. They are selected for being opinion leaders in their country. The initiative aims the preservation and fostering of values such as chivalry, honor, and dignity.

In July, Behar unveiled a unique photo exhibit in Sofia dedicated to his participation in the Cannes Film Festival. The exhibit contained 25 photos that he took during his 40-hour stay in Cannes, thus presenting the city during the Festival but "off the red carpet." Its opening was attended by a number of formal guests and friends, including US Ambassador in Sofia James Warlick and David Weissman, Cultural Attache of the French Embassy in Sofia, who were impressed with the author's ability to capture on camera elusive but intriguing details.

2 Bulgarian Films Grab Awards at Prestigious Sarajevo Fest

At the end of July, the motion picture Ave of Bulgarian movie director, Konstantin Bojanov, received the special jury award at the 17th edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival. SFF was held in the Bosnian capital from July 22 to July 30.

The short film Take Two of Bulgarian Nadezhda Koseva received the special mention in the short film category. The Heart of Sarajevo Award for Best Film went to BREATHING of Director Karl Markovics , Austria, and the Heart of Sarajevo Award for Best Short Film went to MEZZANINE of Director Dalibor Matanic from Croatia.

The Heart of Sarajevo Award for Best Actress was bestowed to Ada Condeescu (LOVERBOY) from Romania and the one for Best Actor – to Thomas Schubert (BREATHING) from Austria. The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo was also presented to actress Angelina Jolie for her humanitarian work. A total of seven Bulgarian films participated in SFF.

"Shelter" by Dragomir Sholev, which took the grand prix at Bulgaria's 15th Sofia Film Festival and was named Best Feature Film for 2010 by the Bulgarian Film Academy, and "The Isle" directed by Kamen Kalev, which premiered at the special Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, were included in the "In Focus" program and did not compete for a prize at SFF 2011.This part of the program presents the best films in the region for the past year.

The festival was founded in 1995 with a view to recreate civil society in the city plagued by a four-year siege.It is held on an annual basis in end-July and aims to present important and innovative films of high artistic value made throughout the world. The Sarajevo Film Festival Competition program is accredited by FIAPF (F?d?ration Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films) as a Competitive Specialized Festival. The main focus is the region of Southeast Europe.

Prominent Film Director Konchalovsky Pays Visit to Bulgaria

In September, famous Russian film director Andrei Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky visited Bulgaria in the occasion of the showing of his latest movie The Nutcracker 3D. In honor of the talented artist, the Cinema House in the capital Sofia organized a "Konchalovsky Week," where a number of his motion pictures will be presented.

In 1979, Konchalovsky received the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes International Film Festival for Siberiade. He has been nominated for the Cannes Golden Palm three other times.

The director was born in 1937 in the family of Sergey Mikhalkov, a playwright, poet and author of many famous children's books and Natalia Konchalovskaya, a poet and translator. Nikita Mikhalkov, another talented Russian actor and movie director, is his youngest brother.

Konchalovsky directed his first movie in 1964. He also made into film Turgenev and Chekhov classics with A Nest of Gentlefolk and Uncle Vanya. After Siberiade's success he emigrated to the US and created several Hollywood movies before returning to Russia in the beginning of the 90s.

The "Week of Konchalovsky" in Sofia included films from both his early and his latest work – Uncle Vanya, A Lover's Romance, A Nest of Gentlefolk, House of Fools, and Gloss.

The director, himself, introduced to the Bulgarian audience The Nutcracker 3D – a fantasy film adaption of the Tchaikovsky ballet The Nutcracker, featuring Nathan Lane, John Turturro, Elle Fanning, and Konchalovsky's fith wife, Julia Vysotskaya.

Redford's 'The Conspirator' Opens Sofia Independent Film Fest

At the end of October, the team from The Conspirator film of American actor, film director, and producer, Robert Redford, visited Bulgaria for the official opening ceremony of the second edition of the So Independent festival. The festival in Sofia was dedicated to the American independent cinema.

Production designer with Bulgarian descent, Kalina Ivanov, and screenwriter, James Solomon, introduced The Conspirator at the official opening ceremony. Hollywood legends, who were filming in Bulgaria the sequel to the hit action movie The Expendables, were also in attendence.

The festival showings began with Another Earth and Detachment with Adrien Brody in the House of Film and with The Conspirator and Senna – 106 in Cinema City.

The program included 20 films – 11 motion pictures and 10 documentaries, selected by Bulgarian actress, living in the US, Jana Karaivanova, who is the initiator, producer and director of the festival, organized in partnership with the America for Bulgaria Foundation and the American Embassy in Sofia. The film critic of Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Turan, was a special guest at the opening ceremony.

Kalina Ivanov is the production designer of Robert Redford's latest feature film, The Conspirator, as well as the Oscar nominated Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and Rabbit Hole (2010). She has also designed The Vow, Made of Honor, My Sassy Girl, Uptown Girl, Brown Sugar, Swimfan, Monday Night Mayhem, Household Saints, and Smoke.

James Solomon's debut as a feature film writer comes with the Conspirator, directed by Robert Redford. A former foreign correspondent, Solomon wrote and Executive Produced for ESPN the limited series The Bronx Is Burning, which starred John Turturro and Oliver Platt. He began his screenwriting career as a staff writer on several television series including the Emmy Award-winning The Practice and Sidney Lumet's 100 Centre Street.

Kenneth Turan is the leading film critic for Los Angeles Times and the morning edition of NPR (National Performance Review) as well as the director of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. He has worked as a staff writer for the Washington Post and TV Guide, and served as the Times' book review editor.

7th Edition of Sofia Student Film Fest Held in Sofia

On November 18, the 7th edition of the International Student Film Festival for short films "Early Bird" opened at the National Academy for Theater and Film Art (NATFA) in Sofia.

71 films from Bulgaria, Belgium, England, Germany, Romania, Turkey, Serbia and Croatia took part in the fest. Outside of the competition program, there were master classes, lectures, and meetings with prominent filmmakers, which will be held at the Student Drama Theater at NATFA, as well as a two-hour program of student films from France's European Independent Film Fest ECU

Special guests included Bulgarian star actor, Asen Blatechki, well-known Bulgarian director, Victor Chuchkov, and Scott Hiller - Oscar winner for documentary in 2009.

The festival is organized and sponsored by the American Foundation for Bulgaria (AFB). The 2011 prize fund is USD 4 100. The 1st Student Short Film Festival "Early Bird" took place on May 25, 2005, in the "Sofia Cinema "Center." The showing of films produced by college students in the US was launched in 2009.

Bulgaria and Hollywood

Hollywood to Film Story of Bulgarian Medic Jailed in Libya

It was announced in March that Hollywood producers Richard Harding and Sam Feuer wre trying to raise USD 25 M-USD 30 M for their feature film on Bulgarian medics and Libya's HIV trial.

In their exclusive interview for Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), Harding and Feuer declared that the dramatic story of the 6 Bulgarian medics jailed in Libya in 1999-2007 for allegedly infecting deliberately 400 children with HIV was "compelling" and worthy of a Hollywood script.

They explained they would like to attract both US and European funding, as well as both public and private investors, and have called upon those interested in their project not to hesitate to invest in it. The US producers are convinced that their movie has the potential to become a Hollywood-style blockbuster.

Harding and Feuer are from Sixth Sense Productions, based in Beverly Hills, CA. They were in Sofia for the showing of their latest production, "The First Grader", at the Sofia Film Fest.

They intend to start shooting their movie telling the story of the Bulgarian medics, tortured by the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi in order to confess, in 2012. The working title of the film is "The Benghazi Six."

The American producers first got the idea to make a movie about the fate of the six Bulgarian medics in Libya in 2005 while the trial against they was going on. On their past and current visit to Bulgaria, they have been meeting with the Bulgarian nurses and doctor themselves, and with Bulgarian politicians and diplomats involved in the efforts to save the medics from the hands of the Gaddafi dictatorship.

The travesty trial against the Bulgarian medics sponsored by Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was triggered by their arrest back in 1999. They spent 8 painful years in prison and were sentenced to death twice. In July 2007, the involvement of the French Sarkozy presidential couple and the EU in the final stages of the talks, which has been deemed crucial by Bulgaria and the medics, led to their transfer to Bulgaria and release.

Libya's former Justice Minister, who in 2011 joined the anti-Gaddafi forces in the country, stated that not the Bulgarian medics, but the regime of leader Muammar Gaddafi was responsible for infecting more than 400 children with HIV. A Libyan official, who bought infected blood at a low price and pocketed the balance, is behind the HIV outbreak in Benghazi, according to fresh diplomatic cables, revealed by WikiLeaks.

US Film to Tell Story of Bulgarian Jews' Rescue in WW II

In March, during a visit to Bulgaria, prominent Israeli historian and politician Prof. Mihael Bar-Zohar, announced he was working on securing the American filming and movie stars' participation to tell the story of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews during World War II.

The historian has Bulgarian origins and has written a book and produced a documentary on the subject, but is now determined to carry out his idea about a movie as the only way for millions of people to learn about the rescue of Bulgarian Jews from Nazi concentration camps.

Bar-Zohar informed the screenplay is finished. He wants to movie to be filmed in Bulgaria, but produced by Americans in order to attract more viewers.

"We have all characters and a fantastic story line. I am now preoccupied with the effort to secure the financing," the Professor said.

The Expendables

It was announced at the end of September that the shooting of the much anticipated sequel to "The Expendables" is underway in Bulgaria. Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme were among the cult action heroes expected to star in the movie that is to be directed by Simon West.

"The Expendables 2" has a budget of over USD 80 M and its shooting took place mainly at the Sofia-based NU Boyana studios and in the winter resort of Bansko. Hundreds of Bulgarian professionals were employed alongside their foreign colleagues to participate in the shooting process.

In October, Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov and movie-star-turned California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger voiced a shared opinion that the film industry is a great tool for boosting economic development. Borisov and Schwarzenegger met at the Nu Boyana Film Studios. The meeting was also attended by Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov and Bulgarian football star Hristo Stoichkov.

Elaborating on the benefits for the economy from developing the film industry, PM Borisov stressed the government's contributions for the results achieved in the sphere over the past two years. He explained that, by sharing their impressions of Bulgaria, celebrities like Schwarzenegger and his colleagues altered foreign stereotypes of the country and brought it new fame.

In the course of the talks, Schwarzenegger showed interest in visiting the excavation works for the construction of an underground history museum in downtown Sofia displaying the city's ancient and medieval history.

It was announced at the end of November, the bridge connecting the left bank of the river Osam and the Devetashka Cave, which was rebuilt from scratch for the shoot of "The Expendables 2", will remain as a gift to Bulgaria, the production company said in a statement.

The bridge repair cost BGN 600 000, according toNu Boyana Film Studios CEO David Varod and Lovech District Governor Vanya Sabcheva. The local authorities are positive that the new bridge, combined with the huge interest in the blockbuster action film will revive tourism in the region.

The shooting of the blockbuster was, however, marred by eco activists alarming that due to the noise during the shooting of the movie bats inside the cave, a key spot for spending the winter season, have come out of hibernation much earlier than usual and it is unclear how many will survive until spring. They also found a number of dead bats.

It was reported that the European Commission has sent a letter to the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Waters, inquiring information on the case with the dead bats in the Devetashka cave. The Devetashka Cave, located in central northern Bulgaria, houses for the winter a key European bat colony, with many endangered species protected in the country and Europe.

Experts of the Ministry and of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, BAS, checked the cave and said that the majority of bats were found to be in hibernation and the dead ones were within the norm of the usual mortality rate. Thus, the Ministry rejected claims Hollywood activities have harmed the bats, but ordered a ban on all visits in the cave for the entire winter until hibernation is over. The naturalists continue to strongly disagree with the report. The movie is set for release in August 2012.

TV Series

Turkish Director to Make Bulgarian Novel into TV Series

Turkish director and producer Osman Sinav is making in Turkey TV series based on the novel of young Bulgarian author Lyudmila Filipova.

The novel "Anatomy of Illusions" is dedicated to the development of Bulgaria's post-communist transition. The Turkish TV series will be called "The Walls between Us." They will be shot in Bulgaria's Sofia and Varna, and in Istanbul, and will be aired in three or four seasons.

Filipova has revealed that the Turkish scriptwriters will adapt the book by adding a lot of elements related to Turkey. The main character in the TV series will be an ethnic Turkish Bulgarian who has family in Turkey; instead of Boris, as in the original novel, his name will be Baris.

What is more, Dogan Kital, the largest publishing house in Istanbul, will publish Filipova's novel "Anatomy of Illusions" in Turkish.

Filipova is a young Bulgarian author, whose novels tackle stories from Bulgaria's post-communist transition, mafia, and organized crime. She is also known for being a granddaughter of one of the leaders of the Bulgarian Communist Party, Grisha Filipov, who was Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bulgaria in 1981-1986. Turkish soap operas have enjoyed immense popularity in Bulgaria in the recent couple of years.

Bestseller Bulgarian Trilogy to Become Latest TV Series Hit

In mid-July, top Bulgarian movie and TV series producer, Dimitar Mitovski, whose name is connected with producing such hits as the movie "Mission London," and the TV series "Undercover" and "Glass House," confirmed plans to film the trilogy "The Bulgarian's Sign" for TV because its suspenseful plot and national spirit can make it a blockbuster.

Mitovski, who admits being impressed by the book and reading it in one go, did, however, point out such large-scale project would need serious budget and financing.

The novel intertwines political intrigue, intelligence stories, action and suspense and touches on issues crucial for Bulgaria such as the project to build a second Nuclear Power Plant in the Danube town of Belene, the US missile defense shield, CIA, FBI, KGB and the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security, DANS.

According to the author of the book, Dimitar Nedkov, who aims at resurrecting the dignity of the Bulgarian nation and at bringing Bulgarians together, the Bulgarian's sign is a small, ancient, symbolic piece that unites Bulgarians.

At the end of 2009, the author's first fiction book – "The Menace Dan Brown" became one of the 3 top bestsellers in Bulgaria. The "Bulgarian's Sign" has been on the bestsellers' list ever since the first part appeared on bookstands.

Macedonia Excited by Hit Bulgarian TV Series

It was reported in August that the hit Bulgarian TV series, "Staklen Dom" (Glass Home), has been received with much excitement in Macedonia, after airing on Macedonian TV "Kanal 5".

"Staklen Dom", which has become the first Bulgarian TV series to be shown in Macedonia, has already aired on various channels in Bulgaria's other neighbors – Turkey, Serbia, Romania, and Greece.

Interestingly, the hit film has generated only positive reviews in the Macedonian media, many of which are known for being vocally anti-Bulgarian for political reasons.

The Staklen Dom series is a production of the bTV channel. "Glass Home" is a family drama story with criminal features. It shows the Bulgarian society as it appears in the real life. Viewers can see everything that is happening now in Bulgaria", said Dimitar Mitovski, executive producer of the TV series.

The saga behind the plot reveals the story of Kamen Kasabov (Kalin Vrachanski), who comes back from the United States for the 60th birthday of his father, with whom he had not spoken in 18 years.

Father Dimitar Kasabov (Stefan Danailov) is one of the owners of a shopping mall and a man of rough character. A gangland murder, twists of fate, secret relationships between the characters will change everyone's lives in the small world of the mall forever. All in all, the appearance of Kamen is set to cause dramatic chain reaction of events, including the emergence of a love triangle between him, his father, and his father's second wife Boryana Kasabova (Elena Petrova).

For the first time a production of the type stirs such huge interest not only locally but abroad as well. Staklen Dom is also known for featuring in its second season the acting US Ambassador in Bulgaria James Warlick.

Warlick, who got a special permission from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to star in the TV series in the role of the US Ambassador, has become the first acting US diplomat to appear in a movie.

New TV Series Portrays Families Divided between Bulgaria, US

In the fall of 2011, the largest, privately-owned TV channel in Bulgaria bTV launched its second hit TV series, aired during prime time.

The family saga "Seven Hours Difference followed the success of the other bTV hit series "Glass Home."

"Seven Hours Difference" is a tale of several Bulgarian families, marked by the conflict between generations, power and survival struggle, different value systems, love and hate. Some of the members of each family live in New York. The families are also divided by the Bulgarian and US underground, by successes and failures, dirty secrets and triumphs.

The characters include a judge, a young and non-corrupt prosecutor, an emblematic Bulgarian "businessman," a Russian mafia man, and the owner of a Bulgarian restaurant in New York. As to be expected, a love affair that refuses to follow the rules changes everyone's life.

Actress Vanya Tsvetkova, who was very famous in the 80s and the beginning of 90s before immigrating to the US, returned to Bulgaria especially for the series where she is featured as one of the main female characters.

"Seven Hours Difference" is a coproduction of bTV and Global Films. Popular Bulgarian TV personality, Magardich Halvadzhiyan, is its director while the script writers are also popular Lyuben Dilov Jr. and Milena Fuchedzhieva, who has spent many years in LA.

Bulgarian Mini-Sitcom 'The English Neighbor'

The long-anticipated mini-sitcom of the Bulgarian National TV, "The English Neighbor", starring British actor Leslie Grantham, premiered in September, and was aired on the State TV BNT. The filming of "The English Neighbor" started at the end of July 2011 in the village of Negushevo near Sofia.

The plot is based on the book with the same name by author Mihail Veshim, who is also the script-writer. The mini-sitcom, which was only four episodes, is based in an imaginary Bulgarian village called "Plodorodno" (i.e. "Fruitful"), where the locals have abandoned the land, spent their time in the pub, and hope to win the lottery.

The arrival of a "real" Englishman named John Stuart who buys a house, and a tractor and starts working the fields, disturbs local life but also makes the newcomer adopt many Bulgarian ways.

The new series sought to explore a plot inspired the fact that a large number of UK expats bought homes in the Bulgarian countryside in the past few years. (Even though a number of them have put their Bulgarian properties back on the market in the past year or two.)

Leslie Grantham (born 1947) is best known for his role as "Dirty" Den Watts in the soap opera EastEnders.

Bulgaria's Hit Crime Series 'Undercover' in USA

At the beginning of November, hit Bulgarian TV series "Undercover" ("Pod Prikritie") was formally presented at the annual American Film Market.

Crime series "Undercover", a production of the Bulgarian National Television and directed by popular director Dimitar Mitovski ("Mission London", 2009), has already been sold to air in Russia and other European countries.

"Undercover", which tells the story of good cops, Bulgarian mafia, and corrupt officials, has thus become the first ever Bulgarian TV series to be presented on the American Film Market. The American Film Market took place in Santa Monica, CA, together with 400 new titles in 30 languages, with more than 8 000 distribution companies striking deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The movie's distributor, New Films International, issued a special trailer to present the crime series to American TV companies and producers. The first season of "Pod Prikritie" ("Undercover") aired in the spring of 2011; the second season started airing in November 2011.

Music

American Band Delights Sofia Metro Riders

In February, the American string band Ebony Hillbillies held an improvised concert at the Sofia University metro station in downtown Bulgarian capital.

The group is the only one with a license to perform in the NYC subway, the US Embassy in Sofia, organizer of the concert, informed. A New York subway platform institution since the late 1980s, the Ebony Hillbillies can be found at Times Square, Grand Central Station and 34th Street at Macy's. The have also played at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall and for the International Bluegrass Music Association in Nashville. They influenced the formation of the other premier black string band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Ebony Hillbillies were in Bulgaria on the occasion of the African-American month marked in the US in February.

UK Rock Legend Joe Cocker Takes Sofia Stage

At the end of May, British rock legend - singer Joe Cocker, 67, held his second concert in Bulgaria at the capital Sofia "Festivalna" Hall.

Cocker, whose career spans over four decades, performed his all-time hit singles such as You're So Beautiful, Unchain My Heart and You Can Leave Your Hat On along with songs from his latest album Hard Knocks (2010).

Cocker's tour was dedicated to the new album which climbed to the top of the German charts as soon as it was released. The singer first visited Bulgaria in 1994.

Cocker has 21 studio albums with millions of them sold across the globe. He had performed at Woodstock in 1969 and has been bestowed a number of awards – Grammy, Golden Globe, Oscar.

Pure Bliss for 15 000 Roxette Fans in Bulgaria's Capital Sofia

At the end of May, fifteen thousand Roxette fans traveled from all parts of Bulgaria and neighboring countries to watch the Sofia gig of the Swedish duo, Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson, part of their long-anticipated world tour.

The crowd went wild as Gessle's guitar and Fredriksson's voice were able to produce the same quality of music that they first shared with an adoring world more than 20 years ago. Perfect Day, Queen of Rain, Spending My Time, How Do You Do, Joyride and of course The Look! brought back cherished memories of the '80s and '90s, when Roxette dominated world music charts.

Other songs like their mega-hit, It Must Have Been Love, which Fredriksson described as their Hollywood song – in reference to it being the title track of blockbuster Pretty Woman – became a sing-along. The tour kicked off on March 1st in Kazan, Russia and passed through at least four continents.

Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumor in September 2002, which was later removed in surgery. The tumor was malignant and she endured months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, receiving some permanent damage to her brain, losing the ability to read and count, the vision in her right eye, and some loss of movement in her right side.

Sting, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra Enchant 15 000

In June, Sting, the world renowned pop star, delighted nearly 15 000 spectators with a two hour concert at the Georgi Asparuhov stadium in Bulgaria's capital Sofia.

He performed together with Sofia's philharmonic orchestra, one of the most illustrious symphonic orchestras in Europe, presenting symphonically re-orchestrated versions of 23 of his best known songs, covering all periods from his 23-year career.

This was the second time Sting has performed with the Bulgarian orchestra, after it played with him in Bucharest. The set opened with Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic hits like Every Breath You Take, Shape of my heart, Englishman in New York and Moon over Bourbon Street.

Sting surprised his fans by announcing a 20-minute break in Bulgarian during the concert. The concert was part of Sting's ongoing and hugely successful Symphonicity Tour, which includes the musician's greatest hits with symphonic arrangement. This was the British legend's third concert in Bulgaria. The first one was in 1996 in Sofia and the second took place in Nessebar at the country's seaside, when about 20,000 people gathered.

Concerts Sinead O'Connor to Delight Bulgaria Wednesday On June 22, Irish singer/songwriter Sinead O'Connor performed for the first time in Bulgaria. Her gig was scheduled for 20:00 in Sofia's National Palace of Culture. The world renowned singer was accompanied by her husband, guitarist Steve Cooney, as well as seven other musicians.

Sinead O'Connor's Sofia concert marked the beginning of her European tour. The controversial Irish performer rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved commercial success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U".

Bulgaria's 1st Elevation Music Festival Kicks Off

On June 24, and June 25, Bulgaria saw the first ever Elevation festival event, which gathered Jamiroquai, 30 Seconds to Mars, Morcheeba, Stereo MCs, Delinquent Habits and Cypress Hill among others. The Bulgarian bands that took part in the festival were Ostava, Tri O Five, Monyx, Sepuko 6 and Odd Crew, as well as the Djs from Metropolis, DJ Marten, DJ Rawland and TV and radio host Krasimir Moskov.

The second day of the event was marred by a storm with gusty winds causing the ban of access to the site where the event was being held - near the mountain town of Razlog. The performances were scheduled to begin at 2 pm with Delinquent Habits, Gentleman, Cypress Hill and 30 Seconds To Mars taking the stage, but were cancelled over the damaged stage and dangerous weather. This was to be Cypress Hill first concert in Bulgaria. Morcheeba had their first gig in Bulgaria on June 20, 2010 as part of the summer music festival ParkLive.

Sofia Rocks with Priest, Whitesnake, Mike, Saxon, Slade

On July 9, the 2011 edition of Sofia Rocks festival gathered a string of heavyweights from the 70s and 80s UK rock scene and went on into the wee hours. The event, organized by Balkan Entertainment Company at Sofia's Balgarska Armiya (CSKA) Stadium, kicked off in the blasting heat around 4:30 pm with Bulgarians Sheky and the Bloodrain, who pulled off a couple of songs from their hard rock repertoire.

Soon after the sweltering crowd gave a more than warm welcome to British glam rock veterans Slade, who have made a return as a live band.

Then the show was on to more epic ground with UK heavy metal classics Saxon, who excited the more hard core part of the crowd, presenting a mix of classic songs and numbers from their fresh 2011 outing "Call to Arms."

Things lightened with Mike & the Mechanics, the pop-rock formation of Mike Rutherford of Genesis fame. The choice of line-up for the fest proved successful, since after the first couple of minutes into their set, you could see many happily dancing and clapping hands. A little after 9 pm, the imperious David Coverdale artistically took on the stage with his band Whitesnake, blasting into "The Best Years" from their 2008 album "Good to Be Bad."

Around 11 pm the stage was being prepared for headliners Judas Priest, one of the bands that defined the heavy metal style, who have embarked on their last major world tour, aptly named "Epitaph" (also the name of a little-known ballad from their 1976 "Sad Wings of Destiny").

Jean-Michel Jarre Delights Thousands in First Bulgarian Concert

On October 10, Jean-Michel Jarre, the French legend of electronic music, delighted thousands of fans during his first concert on Bulgarian soil.

Even though the gig began 50 minutes later than initially announced, it was described as a success by the excited audience and the Bulgarian media. Jarre's concert was accepted as a historical event in Sofia, as it was the first concert to be staged in the city's brand new sports and performance facility "Arena Armeets".

During his performance, Jean-Michel Jarre stated his Sofia visit was emotionally charged, since Bulgaria was among the first countries outside France that started appreciating his music. The first letter the prominent musician received from a fan outside France was from Bulgaria, he revealed. Jarre also declared he dedicated his Sofia gig to current UNESCO head, Bulgarian Irina Bokova.

Jean-Michel Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, synthpop, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organizer of outdoor concerts, featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.

His first mainstream success was the 1976 album Oxygen (Oxygene). Recorded in a makeshift studio at his home, the album sold an estimated 12 million copies. Oxyg?ne was followed in 1978 by Equinox (?quinoxe), and in 1979 Jarre performed to a record-breaking audience of more than a million people at the Place de la Concorde, a record he has since broken three times. The concert in Sofia was part of the 2011 European tour of the French composer and musician.

Soul Queen Sade Delights 12 000 Fans in Sofia

On October 30, prominent soul singer Sade was warmly welcomed by some 12 000 fans in Bulgarian capital Sofia's newly built Arena Armeets hall as she performed for the first time in the Balkan country. At the beginning of her Sofia gig, Sade apologized for never having visited Bulgaria before in her long musical career. "Your Love Is King", "Smooth Operator", "Jezebel", "The Sweetest Taboo" and "Is It a Crime" were among the well-known songs she performed together with her brilliant band on Saturday.

The Grammy Award winning performer finished her Sofia gig with "By Your Side", but as the audience passionately asked for an encore, she performed the beautiful "Cherish the Day" and said goodbye to the audience until her next concert in Bulgaria.

Tom Jones Entertains Bulgaria for 1st Time

On November 18, prominent British singer Tom Jones held his first concert in Bulgaria's capital Sofia. "Sexbomb, "Delilah" and "Mama Told Me Not to Come" were among the hits presented before the excited Bulgarian audience. The gig was held at the newly opened Arena Armeets hall in  Sofia and was organized by Sofia Music Enterprises.

Tom Jones is one of the most productive and sold artists in the history of modern music. Among his best-known hits are songs like "It's Not Unusual", "Kiss", "Delilah", "What's New Pussycat", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and "If I Only Knew", among others.

Although his songs have an unmistakable pop catchiness, they retain a deep rock and blues sensibility as their fundament. Tom Jones's career spans over 46 years, his latest full-length album being 2010's "Praise & Blame."

Humiliated Bulgarian Fans Meet Vanessa Mae with Boos

At the beginning of December, Bulgarian fans and organizers joined efforts to claim legal damages from star violinist, Vanessa Mae, after she subjected local audience to humiliation.

Mae was met with boos and hisses when she finally emerged on stage at the National Palace of Culture, NDK, in Sofia for her concert.

The boos were caused by her delayed by 1 hour and 40 minutes appearance, doubled seats, lack of information, and a long wait in the cold outside the locked entrances of NDK, which irritated tremendously the 6 000 ticket holders. Part of them left before the intermission, while the others demanded reimbursement.

Twelve body guards had to keep the outraged audience away from the star, who arrived from her hotel 40 minutes late, and then proceeded unperturbed to a rehearsal and sound check, where the fans were sent outside to wait in the lobby.

The organizers from Most of Evil Music Ltd say they are seeking legal advice on reimbursing the ticket holders and will, on their part, seek damages from Mae.

Vanessa Mae was born in Singapore. After her parents separated, her mother married a British attorney who adopted Vanessa, and the family moved to England. She grew up there and holds British citizenship. Mae began playing piano at the age of three and violin at five.

At the age of thirteen, she was the youngest soloist to record both the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky violin concertos, according to Guinness World Records.

On entering adolescence Vanessa Mae broke away from traditional classical influences and became known for her flashy, sexy style appearing in music videos in stylish outfits. Many critics dismissed her then as "Fiddling Lolita", but the German entertainment journalist Gero Hoschek lauded her as the new Goddess of the Violin.

In April 2006, Vanessa Mae was ranked as the wealthiest young entertainer under 30 in the UK in the Sunday Times Rich List 2006. A skier since the age of five, she plans to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics in downhill, representing Thailand.

The virtuoso has been surrounded by other recent controversy. In October 2011, Vanessa Mae attended celebrations in Chechnya on the birthday of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov along with several other celebrities, reportedly receiving USD 500 000 for her performance. Warnings from Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Foundation, ECCHR to them before the event and a call for the performers to return or donate their earnings has drawn no response from Vanessa Mae

Museums

Christo Endorses 'Bulgarian Louvre' Project

In March, Christo Yavashev-Christo, the world renowned avant-guard artist, announced he will donate several of his works to the future Bulgarian national museum complex in downtown, nicknamed 'the Bulgarian Louvre'.

The artist agreed to lend a hand to the ambitious project after he met with Bulgaria's Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, who was on a 6-day official trip in the US. Christo told Djankov he even considered visiting his homeland for the first time in decades, after repeatedly declaring he does not want to have anything to do with it.

The famous artist has been convinced to reconcile with Bulgaria after he received a letter from the country's Minister of Culture, Vezhdi Rashidov, stating that its authorities admire his work and respect him. Rashidov has announced that one of the new museum complex halls will be dedicated to Christo.

In November, Christo won a drawn-out battle to push through his large-scale artistic project along the Arkansas River. The Bureau of Land Management in the American state of Colorado initially demanded modifications in the project, fearing the impact on environment, but Christo did not agree.

Christo and his late wife Jeanne-Claude, who are famous for their unorthodox, large-scale artistic projects, first presented the "Over the River" project in 1992.

It is to be constructed on the Arkansas River near Ca?on City, Colorado on the eastern slope of the Rocky mountains, and provides for horizontally suspending 6.7 miles (about 10 km) of reflective, translucent fabric panels high above the water, on steel cables anchored into the river's banks. Those are to be installed in eight spots along the river within a range of close to 70 km.

Project plans call for its installation for two weeks during the summer of 2014 and for the river to remain open to recreation during the installation. Federal officials said that "Over the River" could generate USD 121 M in economic output and draw 400,000 visitors, both during the construction — which could become its own tourist event — and the display itself.

Similar past works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude include the wrapping of the Reichstag in Berlin and the Pont-Neuf bridge in Paris, the 24-mile-long artwork called Running Fence in Sonoma and Marin counties in California, and The Gates in New York City's Central Park.

Their projects have been opposed before – The Gates in the NYC Central Park was only permitted in 2005 by the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, even though it was first proposed by the artists in 1979.

Living Museum in Koprivshtitsa Resurrects Bulgaria's Revival Period

In August, a new living museum in Bulgaria's Koprivshtitsa – the town which gave the start of the 1876 April Uprising against the Ottoman Empire – resurrected the unique life in Bulgaria's 18-19th century National Revival Period.

The five-day summer festival in Koprivshtitsa, which is also known for its impressive traditional Bulgarian architecture, featured the living museum, located in the local Revival Period school figuring prominently in the festival program.

The St. Cyril and St. Methodius School – founded in 1837 – was turned into Bulgaria's only living museum earlier in the year. A living museum is a type of museum featuring reenactments of historical events and ethnographic customs showing the local life.

The St. Cyril and St. Methodius School, which was in operation in 1837-1974 and whose faculty featured legendary Bulgarian 19th-century enlighteners Neofit Rilski and Nayden Gerov, now features the unique Revival Period classrooms and training in the local crafts such as wood-carving and weaving.

Bulgaria's National Revival Period, which ultimately culminated in the National Liberation and independence of Bulgaria – gain in the 1878-1912 period - was a time of socio-economic development and national integration among the Bulgarians who were under the rule of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, featuring both the movement for the restoration of the independence of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the National Liberation movement.

Another historical site in Koprivshtitsa that figured prominently in the town festival was the home of Todor Kableshkov, the local revolutionary leader who gave the start of the April Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1876.

In addition to resurrecting the life of the Bulgarian Revival Period, the Koprivshtitsa Festival also included festivities dedicated to Dimcho Debelyanov (1887-1916), one of the most renowned and beloved Bulgarian poet, a well-known Symbolist killed in World War I on the Balkan Front where his unit fought an Irish division.

Bulgaria's Museum of Socialist Art Welcomes First Visitors

On September 19, Bulgaria's Museum of Socialist Art officially opened its doors to visitors. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Defense Minister Anyu Angelov, Environment Minister Nona Karadzhova, Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski, Regional Minister Lilyana Pavlova and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova.

Prime Minister Borisov drew attention to the substantial investments the government made in culture amid a severe financial crisis. He also said that the ministry would be allocated an extra BGN 75 M apart from the budget "for the construction of museums and for archeology", as well as a reserve of BGN 15 M.

The Museum of Socialist Art, an affiliate of the National Arts Gallery, has on display over 150 items created during Socialist times between 1944 and 1989, and is adorned with portraits and statues of Communist leaders such as Lenin and Stalin, and of paintings glorifying the working class.

The indoor exhibit is on 550 square meters and has 60 paintings and 25 sculptures. There is also a sculpture park with an area of 7 500 square meters where there are 77 sculptures. The museum has a video hall where documentaries from the times of the Socialist regime will be showed. There is a souvenir shop as well.

Its construction came in at BGN 3.5 M channeled from the budget of the Culture Ministry. The first idea, which got altered later, was to name it Museum of Totalitarian Art. Bulgaria is one of the last former Socialist countries to have such museum, distantly following in the footsteps of Hungary and the Czech Republic. The investment is estimated at EUR 1.2 M. The Museum has already stirred a controversy in Bulgaria, dividing the nation into vocal supporters and adamant opponents.

Jewish Museum Planned for Bulgaria

It was announced at the end of September that a new museum, dedicated to the history and culture of Jewish people, is going to open doors in the Synagogue in Bulgaria's capital Sofia.

The green light was given by the Mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova, who is running for a second term in office, after a meeting with representatives of the Jewish community.

The museum will be located in the Synagogue's crypt and is dedicated to ethnic tolerance. Part of it will feature a tunnel with a light at its end, symbolizing hope and humanitarian acts, the Bulgarian Trud (Labor) daily writes.

"The Synagogue is emblematic for Sofia and for tolerance. It is located in proximity of the St. Nedelya Church, the Mosque and the Catholic Church. There is no duty more serious than keeping tolerance alive," Fandakova is quoted saying. She voiced support for the Jewish community's idea to organize a meeting with leaders of other religious and ethnic communities in the country to issue a joint appeal for tolerance. The Sofia City Hall is going to finance the lighting of the museum.

Sofia Public Mineral Baths to Become City History Museum Plus Spa Center in 2013

It was announced in November that the Sofia Public Mineral Baths will be turned into a museum and a SPA center in two years' time. The announcement came after the signing of a contract for funding granted under the Operational Program Regional Development for the implementation of the project. The contract was signed by Regional Development Minister Lilyana Pavlova and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova.

The building will be renovated and repaired with BGN 5.6 M under the OP Regional Development and BGN 300 000 from the budget of the Sofia Municipality. Fandakova told journalists that the Sofia Municipality would allocate another BGN 2 M for museum exhibits.

The project includes the construction of exhibit space on three levels and exhibit storage facilities for the 120 000-plus items on display that come from all periods of the city's history.The concession contract paving the way for the conversion of one part of the Public Mineral Baths into a SPA center has already been prepared.

Several scenarios have been prepared, but the contract will most likely be for 30 years and the investor will be paying a fee of up to EUR 200 000 per year. The concessionaire has no right to change the fa?ade because the building is a cultural monument.

This will be the third attempt to grant the Sofia Public Mineral Baths under concession after the 2008 project of the Sofia Municipality for turning the building into a medical and spa center failed to attract candidates and the 2010 plans to call a new tender with less stringent conditions came to nothing.

Folklore

Kukeri Tradition Lives on in Bulgaria

In mid-January, the small southwestern town of Simitli hosted a huge festival of "kukeri", or mummers, a beloved Bulgarian folklore tradition with roots from Ancient Thrace.

The Kukeri ritual is performed between Christmas and Lent by costumed men with frightening animal masks, who walk around and dance to scare away the evil spirits, as well as to provide a good harvest, health, fertility, and happiness. Similar rituals can also be found in Romania, Serbia, Italy and Spain.

Over 2000 kukeri from a total of 15 groups from southwestern, central Bulgaria and from Macedonia gathered in Simitli for the traditional dances. They attracted some 10 000 spectators - more than the actual population of the town. The youngest mummer was a one-year-old kid, and the oldest – an 85-year-old man. In Southwestern Bulgaria the mummers, or kukeri, are also known as "babugeri".

The kukeri tradition is performed all over Bulgaria; one of the most famous performances is the Surva Festival in the city of Pernik, to the west of Sofia, where at the end of January, the 20th edition of Bulgaria's largest and most impressive "Kukeri" event – the Surva Festival, was held.

Henry Van Der Kroon, President of the Federation of European Carnival Cities, Bulgarian President Parvanov who is a native of Pernik, and Deputy Minister in charge of tourism Ivo Marinov attended the opening of the Festival. Tanya Bakalova, a representative of UNESCO, announced that the kukeri tradition and the Surva Festival in Pernik will be included in UNESCO's list of protected non-material cultural heritage once the respective procedure is completed.

The 20th edition of the Surva Festival in Pernik broke all of its previous attendance and participation records. A total of 6 207 – more than at any past edition of the festival – mummers, or "kukeri", participated in the event; dozens of guests of the city watched their dances and rituals. The participants were from 103 carnival groups from across Bulgaria and from 8 foreign countries – Macedonia, Serbia, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Palestine, Pakistan. The Surva Festival, which first took place in 1966 as a cultural event based on Bulgaria's folklore traditions, is the largest carnival event in Bulgaria and the Balkans. In 2010, Pernik was declared the European capital of kukeri traditions by Henry Van Der Kroon.

Google Wears Bulgarian Martenitsa

On March 1, the largest Internet search engine Google, put on a Bulgarian martenitsa and wrote its traditional logo in red and white yarn tied with tassels.

After the reported martenitsa invasion of China manufacturing plants, Google changed its front page in honor of the traditional Bulgarian holiday.The Bulgarian symbol was displayed on google.com and shined with its bright colors when the page is accessed from Bulgaria.

The site calls the change of its front page on the occasion of different holidays doodle. It began in the now-distant 1998. Every internet user can send a proposal for the marking of a certain date or event. The Bulgarian phenomenon, known as martenitsa, is becoming more and more popular around the world.

Thousands Flock to Gela Folk Gathering in Bulgarian Rhodope

On August 6, thousands flocked to the tiny Rhodope Mountains village of Gela for the traditional yearly folklore gathering, featuring a bagpipe contests. Visitors came from across the country and Europe, including Serbia, Slovenia, Poland, Italy, Spain, and Germany.

Many of them stayed overnight in the villages or in the many campsites around it, in order to take part in the second day of the feast Sunday. Local authorities created all facilities needed for the festival, including health services. Visitors were able to buy and taste many traditional Bulgarian and in particular Rhodope produce, including herbs, as well as products of traditional crafts.

Authors and Books

Turkish Nobel Prize Winner, Novelist Orhan Pamuk Visits Bulgaria

In mid-May, renowned Turkish novelist and Nobel Prize-laureate Orhan Pamuk received the Golden Age Award, the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture's highest prize.

He was awarded by the country's Culture Minister, Vezhdi Rashidov, for his contribution to the world's literature. Pamuk also met with Bulgarian writers, including Georgi Gospodinov, Vladimir Levchev and Anton Donchev.

Pamuk was also granted a doctor honoris causa title by Sofia University, the oldest and biggest university in the country. He held a discussion in the Red House in downtown Sofia about his new book "Other Colors."

In "Other Colors" the Nobel laureate confronts openly the readers by presenting in a series of essays and reflections his views on literature, the world around us, the political realities and the state of mind. In a world of crumbling value systems and the lack of new ones Orhan Pamuk seeks the truth in the works of the biggest names in world literature

"For a long time, Bulgaria and Turkey had a common history, though unhappy and very bloody," Pamuk stated. "For 400 years, we led similar lives, we had the same feelings. If we leave out the atrocities, Bulgarians and Turks have had the same everyday lives, similar music and architecture," the writer pointed out.

Sofia Welcomes Pulitzer Prize Winner Jonathan Weiner

In June, Jonathan Weiner, one of the most distinguished popular-science American writers, visited Bulgaria's capital Sofia to present his new book "Long for this World: The Strange Science of Immortality".

Weiner's newest book is a fast-paced and astonishing scientific adventure story and deals with the ancient question of eternal youth. The American scientific writer claims that people gain years the longer they live. In "Long for This World", readers are taken on a whirlwind intellectual quest to find out whether the secret for eternal youth has been found.

From Berkeley to the Bronx, from Cambridge University to Dante's tomb in Ravenna, Weiner meets the leading intellectuals in the field and delves into the mind-blowing science behind the latest research. He traces the centuries-old, fascinating history of the quest for longevity in art, science, and literature, from Gilgamesh to Shakespeare, Doctor Faustus to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Jonathan Weiner's books have won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and many other honors.

Currently he teaches science writing at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, where he is a professor. He lives in New York with his wife, Deborah Heiligman, a children's book author.

Pippi Longstocking Named Bulgaria's Favorite Children's Book

At the end of June, Astrid Lindgren Pippi Longstocking was named as the Bulgarians' most loved children reading experience according to the results from the "The Little Big Read" campaign, organized by the Bulgarian National television.

The strong and assertive Swedish girl "defeated" the much more modern Harry Potter, though by a very little margin – 16.2% of the viewers' vote against 15% for the latter.

Astrid Lindgren is obviously a strong favorite among the world's children's books authors in the Balkan country, according to the vote, in which people from all age groups were allowed to take part. Emil of L?nneberga has been placed 5th by the voters and Karlsson-on-the Roof series is 9th. The highest-ranked Bulgarian entry is Elin Pelin's classic Yan Bibiyan.

Pippi Longstocking, named by Lindgren's then nine-year-old daughter, Karin, who requested a get-well story from her mother one day when she was home sick from school, is one of the world's most renown fictional characters and her stories have been adapted into multiple films and television series.

In 2009, the novel "Under the Yoke" by renowned Bulgarian writer Ivan Vazov officially became Bulgaria's favorite novel, according to "The Big Read" campaign, organized by the Bulgarian National television (BNT), under the BBC trademark.

Novinite.com's Nikola Petrov Wins Bulgaria's Youth Poetry Prize

In November, Nikola Petrov – one of the journalists of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg – won first prize at the major Bulgarian Youth Poetry Contest "Veselin Hanchev"! Our colleague Nikola has impressed the jury in the southern Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora with his poem "Vazheigrach", i.e. "Tightrope Walker."

Nikola Petrov, who is 24 and a native of Sofia, and holds a degree in Scandinavian Studies from Sofia University, received the unique "Golden Egg" award of the "Veselin Hanchev" Youth Poetry Contest at a ceremony in the city of Stara Zagora; as part of his award, the organizers of the contest will publish his first book of poetry. This year's first prize at the poetry competition was not the first for Nikola Petrov, who already won a third prize from the prestigious contest in 2010.

The record 1 400 poems by a total of 153 authors took part in the 28th edition of the competition named after renowned Bulgarian poet Veselin Hanchev. Poets Mariya Kalinova, Yordanka Beleva, and Ivan Landzhev took part in the jury that evaluated the works of the young Bulgarian poets.

Religion

Relics of Maximus Confessor to Travel Round Bulgaria

In July, the relics of the great Christian Orthodox theologian St. Maximus the Confessor, were transported from Mount Athos to the patriarchal St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia.

Believers got a chance to venerate them in St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, after which they started their round trip in Bulgaria, making a first stop in Plovdiv, before being transported on to Varna and Silistra.

The relics of St. Maximus were brought to Bulgaria on the occasion of festivities commemorating of the 40th anniversary of the enthronement of Bulgarian Patriarch Maxim. The relics are kept at the St. Paul Monastery in Mount Athos and only rarely travel abroad; they will be brought back to their home after Thursday.

St. Maximus the Confessor lived 580-662, being born in Constantinople and died in Georgia. He is considered one of the greatest theologians in the Eastern Orthodox world, having laid down key percepts of Christian philosophy in the East.

Sofia Sets Example of Religious Tolerance

At the end of July, Sofia became in the course of two days Mecca, Jerusalem and the Vatican at once, when high-ranking clergy from 20 countries gathered together for a joint forum. The forum was titled "Religion for People" and discussed ways religion can serve peace and tolerance.

From the Bulgarian side, the participants included the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Maxim, Chief Mufti, Mustafa Hadzhi, the Chair of the Organization of Bulgarian Jews, Maxim Benevisti, the Head of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Bulgaria, Abkar Hovadinyan, and others.

Meir Lau, the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, the Grand Mufti of Istanbul, Professor Mustafa Cagr?c?, a cardinal from the Vatican, clergy from Russia, Romania, Greece, Croatia, Serbia, Cyprus, Albania and Slovenia, along with muftis from the Middle East, were among the foreign guests.

This first ever such conference in Europe was organized by Bulgarian Final Touch Consulting. The organizers say Bulgaria is the perfect location for such event since it is emblematic for its ethnic and religious peace. The forum debated the new challenges before different religions in the conditions of expanding globalization, the economic and spiritual crisis, international terrorism and fundamentalism along with ways to join efforts to solve these problems.

Sofia now is slated to outshine Jerusalem by becoming a permanent host of a tolerance dialogue between different religions from all over the world. The participants decided to hold the next such meeting in October, 2012.

More Culture

Sofia Launches 2019 European Culture Capital Bid

In April, the Sofia City Hall established an initiative committee to work on supporting the candidature of Sofia to become European Culture Capital in 2019. The committee includes renowned names from the culture, education, business, media, sports and NGO sectors. Two European capitals are selected as culture capitals each year from two European countries. For 2019 the drawing has designated Bulgaria and Italy. In addition to Sofia, the Bulgarian cities of Varna, Veliko Tarnovo and Plovdiv are also entering the competition.

In July, Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia, declared her administration is doing everything possible to boost the city's chances of becoming a European Capital of Culture 2019. The Sofia City Hall already launched different culture projects involving museums', streets' and sites' renovations and repairs. Fandakova says winning the prestigious title would contribute a lot to the further development of the city.

Bulgarian Delegation Honors Saints Cyril, Methodius in Rome

The Day of Bulgarian Letters, Education and Culture, May 24 was marked in Rome, a day after a Bulgarian delegation was granted an audience by the pope.

The Bulgarian officials, headed by parliamentary speaker Tsetska Tsacheva, attended on May 24 the ceremony at Vatican's Basilica of San Clemente paying tribute at the grave of St Cyril, one of the missionary brothers who created the Cyrillic alphabet in the 9th century.

Then the delegation visited the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where in 868 years Pope Adrian II blessed the church books, translated into Slavonic by the Saints Cyril and Methodius, an act that recognizes it as a liturgical language.

The officials also attended a solemn service at the Sts Vincent and Anastasius Church on the Fontana di Trevi Roman square, which was offered in 2002 by the late Pope John-Paul II to the Bulgarian Orthodox community in Rome for their worship.

The Church of St Vincent and St Anastasius by the Trevi Fountain was formerly the parish church of the Quirinal Palace on the hill above. The palace was the official residence of the Popes until the unification of Italy in 1870.

On May 24, Bulgaria honors St Cyril and his brother St Methodius who compiled the first alphabet suitable for Slav languages in the Middle Age. Their alphabet found the most enthusiastic followers in medieval Bulgaria and then evolved to become the Cyrillic script that is used today in Bulgaria, Russia and a number of other countries.

Bulgarian Culture on International 'Stage'

Bulgaria in Eurovision 2011

In February, Bulgaria selected singer Polly Genova and her song "Na Inat" ("In Defiance") as its representative for the next Eurovision Song Contest in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Polly Genova's song with its message urging young Bulgarians to stay and try to achieve their dreams in Bulgaria "in defiance" of all difficulties received the greatest number of votes out of a total of 19 songs. This was Polly Genova's second appearance in the Bulgarian Eurovision final after she reached the final in 2009 with her song "One Life Is Not Enough." In the 2011 edition, Genova and her band failed to qualify for the final.

The stage performance of Polly Genova's Na Inat song featured the entire band in white, with a screen showing rain dripping down glass in the background. Spectacular fireworks marked the second part of Polly's song performance but apparently to no avail. Surveys had shown that the Bulgarian contestant had very slim chances of success, not least because often the competition is decided by political back-scratching.

Even though the fact that Polly Genova's song was not in English, which is said to be greatly reducing her chances to win Eurovision, the Bulgarian public and many foreigners favored it because of its powerful message. Polly made it clear she was thrilled with her own performance at the song contest even though she failed to make it to the final. Bulgaria has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest six times since its debut in 2005, but reached the finals only once - in 2007. Azerbaijan's Eli and Nikki won the final of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest.

Bulgarian Cellist Seals Deal with Celine Dion

In January, superstar singer Celine Dion signed on a unique Bulgarian cellist to play in the small string section of the 31 musicians who will be onstage during her new show. For more than 10 years, Bulgarian Irina Chirkova has lived in America and graduated from the Boston Conservatoire.

She's a pop artist in addition to the classics, having performed for P. Diddy and Kanye West. Irina recalls that she decided to move abroad after the first year in Sofia Conservatoire because she figured making your way up in Bulgaria was very difficult

Bryan Adams Digs Bulgarian World Music

In a Songlines (World Music Magazine) feature, pop star Bryan Adams revealed his exclusive playlist of Top 5 World Music Tracks, which includes two Bulgarian performers. Performer-composer and world music producer Milen Slavov, who lives in Portland, Oregon USA, is on the Top 5 Playlist of Bryan Adams with his solo accordion "Slow melody and bagpipe imitation" piece.

Binka Dobreva, a traditional folk singer and a part of the legendary "The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices" formation, and her song "Danyova Mama ("Dan's Mother"), are also included in the Canadian pop star's favorites.

Bulgarian Playwright Delights California Audience

At the end of May, Bulgarian bestselling author and playwright, Zachary Karabashliev, was featured in California with his award-winning play "Sunday Evening." The performances were held at the Tallgrass Pictures Studio in San Diego.

The play was directed by Jeffrey Lamont Brown while the cast included American actors Stephanie Philo, Benjamin Mathes, Catalina Maynard, Camelia Dee, Dave Rivas, and Joshhua Hershfield.

The performances had been a great success with standing ovations. On the evening of the debut there has been an hour-and-a-half long questions and answers session with people from the audience asking many questions and offering comments on the play.

In 2009, the play – a comedy-drama about two families, a secret they share, and a rainy Sunday evening, received the highest Bulgarian award for dramaturgy. On the same day "Sunday Evening" took the San Diego stage, Karabashliev's bestseller "18% Gray" made its debut in France where it was published in French.

Bulgarian Treasures to Shine in French Louvre

The most famous museum in the world, the French Louvre, will examine concrete proposals for cultural and scientific collaboration with Bulgaria. The information comes from a letter signed by the Louvre President, Henri Loyrette, sent to Bulgarian Culture Minister, Vezhdi Rashidov. The letter is dated July 18, 2011, which was just six days after Loyrette's first ever visit to Bulgaria, the Culture Ministry informs in a press release to the media.

In the letter, the President of the Louvre points out this first visit has given him the opportunity to become immersed in the realm of the unbelievable cultural and natural treasures of Bulgaria. He adds he would examine in detail any proposal the Bulgarian Culture Ministry would send him and will look into how a partnership can develop. Bulgaria has never been presented in the Louvre until now. Rashidov was been invited by the Louvre management and traveled to Paris in September to discuss details of a Bulgarian artifacts display.

The visit further included talks on possibilities to train Bulgarian museum experts in the Louvre – an idea Rashidov shared with Loyrette in Sofia, with the latter now saying the famous museum is prepared to realize it. The Bulgarian Culture Minister also met with his French counterpart, Frederic Mitterrand.

Bulgaria Opens Cultural Institute in London

At the end of September, Bulgaria's Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov opened a Bulgarian Cultural Institute in the British capital London. "Bulgaria's culture is unique. Our country rests on Rome, Thrace, and Byzantium," Rashidov stated at the opening.

In his words, the opening of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in London marks a new way in which the Culture Ministry will operate internationally. The event was attended by representatives of all 80 cultural institutes of different nations in the British capital, among other distinguished guests. The opening ceremony featured an exhibit of over 100 artworks by Bulgarian authors, including both paintings and sculptures.

Cllr Julie Mills, acting Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where the brand-new Bulgarian Cultural Institute is located, has suggested that Bulgarian and English artists should put together a joint exhibit for the 2012 London Olympics.

Before arriving to London, Bulgaria's Culture Minister Rashidov was in Paris, France, where he made a cooperation agreement with his French counterpart and with the head of the Louvre, which will allow "for the first time in Bulgaria's history" to present Bulgaria in the prestigious top museum.

Bulgaria Showcases Thracian Treasures in Brussels

In October, eight Thracian treasures from Bulgaria attracted crowds at the main lobby of the European Parliament in Brussels. The exhibit, which showcased Bulgaria's ancient past and culture, was officially opened by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek. It was organized on the initiative of the Member of EP from Borisov's ruling GERB, party, Emil Stoyanov, in partnership with the Culture Ministry and the National History Museum. Bulgaria's EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva also attended the ceremony. The display had over 100 objects from 6 Bulgarian museums and included treasures discovered in Panagyurishte, Rogozen, Letnitsa, Borovo, Malomirovo and Dalakova Mogila.

Bulgarian Star Soprano Featured in La Scala Bolshoi Concert

In November, with a brilliant Bulgarian participation, Milan's La Scala became the first foreign troupe to perform on the Moscow's Bolshoi Theater stage, just days after it reopened to the public after a six-year restoration project. The Italian musicians performed Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi, featuring internationally-recognized Bulgarian soprano, Krasimira Stoyanova, in one of the solo parts.

La Scala performers were led by newly-appointed La Scala Director – star-conductor, Daniel Barenboim. In the last 13 years, the Bulgarian soprano worked as a soloist with the Vienna Opera and has performed successfully on some of the most prominent stages across the globe.

Protests

Bulgaria's Public Libraries Protest Total State Neglect

At the very first week of January, Bulgaria's network of public libraries sent an open letter to PM Boyko Borisov, sharply protesting radical cuts and neglect on the part of the State. The letter, also published in the Kultura (Culture) weekly, was signed by a string of other organizations such as the professional unions of architects, film workers, actors, writers, translators, painters, as well as journalists.

Libraries protested that funds, owed by the state as per the law and specific programs, were not paid out and that the budget allotted to the Ministry of Culture for libraries was reduced to zero. For 2007 and 2008 some 18% of public libraries were not able to purchase a single new book, while for 2009 and 2010 that figure has risen to a staggering 90%.

EU Movie Directors Alarmed by Bulgarian Cabinet Film Policy

In March, the Federation of European Film Directors (FERA) sent a letter to Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, voicing strong alarm about the cabinet's intentions to ignore the agreements reached with filmmakers in December 2010. The letter was signed by FERA President, famous Hungarian film director, Istvan Szabo.

"The agreements have been remarkable with the effort to establish a new national strategy to finance Bulgarian movie-making in the light of the best EU practices and with the inclusion of the local film community in the preparation and the execution of this strategy. This would guarantee that a certain number of Bulgarian features would be produced every year and the creation of wonderful films," the letter reads.

Szabo further pointed out the latest Bulgarian-made movies have been impressive, triggering strong interest of the EU film industry, which must be a source of pride for the cabinet and all Bulgarians. "It is a real pity to revoke consideration for all this so quickly," he adds. The letter explained that FERA represents film directors from all 27 EU Member States and all face economic hardships similar to those in Bulgaria.

At the beginning of April, Bulgaria's Constitutional Court (KS) annulled article 38 of the State Budget Act, which gave the government the right to not slate any funds for the film industry. This was one of the filmmakers' conditions to lift the threat of large-scale protest rallies.

The Film Industry Act provides for a regular annual subsidy, based on the average budget, to fund at least 7 motion pictures, 14 documentaries and 160 minutes of animation. In the new text, the words "at least" were replaced with "up to," and "financing will be done only if there are enough resources" was added.

According to the KS ruling, the article is not a legal amendment, but rather a wish, adding its application is tied with a subjective assessment – something inadmissible by the law. The opinions provided by different filmmakers' organizations support this ruling as well.

Bulgarian Painters Repulsed by Government, Art Union

At the beginning of October, a decision on the part of the Union of Bulgarian Artists to award honorary memberships to PM Boyko Borisov and Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov provoked the ire of key Union members.

Prof. Velislav Minekov, Chair of the Control Committee of the Union of Bulgarian Artists, made a statement to the media denouncing the decision as "servile and shameless." According to Minekov, the Union of Bulgarian Painters has not resorted to such placation of the powers that be even during the pre-1989 communist period in Bulgaria.

In a prior statement, the Bulgarian government had said that PM Borisov and Minister Rashidov will obtain the honor for "having actively aided" the Union in a legal dispute it had with Sofia University over the ownership of a key building in central Sofia.

Two days later, Bulgaria's Prime Minister postponed accepting to become honorary member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists and the plaque that goes along with the membership.

The Union's board, however, remained firm that the honorary membership is awarded for exceptional contributions, including to people who are not artists.

Borisov told journalists he had no idea who "cooked this scandal." Rashidov, on his part, stated that there was no bigger award for him than the artists having a home where they can work freely and undisturbed. When asked if he had ever seen Borisov draw or paint, the Culture Minister replied: "I have seen him draw beautiful sketches during meetings of the Council of Ministers."

Bulgarian Culture in Statistics

In mid-April, Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU published a study, showing that the Bulgarian State and Bulgarians are at Europe's bottom in terms of their spending for culture.

Bulgaria, together with tiny EU members Cyprus and Malta, is the country that has the smallest amount of cultural products exported, in a ranking topped by Germany and France. To boot, ordinary Bulgarians, together with Romanians and Turks, are the people with the lowest willingness to spend on culture. The greatest spenders in this ranking are the Irish and Norwegians.

The Eurostat study also reveals data on the study of arts, pointing out that during the 2007-8 academic year, 3.8% of students in the EU pursued a discipline in the arts compared with 2.4% for Bulgaria.

Bulgarians are also alarmingly low in terms of cross-cultural contact, measured by travelling abroad, having relatives abroad, and reading or watching materials from another country in their original language. Only 1% of Bulgarians have answered they enjoy reading foreign books in the original language (EU average 7%).

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