„Cinelibri“ 2026 will go beyond traditional film screenings with a series of galas, meetings with directors, literary celebrations and special events. The twelfth edition of the International Film and Literature Festival begins on October 15 and continues until November 8 under the motto „Civilization of the Spectacle“. The program includes over 70 films, and the festival will be held in Sofia and seven other Bulgarian cities.
Just a day after the official opening, on October 16 at 7:30 p.m., the „Vlaikova“ cinema will host a gala evening of Portugal. The Bulgarian audience will see the premiere of “Embargo“ by director Antonio Ferreira – a film adaptation of a story by Nobel laureate José Saramago. The evening will also be dedicated to the work of the author of “Blindness“, whose allegories for man and society continue to sound relevant.
“Metropolis“ returns to the big screen
One of the special events on October 18 will take the audience back almost a century – to the legendary “Metropolis“ by Fritz Lang. The screening at the “Vlaikova“ cinema is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the director's death.
The science fiction masterpiece created in 1927 presents a dystopian city divided between a privileged elite and the working class. The themes of social inequality, technology and the opposition between mental and physical labor give the film a special relevance almost a hundred years after its appearance. After the screening, a conversation is planned about Lang's legacy and the place of „Metropolis“ in the history of cinema.
The same evening, cinema will also meet wine. From 7:00 p.m. at the RCCA „Toplotsentrala“ the comedy drama „The Hero from the Station „Friedrichstrasse“ – a story about a man who is involuntarily turned by the media into a hero and organizer of a mass escape from the GDR. This is the last film by German director Wolfgang Becker. The screening will be accompanied by a wine tasting and a performance.
Michel Leclerc arrives in Sofia in person
Among the international guests of the festival is the French director and screenwriter Michel Leclerc. On October 18 at 8:00 p.m. at the House of Cinema, he will personally present his new historical comedy “Moliere, Cyrano and the Young King“.
Leclerc is known for weaving social and political themes into the comedy genre. Among his most famous works is “The Names of Love“, awarded with the “Cesar“ for best original screenplay in 2011. Markdown inserted The official page of „Cinelibri“ also confirms his participation among the special guests of this year's edition.
Lorca meets Penelope Cruz and Glenn Close
One of the highlights of the festival comes on October 19. The Spanish-French dramatic epic „The Black Ball“ by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrosi will have its official premiere at 7:00 p.m. at the „Lumière“ cinema.
The film is inspired by an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca and the play „The Dark Stone“ by Alberto Conejo. The story intertwines different eras and human destinies, marked by love, fear, violence and the quest for freedom. The cast includes Penelope Cruz, Glenn Close, Miguel Bernardo, Antonio de la Torre and Lola Dueñas.
Before the screening, the audience will hear a short recital of selected works by Lorca with musical accompaniment by trumpeter Valentin Atanasov. Tickets for the gala evening on October 19 are already sold out, but the film will have a number of other screenings in Sofia.
Corporate scandal enters the cinema
Also on October 19, but in the „Odeon“ cinema, Belgium will be presented with the psychological thriller „Dust“. The film is nominated for the „Golden Bear“ at the Berlinale 2026 and is based on a real corporate scandal that shook the country in the late 1990s during the technology boom. After the screening, viewers will talk via video link with director Anke Blonde.
The next day - October 20 - the program continues with a gala evening of Slovenia. The youth drama with the unusual title "Ida sang so badly that even the dead listened to her" will be presented at the "Odeon" cinema. The special guest will be actress Ester Ivakić, considered one of the rising names in Slovenian cinema.
„Little Nicholas“ for the youngest viewers
A separate program is planned for children. On October 17th and 18th, “Cinélibri“ will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of René Goscinny with a weekend dedicated to “Little Nicholas“.
The animation "Little Nicholas: What Are We Waiting For to Be Happy?" will be shown on the "Central Halls" stage, and a day later the puppet show "Little Nicholas: Class Photo" will be performed. Admission to the performance is free.
The festival begins on October 15 in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture with the new film by the "Oscar" winner Danny Boyle - "Ink". At the center of the story of the rise of the British tabloid The Sun are Guy Pearce as Rupert Murdoch, Jack O'Connell as Larry Lamb and Claire Foy as journalist Joyce Hopkirk. This will be the only screening of the film in Bulgaria in 2026 before its world premiere in January 2027.