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    • New Talents Open Call
      Eastern Neighbours Film Festival (ENFF) began in The Netherlands in 2008 with the idea to offer Dutch and international audiences a unique glimpse into the cinema of their neighbors from Eastern and Southern Europe. This annual event presents the most recent, exciting, and thought‐provoking films, from countries with small, but often powerful film industries, that… Read more: New Talents Open Call
    • ENFF 2023 On Demand!
      Unable To attend the festival in person? No problem! From November 27th to December 3rd, we’re thrilled to bring you a curated selection of this year’s films available for online viewing! Catch our captivating Opening Film Ivan’s Land, or the touching Closing Film Seventh Heaven. Or explore a collection of shorts from the New Talents Competition! Follow along… Read more: ENFF 2023 On Demand!
    • What’s up in Slovak Cinema? A conversation with Monika Lostakova
      We talked with Monika Lošťáková about contemporary Slovak cinema.
    • ENFF and the Eastern European Film Festival Network!
      The Eastern European Film Festival Network brings together five film festivals dedicated to promoting and showcasing Eastern European cinema, alongside one partner organisation.
    • Masterclasses
      Through these masterclasses we approach two memory in film from different angles: memories from a personal or collective recollection through archive material.
    • Work in Progress
      In Work in Progress, emerging filmmakers and artists will present their works in development to the audience and engage in discussions with Dutch experts.
    • Festival Timetable Available!
    • Check out the catalogue for our 2023 edition!
    • Music at ENFF
      Every year, ENFF brings special musical guests who bring beauty to the program and further represent the rich cultures of their countries to a Dutch audience.
    • Film Marathon
      Join us for the Film Marathon, a new concept in which we merge two components, Short Films, Big Stories, and New Talents Competition into a whole-day screening of short films!

ENFF On Tour: Sharp and Humorous Bulgarian Satire Fear Plays in Dordrecht

The Eastern Neighbours Film Festival is visiting Dordrecht with its special On Tour screenings. The Bulgarian thriller Fear (English subtitles) by filmmaker Ivaylo Hristov will be shown in The Movies on November 6 at 16:00 hours.

Winner of the Grand Prix at the prestigious Black Nights Festival and Bulgaria’s candidate for the Oscar, this is undoubtedly a film of our time that provokingly and with a great sense of humor deals with the fear of “others” and “otherness”.

Svetla (Svetlana Yancheva) is a seemingly rude and sarcastic widow who loses her teaching job due to the closure of the local school. She lives in a seaside village in proximity to the Turkish border. Her life suddenly changes after she accidentally runs into Bamba (Michael Flemming), a refugee doctor from Mali while hunting in the forest. Svetla doesn’t speak English, but she somehow manages to communicate with the stranger and invite him over to her house. Little by little, this unlikely couple slowly gets closer and becomes lovers. Their relationship is not viewed favorably in the small, provincial and xenophobic environment, and riots will soon break out.

With beautiful shots in black and white, this heartwarming thriller receives positive reviews and praise from the audience. Fear is full of humor as we are used to seeing in the classics of Czech masters such as Milos Forman or Jiri Menzel. Critics have highlighted its connection to Fassbinder’s masterpiece “Fear Eats the Soul,” and Yancheva has received praise for her masterful portrayal of a lonely woman entering into a relationship with a migrant.

STRAH

Bulgaria | 2020 | 100 min

PRODUCTION: Assen Vladimirov – Pro Film

CAST: Svetlana Yancheva, Michael Flemming, Ivan Savov, Krassimir Dokov

SCREENPLAY: Ivaylo Hristov

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emil Christov                                

EDITING: Toma Waszarow

FESTIVALS & AWARDS (SELECTION) 

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2020 – Best Film | Golden Rose Bulgarian National Feature Film Festival – Best Film, Best Actress | Sofia International Film Festival 2021 – Audience Award | South East European Film Festival Los Angeles 2021 – Honorable Mention