The 12th edition of the International Film and Literature Festival Cinelibri will offer 75 film titles and over 40 special events between October 15 and November 8. The main highlights of the competition and parallel programs were presented today - September 24, at an official press conference of the festival. Tickets for the screenings and accompanying events in Sofia are now on sale.
Among the big names in this year's edition are Danny Boyle, Pawel Pawlikowski, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Asghar Farhadi and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and on screen viewers will see stars such as Isabelle Huppert, Catherine Deneuve, Vincent Cassel, Virginie Efira and Pierre Ninet.
The beginning of Cinélibri will be set on October 15 at 7:00 PM in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture. After the official opening ceremony, Danny Boyle's drama „Ink“ will be shown, which arrives in Bulgaria after its world premiere in Venice. The film is an adaptation of a contemporary play and follows the turbulent rise of the tabloid press, turning the story into a parable about ambition and its price.
A fierce battle for the award for best screenplay
The films in the main competition for full-length screen adaptation of a literary work were also announced today.
Among them is „The Diary of a Maid“ by Radu Jude – a modern reading of the classic novel by Octave Mirbeau, which uses a familiar story to talk about privilege, social inequality and migration.
Also included in the competition is „The Black Ball“ – a dramatic queer epic that intertwines the fates of three men with a mysterious unfinished play by Federico Garcia Lorca. The film has already attracted serious international attention after its festival appearances in Cannes and Toronto.
Among the most anticipated titles are the new works of two directors, awarded with an “Oscar“ – the Japanese Ryusuke Hamaguchi and the Iranian Asghar Farhadi.
Hamaguchi is involved with “And Then Suddenly“ – a contemplative drama about human dignity, friendship, care and the attitude towards illness. The main roles are entrusted to Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto.
Farhadi presents “Parallel Stories“, inspired by the legendary “Decalogue“ by Krzysztof Kieslowski. In the film, the line between fiction and reality gradually blurs, and the cast includes some of the most recognizable names in European cinema – Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, Catherine Deneuve and Virginie Efira.
Also competing for the main prize will be „The Assistant“, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Swiss writer Robert Walser, and the romantic drama „Allegro Pastell“, based on the novel by German writer Leif Rand.
Two Bulgarian films in the main competition
Bulgarian cinema will have two proposals in the race for best literary adaptation.
The first is the long-awaited „Ostaynitsa“ by director Kostadin Bonev based on the novel by Rene Karabash. The story focuses on the freedom of identity and the clash with the weight of traditions. The official premiere is scheduled for October 16 at 7:00 PM at the „Lumière“ cinema, where the production team will also be present.
The second Bulgarian title is the black comedy „Taxi to Paradise“ by Ivan Nichev and Todor Chapkanov. The film mixes absurdity and drama in a story about life and death, and its premiere within the framework of Cinélibri will be on October 24.
Jim Sheridan is among the members of the international jury
The winner in the main competition will be determined by an international jury composed of Jim Sheridan, Clive Russell, Jakob Ionia, Maria Jurado and Teodora Markova.
The award for best adaptation will be announced on November 3 at 7:00 PM in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture. The winner of the documentary competition will then be announced.
The culmination of the evening will be the pre-premiere screening of the new film by Polish-British director Pawel Pawlikowski – „Fatherland“. The author of „Ida“ and „Cold War“ will receive a special award for his exceptional contribution to cinema.
The event will also include a meeting between Pawlikowski and writer Georgi Gospodinov, who will talk to the audience before the screening.
Isabelle Huppert with three films at the festival
A special presence in the program this year is the French actress Isabelle Huppert, who participates in three of the selected titles.
In addition to the competition film “Parallel Stories“ she will be seen as Countess Bathory in the parody horror “The Bloody Countess“ by Ulrike Oettinger. The third title is the comedy “Worldwide Unknown“ by Marc Fitoussi.
Among the highlights outside the main competition is the new film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet – “Water for the Flowers“, a film adaptation of the bestseller by Valérie Perrin. The main roles are played by Leila Bechti, Melville Pupo and Sergio Castellito.
The screenwriter Guillaume Laurent, a long-time creative partner of Jeunet, will arrive for the Bulgarian premiere.
The festival selection also includes new works by Xavier Giannoli, Christophe Honoré, Nani Moretti, Mario Martone, Giuseppe Tornatore and Mike van Diem, as well as screen adaptations of works by Jane Austen, Mieko Kawakami, Laurent Mauvigny, José Saramago and Domenico Starnone.
Over 40 special events
The film program is complemented by more than 40 accompanying events – ceremonies with the participation of international guests, gala dinners dedicated to different cultures, autograph sessions, celebrations, educational discussions and events for children and teenagers.
The titles are distributed in the thematic modules “Gold Rush“, “Some Like It Hot“, “Commedia dell'arte“, “Life, a way of using“, “After the end of the world“, “Tender is the night“, “Journey to Italy“, “Liquid Modernity“, “The Bright Future“ and “Briefly and Clearly“.
Cinelibri 2026 will take place from October 15 to November 8, and the full program and tickets for the events in Sofia are now available on the festival's official website.