How moving pictures became culture. Film culture in Bulgaria 1920–1940
On 13 May 2026, Wednesday, at 18:00 The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Art Studies and the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with the Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences organise the presentation of final results of a project of the Screen Arts Sector at the Institute of Art Studies – BAS “Cinema Culture, Arts and National Images in Bulgaria (KINO.BG). Formation of the public importance of film culture in the period between the two world wars”.
The research team for the project includes Prof. Joanna Spassova-Dikova, PhD; Prof. Andronika Martonova, PhD; Petar Kardzhilov, PhD; Rosen Spassov, PhD; Chief Assistant Professor Boyan Tzenev, PhD; and Prof. Alexander Donev, DSc. (Project Coordinator). The project is implemented with state support under contract No. КП-06-Н60/6 of 16.11.2021 with the Scientific Research Fund.
So far, the project has published the books: Zlatan Dudov. The Straight Road to Cinema – from Tsaribrod through Sofia to Berlin by Alexander Donev (2023), The Power of Cinema. Anthology of Bulgarian Film Thought Between the Two World Wars, compiled by Rosen Spasov (2024), From Luna AD to Cinema Education in the Villages by Petar Kardjilov (2025), Charlie Chaplin on Vitosha. The Shaping of Film Culture in Bulgaria and the Balkans between the World Wars, editor and compiler Alexander Donev (2025).
The following books will also be published soon: Early Cinema Industry Practices in Bulgaria. Cinema Theatres and Film Entrepreneurs Between the Two World Wars by Petar Kardjilov (2026), Wonderful Illuminated Paintings. Bulgarian Film Culture – Beyond the Canon and the Famous by Andronika Martonova (2026), How Moving Pictures Became Culture. Film Culture in Bulgaria 1920–1940. An Illustrated Almanac (bilingual edition), editor and compiler Alexander Donev. The designer of all the books is Daniel Nechev, style editor and proofreader – Anna Andreev, translations and editing in English – Petar Galabov.
The event will take place in the Winter Garden Hall, IEFEM – BAS. The entrance is from the garden behind the Palace, at 6A Moskovska St. The entrance is free.
