Documentary Jazz Cinema
A New Highlight at the Borovets Jazz Festival
For the first time this year, the International Jazz Festival “Dr. Emil Iliev” in Borovets is introducing a brand-new feature - Documentary Jazz Cinema. Screenings will take place from August 1st to 6th in the "Zahari Zograf" Hall at the Rila Hotel, presenting films that reveal the stories behind the music - the lives, inspirations, and creative paths of jazz artists.
📽 The program includes:
- “Rainy Day” (August 2) - a black-and-white film about guitarist Ognyan Videv (dir. Andrey Chertov), featuring jazz legends and the bohemian scene of Plovdiv.
- “Life in 33/16” and “Just Jazz” (August 4) - two iconic films about Milcho Leviev, directed by Milan Ognyanov.
- “Balkan Black Box” (August 5, after the Dimitar Lolev Quartet concert) - a premiere film about musician Kottarashky (dir. Tsvetan Dragnev).
- “I Dream of Music” (August 6) - a film by Henri Kulev about Ivo Papazov - Ibryama, the genius clarinetist with a unique sense of music and life.
🎤 After each screening, there will be meet-and-greet sessions with filmmakers, musicians, and producers, moderated by Prof. Bozhidar Manov - a renowned film critic and jury member of some of the world's biggest festivals.
✨ With this new direction, the festival once again proves that jazz is more than music - it's a cultural universe that connects cinema, literature, and visual art.