A solemn ceremony launched the 17th International Red Cross
and Health Film Festival. Under the sounds of the representative Naval Brass Orchestra,
the Vice President Iliyana Yotova, who is the patron of the Festival, the
President of the Bulgarian Red Cross for Bulgaria Acad. Hristo Grigorov, the
Rector of MU-Varna Prof. Dr. Krasimir Ivanov, the Chairperson of the District Council of BRC-Varna Mr. Ilko Raev, the Festival Art Director Prof. Bozhidar Manov
and more than 100 guests - actors, directors, filmmakers, politicians and
public figures from all over the world walked the red carpet in the Raduga Complex in SHC
"Kamchia". More than 15 international delegations joined the Festival.
The Grand Prize - a glass sculpture, a successor to the most
prestigious award of the first editions of the Red Cross Festival "Golden
Ship", created by Prof. Gaydov,
arrived with a vintage convertible DKW, produced back in 1938, and it was brought to "Raduga"
by a pair of dance sport champions. Congratulatory addresses were delivered by the Vice Minister of
Culture Mr. Rumen Dimitrov, the Consul General of Russia in Bulgaria Sergey Lukyanchuk, Mr. Ilian
Karagyozov- Deputy District
Governor of Varna, Mr. Peycho Peychev - Deputy Mayor of Varna.
"If it weren’t for your actions, if it weren’t for your
intervention, if it weren’t for the exceptional professionalism of the doctors at
the Varna Medical University and Varna hospitals, many human lives would not
have been saved, it would not have been possible to return the faith of many
families - the faith that even after the tragedy and misfortunes there are
people, dedicated to their profession, ready to help and lend a hand!"
These were some of the words with which the Vice President Iliana Yotova opened
the 17th International Red Cross and Health Film Festival.
The Rector of MU-Varna Prof. Dr.
Krasimir Ivanov congratulated the teams of the University and the Bulgarian Red
Cross on the perfect
organization, "Respect to what you have done to take us out of the petty-mindedness
and malice that are
overwhelming us everyday. It is only culture and art that will give us a
breath of air and an opportunity to move forward! I thank to every one of you and wish
you success!"
The dancers from Star Dance Club and the 12-year-old Donko
Markov, who has won the grand prize at the first Pirin Folk Children's
Competition 2017, were among
the performances at the ceremony.
The audience will be able to see 202 films, including 32
Bulgarians films, selected from 1 900 movie bands, during the competition programme,
which will continue till 15th October. The President of the International Jury,
which will evaluate the films, is the Italian director Bepe Chino, and the members
are Armand Peqkaia from Turkey, Assoc. Prof. Emanuela Mutafova, the Dean of the
Faculty of Public Health at MU - Varna, the director Pavel Vasev and the actress
Yana Marinova.
Part of the programme also includes the Academy of
Documentary Cinema for Young Activists, who are trained how to reflect the most
significant moments in the activities of the humanitarian organization through
the means of modern cinematography. The head of the special section of the
Academy - Retro Atelier is the director of the Library and Archives Directorate
at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Grant
Mitchell.
The Festival continues till 15th October 2017.