International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) welcomes films featuring images and characters, telling stories, cracking the surface of perceptions and reaching the core.
IPFF is a project of Portret Films Ltd.
IPFF aspires is to bring together artists and viewers who sincerely long for enrichment with art, intellectual discussion and an experience of cinema through a new prism - that of the portrait film.
IPFF is a hybrid event. A symbiosis of intriguing live encounters and memorable virtual experiences. An interweaving of portrait cinema from around the world, debates, lectures, master classes.
The portrait is the focus of the films that will be screened at IPFF. We are looking for portrait films that have already been completed, as well as such that will be created with the concrete idea of 'portrait'. Of a person. A group of people. An object. Something invisible, but substantial. Of the self. Or of something else.
IPFF is for those profoundly needing art and excitement. And for the ones in search of their catharsis. For the unafraid to stare at the screen even when it is empty. The hungry - for experimental viewpoints. For those forever in love with cinema, caught in its loop.
Edition 2022
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1. Dates and locations
Main festival: screenings of the Official Selection and accompanying events: Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria), 10-20 November 2022.
Online edition of the festival, including the Official Selection + 2 additional selections "For the peculiar-eyed" and "Thrilling Impressions": 20-30 November 2022.
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2. Conditions for participation
2.1. Deadlines for submission
- Earlybird deadline - 5.02 – 05.04.2022
- Regular deadline - 05.04 – 05.07.2022
- Extended deadline - 05.07 – 25.08.2022
- Notifying and announcing the selected films - 5.09.2022
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2.2. Film duration
Maximum accepted film duration is 30 minutes.
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2.3. Time when the films were made
The festival accepts films made after 1.01.2005.
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2.4. File formats
- For selected films: H264, МР4. After a film is selected to be part of the official festival programme, the organiser will contact each author in order to determine the exact technical requirements regarding the screening of their film.
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2.5. Language and subtitles
The festival’s working language is English. If an applying film is not in English, it is mandatory that it has appropriately embedded English subtitles.
For all the films selected in the competition programme, the festival team will translate and produce subtitles in Bulgarian. In this case, the author must provide a CORRECT TIMECODE SRT file in English. This is absolutely OBLIGATORY!
For films in Bulgarian: if a film is selected in the competition programme, it is mandatory to provide a copy with embedded subtitles in English.
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2.6. Materials from the authors of selected films
The authors of films selected in the competition programme must send video and photo material (trailer, poster, film stills, other appropriate material, photos of the creators - director, cast, others if applicable), short bio(s) of the filmmaker(s) and a full list of the production team (credits). IPFF is allowed to use this information for publicity and advertising purposes.
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2.7. Copyright
The applicant party must have full authority to submit their film to the IPFF and to own the copyright of the work, including all rights to the music used. IPFF is not responsible for any claims made by a third party regarding copyright and related rights.
The applicant party agrees that the films selected in the competition programme will be screened within the framework of the festival programme in the cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, as well as in the online edition of the festival and IPFF’s accompanying events.
The applicant party agrees that their film could also be potentially screened in various cities of Bulgaria as part of IPFF's accompanying programme throughout the following year (2023). Should an opportunity for that occur, the festival team will contact the applicant party for confirmation. In case of a lack of response by the latter, IPFF can still showcase the film if the event is free of charge and doesn't bring any financial profit to the festival's team or any other physical or legal entity.
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2.8. Submission fees
- Earlybird deadline - 5.02 – 05.04.2022 - 12 USD
- Regular deadline - 05.04 – 05.07.2022 - 15 USD
- Extended deadline - 05.07 – 25.08.2022 - 18 USD
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- The submission fees for the category Portrait of a company for the same three time periods are as follows: 50/55/60 USD.
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Submission fees are not refundable
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2.9. Application procedure / platforms and notification
The application will be considered accepted upon the cumulative fulfilment of the following conditions:
- the applicant has completed all the fields required by the relevant platform;
- the applicant has paid the relevant participation fee.
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When submitting a film, the applicant agrees, in the event that the film is selected in the competition programme, to give IPFF a permission to download a copy or to provide a link to access the film outside/beyond the application platform. The copy or link provided will only be used for access by festival jury members.
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3. Categories
The categories in 2022 are 7:
- Film portrait
- Collective portrait
- Portrait of a company
- Alternative portrait
- Film self-portrait
- Portrait in motion (screendance/dance film)
- Portrait in a magic lantern (animated film)
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4. Awards
The awarded films in each category are determined by an authoritative international jury. IPFF will award the best portrait creations with:
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The grand prize IPFF 2022 – the MAYA Award
Award for the most wonderful portrait creation in each category
Film Dedication Award (a film about a cause aiming towards a brighter and better world)
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5. Festival organiser
Portret Films Ltd.
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6. Funding
IPFF is а film festival that is funded and financed by Portret Films Ltd. and by submission fees from applicants.
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By submitting an application through the FilmFreeway platform or the Festhome platform, the applicant agrees to all the conditions in this RULES AND TERMS section regarding participation in IPFF.
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Competition programme
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Film portrait
One human being is at the centre of the film portrait.
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The human as a contradiction: a wandering creature whose existence is always absurd and meaningless, at the same time a creature-universe with no outline, no beginning and no end.
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A film portrait can be documentary, fictional or radically experimental. About a popular personage (historical figure, athlete, artist...), or about the person you meet at the park every day.
Collective portrait
A portrait of a group of people. The heart of the films in this category is the collective. This is a film about a society, a band, a community, a nation.
Alternative portrait
A non-human portrait. Of a stray dog or of a pet. Of every living being whose language people have difficulty understanding. An alternative portrait can also be that of inanimate objects that cinema breathes life into. The plant in the corner. The umbrella on the hanger. Or it can even be the portrait of an abstract idea or a philosophical puzzle.
Self-portrait
A portrait of the ‘me, myself and I’. A film self-portrait. About the world of personal achievements, failures, fears, manias, adventures.
Portrait in motion (screendance/dance film)
A portrait in a specific form - that of the intersection of cinema and dance, the exciting art and practice known as screendance. The portrait is obligatory but undefined. It can be of a person, of the self, of a collective or an alternative portrait. The condition here is that the means of expression within the work is through the symbiosis of dance and film, or screendance.
Portrait in a magic lantern (animated film)
A portrait belonging to the art of animation, where creative thought transforms into movement of lines, shapes and colours, springing deep from the director's imagination. Here too, the portrait can be of a person, of the self, of a collective or of everything that is part of IPFF’s alternative portrait category (check Alternative portrait).
NEW in 2022: Portrait of a company
This is a business portrait of a company. The industry in which it is focused doesn’t matter: everyone is welcome to apply. The portrait of a company is a documentary film about its philosophy, team, field of work, ambitions and dreams.
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By introducing this category, the IPFF invites business companies to share their portrait with a wider and more diverse audience, while directly supporting the art of film and cultural processes at different levels and in different directions. The price to apply in this category is higher - 50/55/60 USD. In this way, each application is a financial contribution to the festival, its concept and audience.
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The awarded films in each category are determined by an international jury of professionals with impressive accomplishments in their respected fields: film practitioners, academics, film critics, culturologists, authors, journalists. Presenting their different points of view, they distinguish the best films among the Official Selection of the festival.
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IPFF will award the best portrait creations with:
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The grand prize IPFF 2022 - MAYA Award*
- An invitation to the IPFF festival days in Sofia within the following edition - IPFF 2023
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘Maya Award IPFF 2022’
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Award for the most wonderful portrait creation in each category
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Most Wonderful Film Award’
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IPFF also presents a special award for a Film Dedication about the contribution of a person or about a cause aiming towards a brighter and better world
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Film Dedication Award’
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Digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Official Selection’ for all selected films
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*The MAYA Award is named after a brilliant filmmaker, activist for avant-garde cinema, poet, true experimenter, film theorist, and dancer Maya Deren. Her magical short works, portraits of herself, or of dancers, or of strange phenomena, have been and will always be a source of inspiration for film artists and for everyone willing to experience cinema, dive into it, think and talk about it with the greatest of passions.
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Competition programme
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Accompanying Programme:
Each year the accompanying programme of the festival places two obligatory accents:
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- Film Dedication - screening of a film about a significant person or collective of people, with a contribution to the evolution of humanity;
- Live Portrait - lectures-discussions, masterclasses, intriguing events - with the participation of people working in a variety of film areas!
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In 2022, the IPFF reaches out to artists and filmmakers from the past two editions and invites them to share in video format insights from their creative processes, as well as their unique points of view on the portrait, short filmmaking, film festivals, and more.
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The videos will become part of IPFF’s YouTube channel and will also be shared on our social media channels. Our goal is to strengthen the IPFF community, welcome new curious viewers and filmmakers, communicate with each other and enrich everyone interested in the portrait philosophy and in the art of cinema.
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With a series of live thematic events, IPFF is building a bridge between its past and future editions. Creating connections between artists and audiences, enriching the exchange with more density and new nuances.
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EYES FOR FILM
In 2022, IPFF will present to new audiences and in new locations films from the selections of its first (2020) and its second edition (2021). These will be meetings with young film dreamers and researchers - pupils and students with interests in the fields of art and culture. We will also strive to organize events in small towns and offer a diverse range of genres and themes, as well as more experimental short films, screendance projects and animated portraits.
The aim of the initiative is to provide access to cultural products and processes to more audiences, including viewers with less access to art events, as well as to gain valuable feedback from the audience regarding the works of artists from the festival community.
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BEYOND THE SCREEN
The events titled "Beyond the Screen" are related to the works awarded as IPFF Film Dedication(s) - films with a social dimension and a cause for a brighter and better world.
The big goal of the festival team is for the films Feeling Through (Film Dedication 2020) and My Stellar Tale (Film Dedication 2021) to be presented and experienced by communities and audiences connected to the films’ missions and causes.
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ALTERNATIVE OUTLOOKS
After a successful thematic screening called “Alternative Outlooks” that we managed to realize in 2021 within the skate venue Hale 3 (Varna), IPFF will again bring films from past editions to multidisciplinary art venues and curious viewers.
For all upcoming meetings and events, follow IPFF’s website, as well as our Facebook and Instagram pages.
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In 2021, the International Portrait Film Festival created a competition module for photographic portraits to expand its activities to another visual creative field, in addition to cinema. 24 photographs were selected and became part of a photo exhibition during the festival days in November.Silvia Husek's series "To live is to die" was chosen as the winner by the jury of the photo contest. Now the creation is “entering” a virtual art incubator and will be an inspiration for more artists working across various mediums. Here are the phases of the creative experiment.
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Silvia Husek's series "To live is to die" was chosen as the winner by the jury of the photo contest. Now the creation is “entering” a virtual art incubator and will be an inspiration for more artists working across various mediums. Here are the phases of the creative experiment.
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Portrait pathway:
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Art Incubator phase 1: Photographic images and words - texts inspired by the series "To live is to die"; process: January-February 2022; presentation of results: February 2022.
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Art Incubator phase 2: Photographic images, words and colors - illustrations inspired by the series "To live is to die" and the texts created based on it - collaboration with painters and visual artists; process: March-May 2022; presentation of results: June 2022.
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Art Incubator phase 3: Photographic images, words, colors and cinema - a short film inspired by the series "To live is to die", the texts created based on it, as well as the illustrations created in phase 2 - collaboration with a video artist / filmmaker; process: July-September; presentation of results + exhibition with the full path of the portrait through the art incubator: November 2022.
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Strongly believing in the power of experimentation and synergy between various arts, in 2022, with its third edition, IPFF continues the development of “Portrait Pathways”: a competition module for photographic portraits in the following categories:
Portrait of a lady (a portrait inspired by another historical time, past or future)
Portrait of a lady on fire (a queer portrait)
Portrait in sepia (a monochrome portrait)
Portrait of the artist as a young man (a surreal portrait)
The picture of Dorian Gray (a very beautiful or a very grotesque portrait / portrait-grotesque)
Self-portrait with ear and pipe (self-portrait of the photographer)
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The experiment will be open to photography projects by professionals and amateurs from around the world. The selected best photo portraits will take part in an exhibition during the festival events of IPFF 2022.
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One of all the selected photographs will be awarded as a winner and will become a starting point for experimental transformations - in a virtual art incubator it will be an inspiration for subsequent creations within various arts and practices.
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Start: March 2022
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EDITION 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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55 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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EDITION 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.
-
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.
-
Find out more about our searches, provocations and directions in 2021 in the website fragment NEW IN 2021!
We 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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BULGARIA, 1024 SOFIA
75 TSAR IVAN ASEN II Str.
+359 88 7331 067