Mina Mileva graduated animated film directing in “LA CAMBRE”, Brussels and “NATFA”, Sofia’s Film Academy. After directing several internationally recognised animated shorts Mina Mileva settled for commercial work in the British animation industry for more than a decade. Her work includes “Christmas Carol the movie”, “Bob the Builder”, Disney’s “Tiger Movie” and “Jungle Book”, BBC and Channel 4 BAFTA nominated children’s series.
AS A DIRECTOR:
• 2016 - "The Beast is still alive" - feature documentary, produced by Activist38
• 2014 - “Uncle Tony, Three Fools, and the Secret Service” – feature documentary, produced by Activist38
• 2008 - “Telling Tales" – animated series for BBC 2
• 2007 - “Rewind” – animated sequence in the music video for the group “Goldspot”
• 2004 - “Aesop Now and Then” pilot for TV series with Poseidon Films, London
• 2001 - ‘The Dream of Scrooge’ (sequence 28) in “Christmas Carol: The Movie”, Miramax and UK Film Council funded feature film. Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami and featuring the voices of Simon Callow, Nicholas Cage and Kate Winslet.
• 1998 – “Un verre ou deux” – La Cambre graduation film
• 1996 - “Monday Again” – animated film funded by the National Film Centre, Bulgaria
• 1994 – “Animation season” – short animation
• 1992 - “Contrasts” – one of the first privately produced animated films in Bulgaria after the democratic changes by “Slaval”
Vesela Kazakova graduated both acting and producing in Bulgaria. Her main roles in the cinema brought her prestigious prizes for best female actress in Bulgaria and abroad - Silver George Award in Moscow Film festival in 2005, and Berlinale Shooting Stars Award in 2006 amongst them.
AS A DIRECTOR:
• 2016 - "The Beast is still alive" - feature documentary, produced by Activist38
• 2014 - “Uncle Tony, Three Fools, and the Secret Service” – feature documentary, produced by Activist38
• 2008 - "Because of Her" - documentary, directed by Vesela and Bilyana Kazakova www.becauseofher.com
C R E A T I V E C R E W
Cast: Vesela Kazakova, Rousy Chanev
Written and directed by: Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova
Editing: Donka Ivanova
Animation and compositing: Mina Mileva
Music by: Emilian Gatsov
Camera: Allie Crawford, Plamen Gelinov, Dimitar Kostov, Svetlin Marinov
Sound editing and mix: Georgi Marinov
Voice over recording: Ivaylo Stefanov
Colour correctios: Donka Ivanova, Kalin Petrov
Produced by: Activist38, Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova
A B O U T T H E A U T H O R S
In 2008 Mina and Vesela set up “Activist 38”, and as result of their first documentary “Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service” they found themselves in the middle of a crazy national controversy. After their second documentary a member of the Bulgarian Parliament called them “The Demonic Duo”.
Both films enjoyed good international reception and awards but regretfully provoked deterioration in film regulations in Bulgaria. The first film “Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service" changed the archival copyrights regulations and nearly send “the duo” to jail for revealing totalitarian mechanisms in the film industry. The authors were subjected to harsh and lengthy institutional and personal attacks from the film guild in Bulgaria and colleagues who vouched never to grant activist38 state subsidy again. EDN - European Documentary Network, EAVE and Cineuropa published support articles, which the Bulgarian Cinema Council demanded to be removed. VARIETY review by Jay Weissberg clarified the controversy. The film received eleven international awards together with prestigious selections, it entered AFI’s showcase "Best of European cinema 2014".
Enter Text
“The Beast is still alive” uses broad array of tools in establishing links between the Communist ideology and the current state of desolation in Bulgaria. It names former Communist agents still active in the country’s present politics. The film provoked a strong reaction from influential political figures and was immediately removed from TV broadcast, allegedly closing down the documentary strand of the National Television. The film has official selections at IDFA, Sarajevo IFF, Goteborg, Warsaw IFF, Zagreb Dox and others. It was awarded Best Documentary at Aegean Docs, Best Director and Best Animation at European Independent Film Awards, Best Documentary at Calcutta Cult Film Festival, Best Documentary at European Cinematography Awards, Best Documentary at Mexico IFF.
Recently the tandem is making their first fiction film “Cat in the wall”, which deals with East European migrants in London. The project is MEDIA supported and recipient of ARTE International Relations Cinelink Award in Sarajevo International Film Festival, and Coco Post-Pitch award in Cottbus International Film Festival.
CAT IN THE WALL is part of the Cinelink WiP 2018.
