CineLibri (Bulgarian: Синелибри) is an annual international book and movie festival in Bulgaria founded in 2015, intended to showcase the best literary adaptations for cinema, both contemporary and classic. Jacqueline Wagenstein founded the event.[1][2]
About the Festival
Proven to be the world’s first international Book to Film festival, Cinelibri is an extraordinary annual event, inspired by the interaction of arts – cinema and literature, in particular. It is held in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Stara Zagora and other cities every autumn, and showcases the best examples of films connected to literary works, both contemporary and classic. Cinelibri is an extremely important, independent platform for high-quality European film productions and co-productions and it is the most rapidly growing film festival in Bulgaria. Every year Cinelibri welcomes world-renowned filmmakers, actors, screenwriters and audiovisual professionals, along with affirmed European film professionals and journalists to present films from the program.
The Official Competition includes 10 to 20 films from the last 18 months judged by a prestigious international jury composed of a President and Members (including famous producers, directors, writers, screenwriters, actors, film composers). The Cinelibri statuette for Best Feature Film is handed to the relevant film director or producer, for their skillful “interpretation” of a literary work into the language of cinema.
Alongside Best Feature Film, the festival also presents awards in the following categories: Best Short Film, Best Documentary and Best Costume Design in Bulgarian Contemporary Cinema. Traditionally, the festival also bestows a Cinelibri Lifetime Achievement Award to creators in the field of cinema, literature, and script adaptation.
Aside from the official selection of competing films, Cinelibri also shows outstanding films out of competition in The Main Program, which highlights a wide range of film works such as adaptations, biopics, films created by writing directors, original scripts authored by writers, films inspired by novels, poems, theater plays, graphic novels, films with a subject somehow related to literature
All the selected titles are national and international premieres. They are presented in prestigious movie theaters and art spaces in major Bulgarian cities, alongside the literary works which inspired the filmmakers.
The Parallel Program of Cinelibri includes several film sections: classics and retrospectives; contemporary European productions and co-productions based on books; biopics of renowned authors, poets and playwrights; milestone documentaries and short films; animation; children’s films; young adults movies; engaged cinema; celebration of jubilees and tributes to prominent directors and screenwriters.
From the very beginning, Cinelibri has been an attractive scene for a number of educational modules such as lectures, panel discussions with visiting experts, masterclasses, workshops and various free events with the participation of special guests of the festival and professional modules such as industry meetings and pitching sessions.
Sustainable and diversity-respectful events focus on issues related to the environment, gender-equality, and social inclusion by collaborating with a wide range of specialized NGOs. The meetings with established European creators and talented young professionals, as well as all the accompanying events with dignified speakers and guests aim to promote Europe’s cultural heritage and contemporary European cinema and literature. Cinelibri is an independent forum, organized and upheld by devoted professionals, with clear vision and selection procedures open to international guests and media. Furthermore, the festival maintains a yearlong activity with numerous events in cooperation with schools and universities, decentralized screenings, regular distribution of European films, international meetings and interactions.
The mission of the festival is to disseminate European cultural values, share experience and promote both the unfading classics and latest achievements of contemporary art by seeking new perspectives on topical and universal themes. The forum aims to provide access to European culture and tradition in a modern, attractive and influential manner. Combining artistic techniques and resources of cinema, literature, theater performances, classical music and visual arts. Cinelibri adheres to the strategy of supporting the interaction of arts and promoting intercultural dialogues, while facilitating access to non-commercial European cinema. The festival maintains long-lasting partnerships with all embassies, diplomats and cultural institutes in Bulgaria and abroad, co-operates with a number of European cultural organizations, incl. production companies, art associations and funds, industry professionals, film festivals etc.
In 2016, five more cities joined the event, and the CineLibri Prize went to French literary critic Frédéric Beigbeder.[4]
In 2017 the festival was held in Sofia and 10 other cities. For the first time, a winner was announced out of a film competition list. The winner was nominated by an independent international jury consisting of Bruno Coulais, Keira Chaplin, Doriana Leondeff and Ilian Djevelekov.[5]Rosso Istanbul directed by Ferzan Özpetek won the award for best film adaptation. The Award for Entire Contribution went to the European director Volker Schlöndorff, who presented in Sofia his latest film, Return to Montauk.[6]
In 2018 an international jury including Herman Koch, David Foenkinos, Michael McKell, Andy Deliana and Martichka Bozhilova in her capacity of president, bestowed the CineLibri award for best adaptation of the year on the film See You Up There (Au revoir là-haut) directed by Albert Dupontel.[9] The honorary Cinelibri Award for Entire Contribution went to the British novelist and screenwriter Ian McEwan, who presented the film On Chesil Beach directed by Dominic Cooke.[10] McEwan, who was also awarded the honorary title "Doctor Honoris Causa" of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", delivered an academic speech on "Freedom of Expression".[11][12][13]
In 2019, Christopher Lambert, in his capacity of jury’s president, bestowed the grand prize for the best literary adaptation upon the cinematic masterpiece of South Korea and Japan Burning (2018) adapted from the short story Burning Barn by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami. David Lagercrantz, Radu Mihaileanu, Loredana Cannata and Irini Jambonas were the other jury members.[14][15][16]
CineLibri Best Literary Adaptation Award 2020 was bestowed on the film Berlin Alexanderplatz (2020), co-production of Germany, Netherlands, France and Canada, adapted from the eponymous novel by Alfred Döblin. The legendary film director and screenwriter Jean-Jacques Annaud was an honorable chairman of the jury presented by Mika Kaurismäki, Santiago Amigorena, Babis Makridis, Snezhina Petrova and Milko Lazarov.[17]
The seventh edition of CineLibri International Book&Movie Festival (CineLibri IFF), which selects and shows the most impressive adaptations of literary works annually, was held between October 2-31 in Sofia and seven other Bulgarian cities under the motto “Divine Comedy” on the occasion of 700 years since the death of Dante Alighieri.[18]
In October 2022, for the first time within CineLibri, a documentary film competition was held, containing selection of five titles including the films: Milan Kundera: From The Joke to Insignificance – the only documentary about Milan Kundera’s legacy, and The Adventures of Saul Bellow which delves into the relationship between the life of the controversial author and his works. The film for Bellow was awarded the grand prize by the Jury presented by Bulgarian directors, producers and short film experts: Kostadin Bonev, Katerina Lambrinova, Asen Vladimirov.[19]
The ninth edition of Cinelibri International Book-to-Film Festival (Cinelibri IFF), which annually selects and shows the most original adaptations of literary works, was held between October 6-29 in Sofia and six other locations in Bulgaria – Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo and Stara Zagora. With the motto “Metamorphoses”, the festival marked 140 years since the birth of Franz Kafka, one of the most significant and influential figures in the literature of the 20th century, author of the emblematic novella “The Metamorphosis”, first published in 1915 and reprinted worldwide to this day.[20]
Traditionally, the parallel program comprised a series of Gala Evenings of different cultures. Supported by the embassies and cultural institutes of the respective countries, these events brought together film experts, literary critics and diplomats of Poland, Finland, Romania, Czech Republic, Portugal, Denmark, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Hungary, Japan. As part of the educational module, a two-day cycle of lectures was held. During the first day, the semiotic aspects of the transformations of literary texts into film scripts were discussed. The second set of lectures was devoted to current trends in film distribution and promotion of films based on literary works.
International full-length feature film competition program encompassed 10 titles. Among them was the extraordinary Spanish romance drama “Un Amor” (“One Love”) based on a bestselling novel by Sara Mesa. Directed byIsabel Coixet, the film won the Cinelibri Best Book-to-Film Adaptation Award 2023. The esteemed Jury of CineLibri competition for a full-length feature film based on work of literature this year was presented by: William Baldwin (actor, producer, writer), Léa Todorov (director and screenwriter), Bruno Rosato (casting director and producer), Carla Nieto (actress), Ivan Burnev (actor).
In 2024 CineLibri will celebrate its tenth anniversary.
