Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service
Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service is a feature documentary debut for Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova, made without state funding for production and dedicated to Mina’s animation teacher and outstanding animator Antony Trayanov/Uncle Tony.
The film became a mirror for a post-communist society that hasn’t dealt with the role of the totalitarian Secret Service in recent history – a role that commands daily life till nowadays and creates a complex political problem. Bulgaria hasn’t had a proper lustration process and the dossiers are still closed allowing many former agents and informers to take high political positions.
The authors of the film, subjected to threats and intimidation, were also attacked within their own Film Guild. Official letters were exchanged by the main institutions with the aim to prevent distribution. The Ministry of Culture, FILMAUTOR, CEM (the Council for Electronic Media), the Bulgarian National Television, the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers and the tax authorities each responded with their own position and contacted the production company Activist 38 for relevant inspections. The copyright society FILMAUTOR illegitimately revoked the contract with Activist 38 and as result the Bulgarian National Television refused to air the film.
This campaign was triggered also by the fact that the film was seen as defaming several prominent directors from the past amongst whom the legendary Donio Donev. Donev, a brilliant animation director, whom Uncle Tony worked alongside with, is perhaps the best known name of Bulgarian cinema. He was also an informer for the Secret Service.
The controversy caused by the film was covered by the main media of the country and some international editions too. The European organisations EDN (European Documentary Network), EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs) and Cineuropa published support articles. An intellectual group at home created a Facebook page in support of the film entitled: Please sign in support of freedom of speech, expression and thinking in Bulgaria.
Despite attempts to discontinue screening the film, it was shown in the cinemas in Sofia for several months, which marks an unprecedented longevity for a homegrown documentary film.
Creative crew
Directed by: Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova; Photography: Plamen Gelinov, Vasilena Goranova; Editing: Donka Ivanova; Music: Emilian Gatsov; Sound: Alexander Simeonov; Animation: Antony Trayanov, Mina Mileva
Awards:
Best Director – 6th Berlin Independent Film Festival
http://www.berlinfest.com/?page_id=1501
Royal Reel Award – 9th Canada International Film Festival
https://www.canadafilmfestival.com/2015
Bronze Palm Award – 9th Mexico International Film Festival;
https://www.canadafilmfestival.com/2015
Women D/P Finalist Documentary – 2nd Florida Movie Festival;
http://www.floridamoviefestival.com/festival-program/
Award of Merit: Documentary Feature – Accolade Global Film Competition;
1st place in “Art” category – 8th International Heritage Film Festival “Idols”
http://bulgarianfilms.com/nagradeni_Sofia_2015_eng.doc
Honorable Mention – 4th TrindieFest Film Festival;
http://trindiefest.net/
Best Feature Documentary – 8th Bushwick Film Festival;
http://bushwickfilmfestival.com/videos/winning-films/
Best Documentary – 2nd Phoenix Film Festival Melbourne;
http://xww.com.au/phoenix-film-festival-melbourne-2016/winners-phoenix-film-festival-melbourne-2016
Country Best Award – 1st International Open Film Festival in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
http://ioffestival.blogspot.bg/2016/06/selection.html
Best Feature Documentary – Arquivo em Cartaz, Rio de Janeiro 2016
http://www.arquivoemcartaz.com.br/noticia/arquivo-em-cartaz-anuncia-vencedores-do-trofeu-batoque-em-11-categorias
3 nominations for Best Film, Best Director and Best Sound at the Bulgarian Film Academy Awards 2014.
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