Alexander Donev
Education
Year – Educational degree, higher education institution.
2016 – Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Institute of Art Studies – BAS,
1988 Master Degree (MA) – Film Critical Studies, National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) “Krastyo Sarafov”
Occupation
Position. Institution. City.
2024 (to date): Professor, Institute for Art Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia;
2021–2024: Associate Professor, Institute for Art Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia;
2017–2024: Specialist, Institute for Art Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia;
2011–2017: Executive Director, Audiovisual Orfei EAD, Ministry of Culture, Sofia;
2009–2010: Executive Director, National Film Center Executive Agency, Ministry of Culture, Sofia;
2005–2009: Marketing Consultant, Camera Ltd., Sofia;
2003–2010: Deputy Head of Programming, Bulgarian National Television, Sofia;
2002–2003: Media Planning Manager, Alexandra Group Holding Ltd., Sofia;
1997–2001: Executive Director, Sofia Film EAD, Ministry of Culture, Sofia;
1992–1997: Manager, Narodna Kultura EOOD, Ministry of Culture, Sofia;
1990–1992: Editorial staff member, Kino magazine, Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers.
Specializations
Dates – Institution. City. Country
2025: Media and Film Archive, Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany (Erasmus+ training);
2002: Goethe Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Joined the Institute of Art Studies in Year, Academic position (Scientific title)
2017: Specialist.
Major Publications (up to 10 – selection of important monographs, indexed and refereed studies and articles in our country and abroad).
Monographies:
Донев, А.. Златан Дудов. Правият път към киното. От Цариброд през София до Берлин.. Институт за изследване на изкуствата, БАН, [Donev, A. Slatan Dudow – Praviyat pat kam kinoto. Ot Tsaribrod via Sofia to Berlin, Institut za izsledvane na izkustvata, BAN] 2023;
Донев, А. Картографиране на филмовата неопитоменост. Независимо, аматьорско и алтернативно кино в България след 1989 година. Институт за изследване на изкуствата, БАН, [Donev, A.Kartografirane na filmovata neopitomenost. Nezavisimo, amatyorsko I alternativno kino v Balgaria, Institut za izsledvane na izkustvata, BAN] 2022;
Донев, А. Независимите в киното. От Едисон до Нетфликс. ФънТези, [Donev, A. Nezavisimite v kinoto. Ot Edisson do Netflix, Funtezi] 2019;
Донев, А. Помощ от публиката. Българските филми и техните зрители в началото на ХХI век. ФънТези, [Donev, A. Pomosht ot publikata. Balgarskite filmi I tehnite ztiteli v nachaloto na ХХI vek, Funtezi], 2018;
Articles:
Donev, A. Fast-Speed Americanization. American Films and American Ideas in Bulgaria in the Interwar Period. In: living Bridges across Time 12th Joint Conference of Bulgarian and North American Scholars. Prof. Marin Drinov Publishing House of BAS, 2025, 188-200;
Donev, A. The Shaping of Film Culture in Bulgaria and the Balkans Between the World Wars: A preface. Charlie Chaplin on Vitosha. The Shaping of Film Culture in Bulgaria and the Balkans between the World Wars, Institute of Art Studies – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2025,19-36;
Донев, А. Киното в хумористичните издания през ранния филмов период в България. Изображението в текста, текстът в изображението, Издателство на БАН Проф. Марин Дринов [Donev, A. Kinoto v humoristichnite izdania prez rannia filmov period v Balgaria. In: Izobrazhenieto v teksta, tekstyt v izobrazhenieto, izdatelstvo na BAN, Prof. Marin Drinov], 2025, ISBN:978-619-245-504-0, 102-121;
Donev, A. Revenge and Forgiveness: The Goat’s Horn and the Polysemantic of Killing in the Bulgarian Political and Artistic Context. Zabójstwo po słowiańsku, Polska Akademia Nauk, Instytut Filologii Słowiańskiej UAM, Warszawa, 2024, 21-36;
Donev, A. The emergence of film distribution in Bulgaria as a metamorphosis/ Възникване на киноразпространението в България като метаморфоза. In: ART READINGS Thematic Peer-reviewed Art Studies. Annual, Volumes I–II 2023, Institute of Art Studies – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2024, 459-465;
Donev, A. Slatan Dudow und der rechte Weg zum Film. … und wer wird die Welt verändern? In: Slatan Dudow. Annäherungen an einen politischen Regisseur. Published by René Pikarski, Nicky Rittmeyer, Ralf Schenk, Bertz+Fischer Verlag, 2024, 25-50.
Research projects
CINEMA CULTURE, ARTS AND NATIONAL IMAGES IN BULGARIA. Formation of the social significance of film culture between the two world wars. (KINO.BG)
National Research Fund Competition for Fundamental Scientific Research , Humanities.
2025
SLATAN DUDOW – A BULGARIAN, CLASSIC OF GERMAN FILM (Dudow 2023)
Sofia Culture Programme (SCP) of Sofia Municipality
2023
STUDY OF CHILDREN'S HABITS AND PREFERENCES REGARDING ANIMATED FILMS
Ministry of Culture, National Culture Fund
2023
POST-TOTALITARIAN BULGARIAN CINEMA – MODELS AND IDENTITIES (DN20/4)
National Research Fund Competition for Fundamental Scientific Research , Humanities.
2022
VASIL GENDOV: LIFE BETWEEN THEATER AND FILM (Gendov 2021)
Sofia Culture Programme (SCP) of Sofia Municipality
2021
Conferences
Participated with papers in various international scientific forums in Bulgaria, Great Britain, Spain, Germany, Serbia.
Lecture courses at universities
History of Bulgarian Cinema, NATFA "Krastyo Sarafov";
History of Bulgarian Feature Film, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski";
Contemporary Bulgarian Cinema, NATFA "Krastyo Sarafov";
Distribution and Exhibition of Audiovisual Products, NATFA "Krastyo Sarafov";
Sociology of Audiovisual Media, NATFA "Krastyo Sarafov";
Scientific supervisor of doctoral student (3).
Main areas of scientific research
Film studies, history and theory of the film industry, sociology of cinema, audience research, history and contemporary development of Bulgarian cinema
Research related activities
Expert work at the National Film Center Executive Agency; curator of film festivals; professional experience as film producer, screenwriter, and director; member of the European Film Academy, the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers, and the Union of Bulgarian Journalists.
Note – in the absence of activity, the field is deleted, as well as the explanations.
