OKO Festival to Screen 90 Ethnographic Films
The 6th OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival will take place in autumn 2025 across Bulgaria and Ukraine, presenting 90 films from 52 countries in seven main sections, Festival Executive Director Serhii Zeinalov told BTA on Tuesday, CE Report quotes BTA
Spanning five continents and 24 languages, the lineup includes Oscar and BAFTA winners, as well as films featured at top festivals like Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, Sundance, and Toronto. Selections from Bulgarian festivals such as Sofia Film Fest and Golden Rose will also be screened.
The festival opens with Dead Flower by OKO Director-General Tetiana Staneva, a world premiere exploring the transformation of Ukrainian Bessarabian traditions during wartime. It will close with Pamfir by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, blending drama and folk rituals.
OKO’s Bulgarian edition runs October 3–11 in Sofia, while the Ukrainian edition takes place September 5–10 in Kyiv and September 12–14 in Bolhrad. The full programme is available on Letterboxd.
An international jury of film professionals, anthropologists, and cultural figures will judge four competition sections: Global Fiction, Global Non-Fiction, Nashe OKO (Ukrainian documentaries), and OKO Short. Grand Prix and special ethnographic prizes will be awarded in each.
Additional awards include a Best Bulgarian Film prize from Bolhrad City Council and honors for innovation, artistic excellence, and creative ethnographic storytelling.
Alongside screenings, the festival will feature exhibitions and public panel discussions. The event is supported by the EU's House of Europe programme, national film institutions, cultural organizations, and local governments.
Founded in 2023, OKO is a joint Ukrainian-Bulgarian project focusing on ethnography, folklore, anthropology, and cultural heritage.
