Film and Poetry Alternatives for St. Valentine’s Day in Sofia
Balkan Travellers
One unconventional option is to participate, either as a contestant or simply as part of the audience, in CineMafia’s Love is Everything movie challenge. Those who want to take part have to sign up at 10am on Tuesday in the small park across Halite, where they will be informed of the specific topic connected to the St. Valentine’s Day theme. They will then have the following 48 hours to create a short film on the topic.
The selected shorts will be shown on February 14, at 8pm, in Sofia’s Cinema House, also near Halite. Following the screening, awards will be given for best film, best actor and actress, cinematography, sound and editing. Entrance to the event is free of charge.
Another cinematic, and thematic, event that will take place at the same time is the monthly Future Shorts festival screening. United by the motto Love Is All You Need, this month’s programme includes nine short films from around the world – from Israel through Bulgaria, Macedonia, Brazil and the US. The screening will take place on St. Valentine’s Day in Sofia’s Red House for Culture and Debate, starting at 7:30pm. All films will have English and Bulgarian subtitles. Tickets cost 2/3 euro.
During the day on February 14, the Red House for Culture and Debate will hold its second Art-Fetish Fair. Between 2pm and 10pm, visitors can buy art production and paraphernalia, including CDs, video and photo documentation of art shows from the past18 years, books, posters, catalogues and postcards.
Parallel to the fair, video art pieces from Bulgaria will be screened between 4pm and 7pm at the same location. Entrance to both events is free of charge.
Finally, those who are more lyrically and less visually inclined could attend a poetry performance. Beginning at 7pm in the Tea House on Benkovski Street, Bert Hornback, Irish Professor of English, will do a dramatic reading of love poems from Ireland and around the world.
The main language will be English, but actor Yavor Milushev will also recite poetry by Peyo Yavorov, one of Bulgaria’s most famous and loved poets. Entrance will be free of charge but those who want to attend should reserve a seat in advance with event’s organiser, the Irish Embassy (tel.: ++359-985-3425).
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excellent smugs
