IPFF 2026
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FILM PANORAMA
FILM PANORAMAIn 2026, the International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) returns with its sixth edition. We invite you to experience it together, once again asking intriguing questions and celebrating portrait cinema and brave art.
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Here are the directions we are taking with IPFF 6:
Film Panorama of feature-length portraits
Artist residency dedicated to the portrait as a cultural phenomenon
IPFF on the road - the festival visits various Bulgarian cities
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In 2026, the IPFF presents a Film Panorama of feature-length portraits by five directors who explore the human being up close - Jane Campion, Pedro Almodóvar, Agnès Varda, Maren Ade and Spike Jonze.
The nine screenings are in May at the magical movie theatre Cinema House in Sofia.
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Film Panorama - program
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The Film Panorama in the sixth edition of the IPFF is realised with the support of the National Film Center.
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RESIDENCY
- - -RESIDENCYIn 2026, the International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) returns with its sixth edition. We invite you to experience it together, once again asking intriguing questions and celebrating portrait cinema and brave art.
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Here are the directions we are taking with IPFF 6:
Film Panorama of feature-length portraits
Artist residency dedicated to the portrait as a cultural phenomenon
IPFF on the road - the festival visits various Bulgarian cities
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An artistic residency dedicated to the search for the specifics of the portrait as a cultural phenomenon.
For the first time, the IPFF is organising an 11-day artistic residency with artists Maria Makedonska (Bulgaria), Nicola Zambelli (Italy) and Jeram (South Korea). The artists will have the opportunity to explore topics meaningful to them, delving into the portrait as a cultural phenomenon and creating an audiovisual product, which will be discussed and presented to an audience on the last day of the residency.
The program also includes a workshop “Write me a portrait” (free access), as well as other exciting events.
If you would like to participate in the workshop, contact us on the festival’s social media pages, where you can follow all the activities and initiatives of IPFF 6.
Residency: Sofia, May 10-20, 2026.
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The IPFF artistic residency and traveling screenings are implemented with the support of the National Culture Fund.
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ON THE ROAD
ON THE ROAD-
In 2026, the International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) returns with its sixth edition. We invite you to experience it together, once again asking intriguing questions and celebrating portrait cinema and brave art.
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Here are the directions we are taking with IPFF 6:
Film Panorama of feature-length portraits
Artist residency dedicated to the portrait as a cultural phenomenon
IPFF on the road - the festival visits various Bulgarian cities
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IPFF on the road: Montana, Byala Slatina, Elena and Popovo
At the beginning of summer 2026, the International Portrait Film Festival takes on a new challenge - it will visit smaller towns in Bulgaria to meet with new viewers. Upcoming are: traveling screenings of short films from the official selections of the IPFF (editions 1-5), a photography workshop and an exhibition Pop-up Film Museum - in the cities of Montana, Byala Slatina, Elena and Popovo - we expect many meaningful meetings and conversations about the cinematic, photographic and painted portrait.
We have an adventure ahead of us with many new touches, images and elements. Join us.
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The IPFF artistic residency and traveling screenings are implemented with the support of the National Culture Fund.
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PROGRAM
IPFF 2024/25
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Festival 4,5
INTERNATIONAL PORTRAIT FILM FESTIVAL 4.5Creative Interludes in the Liminal Corners of Varna
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From November 14 to 17, 2024, the International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) presented its unusual Edition 4,5 (four point five):
Between four and five years of short portrait cinema, between new perspectives, formats, artists, audiences, between the cold November sand and the blue of the winter sea - the IPFF edition took place for the first time 'in between', or Edition 4,5 - four point five. It consisted of several exciting meetings and creative interludes in the liminal corners of Varna, searching for what the portrait film is, isn’t and could be.
IPFF 4,5 presented some of the best short portraits from the previous four editions of the festival to the Varna audience: films that have been awarded by the members of the international jury, as well as treasures beloved by the festival team, and not least - favourites of the audience.
IPFF 4,5 was a celebration of short cinema, an important dive into the multiple meanings of the portrait and an inspiring meeting between artists and viewers. And a reflection on the time-space between "what was" and "what is next" in anticipation and action towards potential metamorphoses.
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IPFF 4,5 was realized in two formats:
Film screenings "Best of IPFF 2020-2023"
6 specially selected short works from the previous four editions of the festival - not shown in Varna so far - were presented under the roof of our partner Varna City Art Gallery “Boris Georgiev”.
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Along with the screening, the audience was invited to experience "Collage from Film" - another opportunity to explore the portrait. Three young Varna-based artists shared their works, provoked and inspired by the films within the screening. In an informal open discussion they talked about their creative process, the parallels between the portrait films they had experienced and their individual interpretation. Participants in this creative provocation were Yana Stoyanova, Ralitsa Sekulidis and Boris Vassilev, introduced to the artistic scene in the city by Emergence Art Fest (IPFF partners and mediators in the project).
Screenings in the format "Film for Two" - presentation of short films to an audience of two people in two surprising unconventional locations in the city.
The "Film for Two" format was an experiment with the ways in which cinema can be perceived and experienced. Within two days, for a few hours each day, viewers were invited to two partner spaces - the artistic space "Sumatoha" and the Varna Archaeological Museum, where they were exposed to 8 short films, again specially selected from past selections of the festival.
Those who wanted to watch were either a pair of partners, friends, like-minded people, as well as individual viewers who were brought together with another stranger. Each couple or pair got the opportunity to watch a surprising film.
The artistic atmosphere and enthusiasm of the people from "Sumatoha", as well as the halls of the Archaeological Museum, loaded with history and significance, transformed watching a film into a new and unexpected experience and gave the festival team a starting point to develop and upgrade the "Film for Two" format in the upcoming fifth IPFF edition.
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The program of IPFF 4,5 also included other activities:
A creative workshop for students from the National School of Arts "Dobri Hristov" - creating a drawing/portrait inspired by the Polish short environmental film "Rust" (Official selection IPFF 2021).
As is tradition, the festival team once again invited film lovers and curious viewers to participate in an educational film quiz "Favourite Movie Characters". While entertaining the audience, the quiz also had a genuine educational value. It offered participants new perspectives on the portrait, engaging both logical thinking and memory, as well as imagination and sensitivity with test and open-ended questions, video and audio riddles.
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More details - HERE
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Festival 5
- - -INTERNATIONAL PORTRAIT FILM FESTIVAL 5May 15 - 25, 2025
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In 2025, IPFF celebrated its 5th edition. We are happy that, dedicated to the study of the portrait as a cultural phenomenon and its manifestations in (and beyond) short film, we entered the depths of the contours (in 2020), felt unusual (2021), opened the frames and reached the core (2022), and watched until we fell in love (2023).
On this path, we reached the fifth festival edition with the slogan “Resisting time if only for a while”. Because we interpret the portrait in this way - as an attempt to capture and pass on, to share with a human being from the future, what is significant today. And we see as a victory the collective gathering in which we choose creation, effort, love, generosity, growth. To resist the times.
In 2025, the festival started in Sofia and had its festival days in Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo and Varna. The main film program presented, within 5 screenings, 32 portrait works from the fifth Official Selection of the International Portrait Film Festival: beautiful visual tales, important narratives with brave characters, stories about love, work and time. 7 of the works were by Bulgarian artists, and beyond the native landscapes, meetings with places and characters from New Zealand to Mexico, from Norway to Greece were also included.
And in this festival edition, the portrait, as a cultural phenomenon, could also be investigated in a rich accompanying program and new experimental formats.
In addition to the screenings, the audience and guests of the festival had the opportunity to be part of the Pop-up Film Museum - from the program of the "European Night of Museums". The joint initiative of IPFF and Vlaykova Cinema presented an exhibition of movie posters of Bulgarian and international productions from the 1930s to the 1980s, provided by the Regional History Museum - Shumen; Bulgarian covers of VHS tapes from the 1980s and 1990s in partnership with Kvartalnata videoteka - Plovdiv; valuable books, rare printed publications and other film treasures.
The accompanying festival program also included a number of intriguing events led by jury members and guest artists: Membranes of the Mind: How to Unfold Unconventional Script Paths - a workshop with Emilia Pluskota (Poland); Amran’s Bus: a video project and presentation of a picture book by Jeram (South Korea); Exploring the Scholarly VR Essay: a lecture and VR demonstration by researcher Shant Bayramian (Netherlands); Unearthing Landscapes - a workshop by Parlour Collective (UK) - part of the initiative "European Night of Museums"; as well as initiatives in the cities of Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo and Varna.
In the fifth edition of the IPFF, the experimental format "Film for Two", which began as part of IPFF 4,5 and gave new directions for communication with audiences and artists, also found its continuation and development.
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More details - HERE
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MORE INFORMATION HERE FACEBOOK
FILM
FOR TWO
IPFF - FILM FOR TWO-
One of the challenges of the fifth festival edition (which actually began as part of IPFF 4,5) was the “Film for Two” format, which unfolded in 4 unconventional spaces in Sofia, experimenting with the ways in which cinema can be perceived and experienced.
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The intimate setting and unconventional spaces gave a completely new context to both the specific film work and the overall cinema experience. In addition, people who wanted to immerse themselves in this experiment had the privilege of being in close proximity to the mechanical film body and the technologies that allow for such a type of projection, namely a projector, a laptop and two pairs of headphones. The act of sitting on a chair (not a seat at the movie theatre) in the presence of only one other person (not a full hall), putting on headphones and watching a picture projected on a wall (not on a screen) created a feeling of experiencing some kind of a combination between cinema and an installation in a contemporary art museum.
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Those interested could be a couple/pair of partners, friends, like-minded people, as well as individual viewers, brought together with another stranger. Each couple had the opportunity to watch a surprising film combination - short films - both from the current selection of IPFF 5 and favourite works from past editions.
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After the screening, viewers had the opportunity to share impressions and talk with each other and with the IPFF team in search of answers to the question of whether cinema is interpreted differently depending on the specifics of the space.
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More details - HERE
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AWARDS
WINNERS
AWARDS / WINNERSIt is a true pleasure and honour to announce this year's AWARDED FILMS. Thank you, dear artists, for continuing to offer more and more layers to the philosophy of portrait cinema and for gifting us time with your creations. Thank you, dear jury members, for your meaningful input in 2025!
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The IPFF 2025 MAYA* Grand Prize! For the first time, two films have been chosen by our jury. Congratulations to Sarah Grohnert for her film "Milk of Dreams" - a visual tale that resists clear interpretation, about the complex relationships and desires of human beings. Congratulations also to Peter Vulchev and Nevelin Vulchev for the film "And That's for This Christmas", which makes us think deeply about concepts such as 'loneliness', 'intimacy' and 'love'
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More details - HERE
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Most Wonderful Film in the category:
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Film Portrait - BENEVOLENCE by Vladimir Andonov
Collective Portrait - ON AIR by Astrid Ardagh
Film Self-Portrait - LETTERS by Aysel Küçüksu
Alternative Portrait - INSIDE YOU by Erik Sémashkin
Portrait in Motion - TO HOLD MY LOVE by Elettra Giunta and Adam Othman
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More details - HERE
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* named after inspiring film artist, daring experimenter, and activist for the development of avant-garde cinema Maya Deren.
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MORE INFORMATION HERE FACEBOOKARCHIVE 2023
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FESTIVAL 2023
IPFF - FESTIVAL 2023EDITION 4
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ABOUT THE THE FOURTH EDITION OF IPFF
29 intriguing portrait films in the Official Selection of the festival, 6 screenings and 5 accompanying events in 4 Bulgarian cities, 6 award-winning works, numerous captured moments, shared ideas, creative pursuits and the beginnings of warm friendships, overcoming geographical, national and metaphorical borders.
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And beyond the numbers:
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In 2023, under the slogan WATCHING UNTIL IN LOVE, the International Portrait Film Festival held its fourth edition. Slowly, patiently, contemplating, exploring - until they find what they are looking for or something else entirely, until the thoughts sink into the screen and the light inside the dark movie theatre overwhelms the senses - this is what we invited viewers and cinema lovers to experience collectively during the festival days.
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The multi-layered feeling of watching until you fall in love was the promise that IPFF offered between November 9th and 19th, within its edition 4. Screenings and events were held in the cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo and Varna, the Official Selection of 29 short portraits was presented - works from 17 countries were selected in the categories Film portrait, Collective portrait, Alternative portrait, Self-portrait, as well as a category with a focus on expressive language – screendance or dance film - Portrait in motion.
The creative biographies of each of the authors of the selected films are impressive. Established or young artists with unique voices, they blur the boundaries between themes, genres, forms and realize the concept of cinema as a synergistic art. Their projects are bold, imbued with important questions - both about the nature of the human being and the state of our human/natural world, with exclamation points and invitations to turn our attention to societal causes in need of action here and now.
The IPFF’s International Jury awarded films in the festival sections. For the most wonderful creation in each category (Film Portrait, Film Self-Portrait, Collective Portrait, Alternative Portrait, Portrait in Motion, Film-Dedication and the Grand Prize of the IPFF - MAYA Award), and the artists received a handmade wooden statuette thanks to imagination and the hands of Izabela Manolova.
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A special emphasis was placed on the 2023 Film-Dedication - Jina, directed by Emilia Pluskota, proving to us why we must keep saying "Woman, Life, Freedom", why violence in any form will eventually destroy us, why despite everything we, along with the main characters of the film, with the women of Iran and the world, can still continue to dream of a better future. An important and emotional collective portrait that opened the fourth edition of the festival.
Beyond the thematic blocks of short films, curated according to the context of the unique space housing each screening, IPFF has reaffirmed its ambition to be a platform for real interaction between audiences and artists. And in 2023, the festival offered collaborations through a series of accompanying events. Each film screening was followed by discussions devoted to the portrait and portraiture as phenomena, processes and studies of the human world. Intriguing workshops were offered to the audience by the members of the international festival jury Jack Catling, Matthew Luck Galpin, David Stearn and Ellénore Lemattre, intertwining the philosophy of portraiture with topics like the potential of the audio-visual environments within which we move, and the fundamental value systems of humans and societies.
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At IPFF 4, festival goers had the opportunity to engage in the following events with different formats:
"Allowing for the Accidental” Workshop with Parlour Collective - members of the international jury of IPFF 2023 at Missia23 in Sofia
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"The Living Model" Workshop for posing and drawing with Ellénore Lemattre - member of the international jury of IPFF 2023 at SOHO Sofia
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Lecture-discussion "The portrait of Hannibal Lecter through the incarnation of Anthony Hopkins" with Valerya Tsymbal + Presentation of the photo contest for a self-portrait at IPFF 2023 at SOHO Sofia
“The magic of the portrait” - a creative workshop for children with a focus on drawing a portrait and making a collage with Violeta Apostolova and Nusha Royanova in Varna
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Quiz game “Portraits and provocations” at Hashtag Studio in Varna
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The fourth edition of IPFF earned the attention of some of the best media platforms in Bulgaria focused on arts and culture, through which the ideas of the festival and the filmmakers reached their audiences. Many thanks to our loyal media partners Culture News (Kulturni novini), How2Plovdiv and Urban Mag.
We dream and work hard to develop and build the IPFF. We believe that in this way we will give more value and meaning to the people for whom portrait cinema and short forms bring a strong charge - creators, artists, viewers, researchers.
With these aspirations, within the next editions of the festival, we are launching new activities with which IPFF will become a live and active platform for ideas and experiences related to the portrait as a cinematic prism and a cultural phenomenon.
See more about our goals, provocations and interests in the NEW 2024/25 section of this website!
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MORE INFORMATION HERE FACEBOOK
SELECTIONS
IPFF - OFFICIAL SELECTION 202329 films form our Official Selection in 2023, inviting the viewer to contemplate and feel, to be exhilarated and moved, to watch until in love or until a completely new experience emerges. Portraits worthy of being debated and experienced on the big screen. With a focus on meaningful personal and collective battles in a world in conflict, journeys through photographic dreams, along the flow of long rivers, and with increased attention and care to the poetry of the extraordinarily ordinary objects that surround us.
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FILM PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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FILM SELF-PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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COLLECTIVE PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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ALTERNATIVE PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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PORTRAIT IN MOTION CATEGORY
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MORE INFORMATION HERE FACEBOOK
WINNERS
JURY
ARCHIVE 2022
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FESTIVAL 2022
IPFF - FESTIVAL 2022EDITION 3
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ABOUT THE THIRD EDITION OF IPFF
37 exciting films in the Official Selection of the festival, 23 extra-special film treasures split into two online selections, 6 screenings and 8 accompanying events in 4 Bulgarian cities, online edition in an international virtual festival platform, 7 award-winning works, numerous shared moments, points of view, creative provocations and the beginning of a bunch of warm friendships!
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And beyond the numbers:
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In the year 2022, under the slogan Opening the Frame, the International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) realized its third edition and once again invited viewers, creators and all those in love with cinema to rediscover the cinematic portrait and let it shake their imaginations.
IPFF continues to declare its unique philosophy and seek readings of it. What is a portrait in cinema and what does it offer us? What is its power, potential and uniqueness? Can it transform us? Why is it such a 'human' phenomenon and an act of courage?
We are happy and proud that, for the third time in a row, the concept of the festival and our mission have been recognized by filmmakers from five continents - artists with established names, directors at the beginning of their creative journey, independent collectives and organizations. And we are more than delighted that 37 diverse and nuanced film portraits were selected for the IPFF Official Selection.
As a continuing and growing tradition, we've also highlighted special film treasures that have earned a place in two separate online selections: For the peculiar-eyed Selection and Thrilling Impressions Selection.
The IPFF International Jury awarded films in each of the festival categories.
A special emphasis was placed on the 2022 Film-Dedication - Teacher of Patience, directed by Carmen Vincent and inviting us into the world of Emily Felter and her family. Emily lives with Down Syndrome, but also with her favorite songs, things to eat, places in town, loved ones, friends and cats. The mission and aspiration of Emily, her family and young director Carmen Vincent's film is to raise awareness about people with disabilities. An important and emotional collective portrait that opened the third edition of the festival.
Seven films were awarded for their unforgettable messages, impressive audio-visual language and sensual charge. For the most beautiful creation in each category (Film Portrait, Film Self-Portrait, Collective Portrait, Alternative Portrait, Portrait in Motion, Film-Dedication and the Grand Prize of the IPFF - the MAYA Award), the artists received a handmade plastic statuette of copper and marble. Thanks to the imagination and hands of Izabela Manolova and Martin Christoph.
The third edition of the festival was realized in its hybrid form. During live screenings, viewers in the Bulgarian cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo and Varna encountered fascinating film portraits. And through the online platform Festhome TV, specializing in the digitization of film events, the short film selection of the IPFF was accessible to cinema fans and lovers in different parts of the world.
With each festival edition, the accompanying program becomes richer and more interesting and involves new audiences in the study of the portrait as a cultural phenomenon. In 2022, the festival’s fans had the opportunity to get involved in events with different formats:
"Portrait Pathways: Artincubator" - photography exhibition in Sofia and Varna;
Art history, the documentary and me" - lecture-discussion. Host: Anna Weltner - member of the international jury of IPFF 2022 (SOHO Sofia);
"In the eye of the camera" - lecture-discussion. Presenter: Irmena Chichikova - member of the international jury of IPFF 2022 (SOHO Sofia);
"The portrait in Oscar Wilde's novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray"" – lecture. Author and lecturer: Prof. Dr. Liza Boeva – member of the international jury of IPFF 2022 (SOHO Sofia);
"When Flowers Are Not Silent" - screening of the documentary film from Belarus directed by Andrey Kutsila (Cinema House, Sofia);
"Following the portrait" - creative workshop for kids and students (ages 10-18) (SeArt Gallery, Varna);
"Films, Portraits, Film portraits" - quiz game (The Bookstore, Varna).
Once again an open virtual discussion panel with the participation of directors of the selected films gave the opportunity to present different points of view on the portrait film, the short film and the festival life of films.
The third edition of the IPFF earned the attention of some of the best cultural media and public platforms in Bulgaria, through which the ideas of the festival and the filmmakers reached their audiences. Many thanks to our loyal media partners Culture News (Kulturni novini), How2Plovdiv and Urban Mag.
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And all the meetings, sharing and emotions in the movie theatres and spaces made us happy and eager for the coming fourth edition of IPFF in 2023!
We dream and work hard to develop and improve IPFF with each edition! We believe that in this way we will give more value and meaning to the people to whom short cinema brings a strong charge - creators, viewers, researchers.
With these aspirations, in the fourth edition of the festival, we are launching new activities with which IPFF will become a living and active platform for ideas and experiences related to the portrait as a cinematic prism and a cultural phenomenon.
See more about our searches, provocations and directions in 2023 in the website section NEW IN 2023!
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MORE INFORMATION HERE FACEBOOK
SELECTIONS
IPFF - OFFICIAL SELECTION 202237 films shape our remarkable Official Selection in 2022: unfolding narratives about people and their dreams, desires, joys, struggles. Love letters to cinema and summer. Dancing, modelling, moving! Lessons about history and health. Debate-worthy portraits deserving of the big screen experience.
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FILM PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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FILM SELF-PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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COLLECTIVE PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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ALTERNATIVE PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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PORTRAIT IN MOTION CATEGORY
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PORTRAIT IN A MAGIC LANTERN CATEGORY
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You can find more about the films in our Official Selection HERE.
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IPFF - ONLINE SELECTIONS 2022
We also highlighted films that deserved a place in separate online selections, which we named For the peculiar-eyed and Thrilling Impressions.
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IPFF - FOR THE PECULIAR-EYED SELECTION IPFF - THRILLING IMPRESSIONS SELECTION
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More about the curious films in our For the peculiar-eyed Selection HERE. More about the unforgettable films in our Thrilling Impressions Selection HERE.
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MORE INFORMATION HERE FACEBOOK
WINNERS
JURY
ARCHIVE 2021
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FESTIVAL 2021
IPFF - FESTIVAL 2021EDITION 2
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ABOUT THE SECOND EDITION OF IPFF
55 fantastic films in our Official Selection, 26 extra-special film treasures part of our online selections, 7 screenings in 2 unique cinemas and 3 welcoming venues in 4 Bulgarian cities, an online edition, 7 award-winning works, numerous shared ideas, emotions and new friendships.
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And beyond the numbers:
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In 2021, under the slogan Let’s feel unusual, the International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) had its second edition, inviting viewers, filmmakers and film lovers to rediscover the cinematic portrait and let it shake their imaginations.
Although our times are still unpredictable and challenging, the IPFF continues to declare its unique philosophy and look for further exciting interpretations of it: the portrait as a prism through which we can watch films, perceive their messages, explore their human or non-human core; the portrait as a question encouraging us to look into the visible, go beyond and reveal its potential to affect and transform.
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We are proud that the concept of the festival was recognised by filmmakers from five continents, as well as by the fact that in the Official Selection of IPFF, within a substantial competition, 55 intriguing film portraits were chosen - works about inspiring personalities, fictional narrative films telling touching stories, films of social significance, animated, comedic, highly experimental, surreal creations.
We also highlighted films that deserved their own place in separate online selections, named For the peculiar-eyed and Thrilling Impressions.
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The international jury of IPFF awarded films in each of the festival categories.
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Special emphasis was placed on the 2021 Film Dedication – My Stellar Tale, a film by Bulgarian filmmaker Andrey Hristozov dedicated to the Smolyan Planetarium and the people working there, their mission and love for the sky and the stars.
In the second edition of IPFF, seven films were awarded as unforgettable film portraits. For the most wonderful creation in each category (Film Portrait, Film Self-portrait, Collective Portrait, Alternative Portrait, Portrait in Motion, Film Dedication and the Grand Prize MAYA Award), the artists received a handmade statuette of copper and marble. Courtesy of Izabela Manolova’s imagination.
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The second edition of the festival was realized in a hybrid form. During the live screenings, spectators in the Bulgarian cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo and Varna met the captivating film portraits. And through the Cinenso online platform, which specializes in digital film events, IPFF's short film selection was made available to cinema lovers around the world.
The accompanying program of the festival included three events in various formats: “Portrait Pathways” - a photography exhibition; “The Videoessay: Informally on the Format” - open discussion; and “Films, Portraits and Film Portraits” - a quiz game.
An open virtual Zoom discussion with the participation of directors of the selected films provided a chance to present different perspectives on the portrait film, short cinema and the festival life of cinematographic works.
The second edition of IPFF earned the attention of some of the best culture-focused media and public platforms in Bulgaria, through which the ideas of the festival and the filmmakers reached their audiences (including the Bulgarian National Radio and the Bulgarian National Television).
All the meetings and shared emotions in the cinema rooms and venues made us happy and eager for the upcoming edition of the IPFF in 2022!
We keep dreaming and working hard to develop and upgrade IPFF with each new edition! We believe that this way we will give more value and meaning to people to whom the short film offers a strong charge - creators, viewers, researchers.
With these aspirations, in the third edition of the festival, we launch new activities to turn IPFF into a living and active platform for ideas and experiences related to portraiture as a cinematic prism and a cultural phenomenon.
Find out more about our searches, provocations and directions in 2022 in the website fragment NEW IN 2022!
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MORE INFORMATION HERE FACEBOOK
SELECTIONS
IPFF - OFFICIAL SELECTION 202155 fantastic films shape our Official Selection in 2021: journeys to the stars and back home, visual poems about learning to balance and breath, explorations of cities and landscapes. Films which encourage us to immerse ourselves into the portraits of extraordinary people, strange ideas and marvelous situations.
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FILM PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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FILM SELF-PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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COLLECTIVE PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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ALTERNATIVE PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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PORTRAIT IN MOTION CATEGORY
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PORTRAIT IN A MAGIC LANTERN CATEGORY
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You can find more about the films in our Official Selection HERE.
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IPFF - ONLINE SELECTIONS 2021
We also highlighted films that deserved a place in separate online selections, which we named For the peculiar-eyed and Thrilling Impressions.
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IPFF - FOR THE PECULIAR-EYED SELECTION IPFF - THRILLING IMPRESSIONS SELECTION
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More about the curious films in our For the peculiar-eyed Selection HERE. More about the unforgettable films in our Thrilling Impressions Selection HERE.
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MORE INFORMATION HERE FACEBOOK
WINNERS
JURY
ARCHIVE 2020
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FESTIVAL 2020
IPFF - FESTIVAL 2020EDITION 1
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ABOUT THE FIRST EDITION OF IPFF
44 wonderful films in our Official Selection, 22 extra-special film treasures part of our online selections, screenings in 4 unique cinemas in 3 Bulgarian cities and at 1 international virtual festival platform, 7 award-winning works, numerous shared ideas, emotions and new friendships!
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And beyond the numbers!
In 2020, under the slogan Into the depths of the contour lines, the International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) had its premiere in the world of film festivals.
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Although it appeared at a challenging time, IPFF stated its unique philosophy: the portrait as a prism through which we can watch films, perceive their messages, explore their core; to look into the visible, but to go beyond, revealing the potential of the film portrait to affect and transform.
We are proud that the concept of the festival was recognised by filmmakers from all continents, as well as by the fact that in the Official Selection of IPFF, within a substantial competition, 44 intriguing film portraits were chosen - works about inspiring personalities, fictional narrative films telling exciting stories, films of social significance, animated, comedic, highly experimental, surreal creations.
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We also highlighted films that deserved a place in separate online selections, which we named For the peculiar-eyed and Thrilling Impressions.
The international jury of IPFF awarded films in each of the festival categories.
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Special emphasis was placed on the 2020 Film Dedication - Feeling Through, which will continue its encounters with Bulgarian audiences in 2021!
The first edition of the festival was realised in a hybrid form. During the live screenings, spectators in the Bulgarian cities of Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna met the captivating film portraits. And through the Cinenso online platform, which specialises in digital film events, IPFF's short film selection was made available to cinema lovers around the world.
In the accompanying program of the festival, those tempted by the evolving audiovisual culture had the opportunity to participate in the masterclass "Bridging the Gap: The Audiovisual Essay in the Contemporary Media Sphere", led by Shant Bayramian.
An open virtual Zoom discussion panel with the participation of directors of the selected films provided a chance to present different perspectives on the portrait film, short cinema and the festival life of cinematographic works.
The first edition of IPFF earned the attention of some of the best culture-focused media and public platforms in Bulgaria, through which the ideas of the festival and the filmmakers reached their audiences (including the Bulgarian National Radio and the Bulgarian National Television).
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All the meetings, emotions and sharing in the cinema rooms and venues made us happy and eager for the upcoming second edition of IPFF in 2021!
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We keep dreaming and working hard to develop and upgrade IPFF with each new edition! We believe that this way we will give more value and meaning to people to whom the short film offers a strong charge - creators, viewers, researchers.
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With these aspirations, in the second edition of the festival, we launch new activities to turn IPFF into a living and active platform for ideas and experiences related to portraiture as a cinematic prism and a cultural phenomenon.
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Find out more about our searches, provocations and directions in 2021 in the website fragment NEW IN 2021!
MORE INFORMATION HERE FACEBOOK
SELECTIONS
IPFF - OFFICIAL SELECTION 2020We are thrilled that the concept of the festival was recognised by filmmakers from all continents, as well as by the fact that in the Official Selection of IPFF, within a substantial competition, 44 intriguing film portraits were chosen - works about inspiring personalities, fictional narrative films telling exciting stories, films of social significance, animated, comedic, highly experimental, surreal creations.
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FILM PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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FILM SELF-PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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COLLECTIVE PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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ALTERNATIVE PORTRAIT CATEGORY
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PORTRAIT IN MOTION CATEGORY
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You can find more about the films in our Official Selection HERE.
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IPFF - ONLINE SELECTIONS 2020
We also highlighted films that deserved a place in separate online selections, which we named For the peculiar-eyed and Thrilling Impressions.
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IPFF - FOR THE PECULIAR-EYED SELECTION IPFF - THRILLING IMPRESSIONS SELECTION
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More about the curious films in our For the peculiar-eyed Selection HERE. More about the unforgettable films in our Thrilling Impressions Selection HERE.
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MORE INFORMATION HERE FACEBOOK
WINNERS
JURY
INTERNATIONAL PORTRAIT FILM FESTIVAL
CONTACT US!+359 88 7331 067 | ipffestival@gmail.comPORTRET FILMS Ltd.BULGARIA, 1024 SOFIA
75 TSAR IVAN ASEN II Str.E-mailPhone:+359 88 7331 067
