Cinema
In the
village
The history of cinema in Bulgarian villages began over 100 years ago and peaked with 3000 active film theaters in the 1980s. We support Bulgarian villages in reclaiming their place as a space for culture and enable European artists to show their films to broader audiences.
Bringing contemporary cinema to 15 villages in 2026.
Cinema in the Village is a Luminary Cinema Foundation initiative.
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Cinema in the Village is an annual decentralized festival held across multiple locations in rural Bulgaria. The aim of the festival is to build a network of villages with regular access to contemporary cinema, as well as to empower locals through the creation of training and networking opportunities.
The pilot edition of the festival took place in Trudovets, Bulgaria from July-September 2024.
The first edition of Cinema in the Village was hosted from May-October 2025 across 13 villages and included a total of 61 film screenings, discussions and workshops.
The second edition will be held in 15 locations between June-September 2026 with 60 screenings and 4 children’s film workshops.
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To create the structure enabling easy access to cinema and culture in the village.
To build community and seed ideas and opportunities.
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Mission: Making cinema and culture accessible in rural Bulgaria.
Vision: Community-focused, community-led.
First EDITION
The first edition of Cinema in the Village took place across 13 rural locations in Bulgaria. Between May and October 2025, the festival featured a total of 61 film screenings and a pilot film workshop for children.
Each location featured a curated program tailored to the community’s demographics and cultural preferences. All screenings were hosted at local community centers and were open to the public free of charge, fostering shared cultural experiences and community engagement.
🎬Films
🗓️Program
“Cinema in the Village” 2025 was funded by the Bulgarian National Culture Fund and Lidl Bulgaria.
Attendance
During the 2025 festival season, the total number of visitors reached 1,550, with an average of about 25 viewers per screening. June turned out to be the most attended month. In the ranking of towns by attendance, Buzovgrad takes the leading position with an impressive average of 50 viewers per screening, followed by Borovan with 49. Third place is held by Kurtovo Konare, with an average of 33 viewers.
FOUNDers
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Founder and Artistic DirectorEvgenia graduated from NATFA with a degree in Film and Television Direction. She is currently completing her master's thesis in Art Management at NBU. She is the program director and founder of the newly opened arthouse cinema in Sofia - Cinema Weekends. Evgenia is also the content manager at the 7arts platform. She was the artistic director of the project "Cinema in the Rhodopes" (2023), as well as a selector and assistant in the programming department of the International Documentary "Rhodope Film Fest" in Smolyan (2022). Her artistic biography includes two fantasy books co-authored with Vanina Bozhilova.
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Founder and Project ManagerPetra is a graduate of RWTH Aachen, Germany and holds a BSc in Biotechnology. During 2021-2024, she pursued a career in biotech R&D, focusing on analytical studies of therapeutic antibodies at Alvotech, Iceland. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Natural and Environmental Resources at the University of Iceland, a program with a focus on social innovation, improved quality of life and sustainability in a changing world. She sees "Cinema in the Village" as an opportunity to bring culture and contemporary cinema to rural Bulgaria, which in turn nurtures big dreams for the future of villages.