CONFERENCE
The tourism of the wave of cinema destinations
October 10, 2024
11:00 – 13:00
Conference hall, 2nd floor
Moderator: Dr. Diana Andreeva-Popyordanova
University lecturer, director of the Observatory for the Economy of Culture
Culture – doping for development
Set-jetting. The example of Greece
Alexandra Agrafioti
Manager and owner of “A BALKAN” Ltd.
The cinema is coming to town!
Municipalities talk about the challenges and transformations after the last valve
Neiko Genchev
Deputy Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo Municipality
Antony Tsonev
Chief Expert / Directorate “Culture, immovable cultural and historical heritage, holidays and festivals”, Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo
What do producers expect?
Galina Toneva
The chairman of the Association of Film Producers in Bulgaria
Viktor Bozhinov
Director, producer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Filmautor”
Production company “Dream Team Productions” AD
How to get into the lens of a foreign production?
Zhana Karaivanova
Bulgarian Film Commission Foundation
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Dr. Diana Andreeva-Popyordanova
Doctor of Cultural Economics, Director of the Observatory for Cultural Economics. Lecturer at the Department of “Media and Public Communications” of UNWE and NATFA. Director of the Research Center for Media Studies, Audiovisual Policy and Cultural Industries “Assoc. Dr. Bilyana Tomova”. Explores the economic contribution of the arts, cultural and creative industries, cultural heritage and cultural tourism.
Alexandra Agrafioti
Manager and owner of “A BALKAN” Ltd.
She graduated from the Faculty of Philology of the University of St. Kliment Ohridski”. She has many years of experience in the tourism sector of Greece. Manager and owner of “A BALKAN” Ltd. – a company operating on the international market in the field of organizing exhibitions, presentations, seminars and festivals. A large part of the company’s activity is aimed at the development and implementation of international projects in the field of promoting the culture of the Balkan countries and cooperation between them in the field of tourism. Associate at “Inter Expo Center Sofia” for Greece and representative of the International Tourist Exhibition “Holiday & Spa” for Greece.
Victor Bozhinov
Director, producer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Filmautor”
He graduated in “Film and TV Directing” at NATFIZ “Kr. Sarafov” with artistic director Prof. Hr. Hristov. His coursework has participated in the selections of some of the most prestigious international short film festivals (Munich, Oberhausen, Tampere, Clermont-Ferrand, Drama, Montecatini).
He has worked as an assistant director in a number of international productions with some of the most authoritative directors of world cinema Regis Varnier, Volker Schlöndorff, Uli Edel, Michael Apted, Brothers Taviani and Timur Bekmabetov and in projects produced by the major Hollywood majors – Sony Pictures, Warner and Fox. In 2013, he was the director and creative producer of the Russian adaptation of the American series “Bones”.
He directed and consulted on the production of a large part of the episodes of “Glass House”, “Sofia Residents in Excess”, “Kantora Mitrani”, “Relationships”, “Path of Honor”, “Department of Search”.
Actively participated in the creation of the most successful Bulgarian television series “UNDERCOVER”, produced by BNT.
In 2022, he is the director and creative producer of the 12-episode series for BNT “The grapes of guilt”.
During the period 2015 – 2017, he worked on his first full-length feature film “HEIGHTS” based on the novel by Milen Ruskov, which is the most widely distributed Bulgarian film to date with the first position in viewership and on the HBO platform.
In 2021, he created the comedy drama “THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT BAND ZHIGULI”. A year later – the feature film “Escape”. He is currently working on the adaptation of the novel “CHAMKORIA” by Milen Ruskov.
Since 2016, he has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Filmautor”.
Galina Toneva
The chairman of the Association of Film Producers in Bulgaria
An economist and journalist by training, she graduated from the European program for producers “East-West” in 1993 in Czechoslovakia. Among her films with over 60 awards and international recognition are: “Heating Yesterday’s Lunch”, “Stolen Eyes”, “Behind the Scenes”, “Sneakers”, as well as the French-Bulgarian co-production “IztokZapad”, nominated for an “Oscar” in 2000 the participation of Oleg Menshikov, Sandrine Bonner and Catherine Deneuve.
Chairman of the Association of Film Producers in Bulgaria since 2009. Member of the European Film Academy since January 2011. Chairman of the National Film Council from March 2012 to March 2016. Producer and one of the founders of the company “Gala Film OOD” , produced more than 30 Bulgarian and foreign titles.
Zhana Karaivanova
Bulgarian Film Commission Foundation
She graduated from HITA “Krastyo Sarafov” in 1984 with a major in acting. In the 1980s and 1990s, an actress from the troupe of the “Ivan Vazov” National Theater, with 17 feature films in her biography. Since 1994, she has lived in New York and in Sofia. Founder of the Bulgarian-American Cultural Exchange. In 2000, she created the So Independent Film Festival in Sofia New York and Sofia.In 2017, he won a competition for the director of the National Film Center and is its executive director until 2021.
