'Shifting Tides' - My Short Film Needs To Go To Festivals.
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Hi everyone,
I’m Yoan Petrov, and I’m thrilled to share that I recently wrote, directed, and produced my first short film, Shifting Tides. It’s been an incredible journey, filled with challenges and lessons, and I’m proud to say that my team and I have created something truly special.
Now, we want to take Shifting Tides to the next level. To give the film and everyone involved the recognition they deserve, we need to showcase it at film festivals. These festivals are key for reaching wider audiences, connecting with fellow filmmakers, and opening doors to exciting opportunities for future collaborations.
However, navigating the festival circuit comes with its challenges - mainly the costs. Submitting to festivals can range from £4 to £60 per application, and with over 12,000 festivals listed on platforms like FilmFreeway, selecting the right ones is crucial. After careful research, we’ve identified around 70 festivals, from local hubs perfect for networking to renowned platforms like Raindance and Berlinale, where our film could compete alongside industry giants.
The total cost of these submissions, including a few we’ve already made, comes to about £1,200. Your support can help us cover these fees and ensure Shifting Tides reaches as many audiences and opportunities as possible. Should we receive acceptance letters, additional costs might arise for participating in festivals, but that’s a challenge we’d be thrilled to face.
This campaign isn’t just about one film; it’s about giving the talented people who poured their hearts into this project a chance to have their work seen and appreciated. If you’re a friend, family member, fellow filmmaker, or simply someone moved by our story, your support - no matter how small - can make a huge difference.
Thank you for helping us bring Shifting Tides to audiences everywhere. Your kindness and encouragement mean everything.
Warm regards,
Yoan Petrov
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Some info about our film and the crew:
SYNOPSIS
We meet the resigned and cynical Mitio on what seems to be an ordinary day, burdened by the weight of his solitary routine. On this day, however, something unexpected occurs - Mitio crosses paths with his estranged nephew, Chris, for the first time in years.
Chris, determined to donate the fortune left behind by his late mother, sparks Mitio's ire. What follows is a series of confrontations, until a particularly heated moment when Chris lashes out, speaking hurtful words that leave Mitio deeply wounded.
However, fate soon intervenes, and in a crucial moment, Chris witnesses his uncle in a new light - realising that the man he had dismissed as bitter and "stuck up" is, in fact, someone who acts decisively when others are in need.
As Chris uncovers the true extent of Mitio's devotion in the past, he is compelled to reassess both his uncle's character and his own choices, ultimately reshaping his understanding of family and legacy.
DIRECTOR’s STATEMENT
October 2024
While working as a Director of Actor's Performance for an AI company, I had one colleague who was always forced to listen to me complaining about how I want to be creative. I talked his ear off with ideas about various stories I wanted to put to paper, and subsequently to screen, but how I am unsure about my skill as a writer, or how I don't know how to approach the production aspect of it. He always told me that I simply need to start. Start writing, the rest will fall into place.
And so when various events led me to leaving my job, I started writing. I played around with many ideas and concepts, but one day while out at sea, fishing with my father, listening to the rants of an aged fisherman from a boat nearby, I realised that I only needed to look around in order to find the characters I needed.
When I told Giorgos, my former colleague, that I have a script, he didn't ask to read it. He simply asked when we're shooting. Though in retrospect it doesn't seem like a huge undertaking, to me then it seemed impossible, but a group of fantastic people got together to help me. Like my producer Dessy, whom I simply asked for advice with equipment rental, but she decided to take over without questions and put me in touch with the actors she thought would suit the roles best on top of negotiating all kit prices. Or my closest friend who borrowed his parents van and spent his only holiday of the year driving equipment 700 miles and an entire week acting as a PA, DIT, stand in and production coordinator.
Most of these people, including Giorgos, who became the Director of Photography, worked long hours without payment because they believed in me and our project, and it makes me incredibly happy that we have now finished it. It was an incredible experience to bring these creatives and share with them a piece of me in the village where I grew up.
Shooting in the house where my grandmother was born and I spent my childhood is also a personal win, seeing as the house will be demolished in a few months, and this seems like a proper send off for it.
I am excited to share this work with as many people as possible, as it is my first attempt in filmmaking, and due to all of the people who supported me throughout the process, it came out to be something I am indeed proud of.
Yoan Petrov
THE CAST
Yuri Angelov was born in 1949 in the Bulgarian village Totleben in Northern Bulgaria. His mother was a teacher in the nearby town of Pleven, and she instilled in him a love for language and arts, which led him to pursue an acting career. Despite his humble upbringing he managed to get accepted in The National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, and then went on to perform on the most prestigious stage in Bulgaria in the National Theatre, sharing it with some of the most recognised actors in Bulgarian Theatre. After the fall of the socialist regime in Bulgaria, Yuri attempted to continue his work, but after being disappointed by the way the Ministry of Culture was running the National Theatre, he took a step back from acting to enjoy a life in the countryside. Since then he has had a number of notable appearances on screen, namely as the leading villain Rasputin of the internationally recognised TV Series “Seven Hours Difference”. He did end up leaving acting for good, until in the summer of 2023 he was approached with the script of Shifting Tides, claiming to have related so much with the main character, that he needed to help put the story to screen.
Yoan Popov was born in 1998 in the small Bulgarian town Gabrovo where he goes to high school, specialising in History. During a school play he is noticed by a prominent local actor, who invites Yoan to act in their troupe. This sets the start for Yoan’s acting career, which brings him to Sofia and the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts. Upon graduating he and a few fellow classmates set up their own acting association “COMMOTION”, with whom they develop and perform the play “Despite life, it’s all about love”. This wins them the most prestigious theatrical award Bulgaria has to offer - the Askeer. Throughout this time, Yoan has been following his other passion - music. He is a singer, guitarist and a drummer, and in the beginning of 2023 he released his debut album “Bliss”. Upon receiving the call for “Shifting Tides” he said: “Just last week I was telling my friends that I am eager to shoot again, and I could feel something good was about to happen.”
Hristo Borisov is the man playing “the refugee” in Shifting Tides. He is not an actor, but a dear friend, local to Sinemorets who was all too eager to assist when he was asked to. Since the shooting of “Shifting Tides”, Hristo has become a father.
Boyana Yordanova, the editor of “Shifting Tides”, provided her voice for the depiction of the role of Petia - the mother. Despite the hard work she put into editing the film, upon realising that the finale needed an additional element to drive the emotional impact home, Boyana did not hesitate to pull out a microphone and record under the guise of the director.
THE TEAM
WRITER, PRODUCER, DIRECTOR | Yoan Petrov
Yoan was born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1999, spending his childhood between the capital Sofia, and the small seaside village Sinemorets. In high-school he was already performing on stage in concerts and acting in musical productions. Fascinated by the on stage director, Yoan channelled his love of cinema and began using his classmates as actors for his own short films, which he would present as coursework. In 2015 Yoan decided to pursue filmmaking in earnest and moved to the UK school Hurtwood House, for their filmmaking curriculum outside of A-Levels. He graduated from the Hurtwood Film Academy with an “Outstanding Contribution” Award. As a part of his BA in Practical Filmmaking in MetFilm School, Yoan wrote projects that would go on to be screened in Pinewood Studios London and Raleigh Studios in Los Angeles. After several years working in AI, Yoan left his job in 2023 to chase a career in film, and is currently working on distributing “Shifting Tides” as well as writing a feature script together with a prominent Bulgarian Screenwriter.
PRODUCER | Dessy Tenekedjieva
Dessy Tenekedjieva is a Bulgarian actress, singer, and producer, and was the first Bulgarian actress to have a lead role in a Palm d’Or nominated film - “Il mestiere delle Armi”. She was Born in Varna, studied at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Art and has acted in over 30 films and numerous theatre productions. After her husband’s death in 1998, she founded the Stoyan Kambarev Art Foundation in his honour, which presents a number of annual awards to support young artists. Dessy and her foundation have created the most opportunities for emerging filmmakers in Bulgaria, having produced over 50 short films. She is currently working on distributing her latest project, The Wheels of Heaven, a feature film she produced and stars in alongside Mickey Rourke.
PRODUCER | Gary Stretch
Gary Stretch, born in Lancashire in 1965 is a former British boxing star and model, transitioned to a successful acting career after retiring from the ring with a record of 23-2-0. As a boxer, he won the British Light-Middleweight Championship and the WBC International Super Welterweight Championship. In 1991, he famously challenged Chris Eubank for the WBO World Middleweight title in a high-profile fight. Post-boxing, Gary pursued acting, gaining acclaim for his role as a psychotic gangster in Dead Man's Shoes (2004), which earned him a BIFA nomination. He also starred in Alexander alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins and Colin Farrell. Recently, Gary co-starred with Dessy Tenekedjieva in The Wheels of Heaven and now collaborates with her foundation to mentor young actors, sharing his experience and passion with the next generation of talent.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY | Giorgos Tsamis
George Tsamis was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1995. He studied Pharmacology in the University of Glasgow from 2013 until 2017. Upon graduating, he decided to pursue his true passion, filmmaking. He consequently moved to London to study Practical Filmmaking at Central Film School, where he graduated with First Class Honours. Since graduating in 2020, he has worked on multiple commercials and narrative projects as an electrician, a gaffer, and presently a cinematographer. He is currently pursuing a full-time career as a cinematographer, and has won the “Best Cinematography Award” in the “Feel the Reel” Film Festival for his work оn the short film “Don’t Choke”
EDITOR | Boyana Yordanova
Boyana Yordanova is an editor and filmmaker from Bulgaria. She has studied Film Studies in New Bulgarian University and has nearly 10 years of experience working in cinema - first on set and then - in post-production.She fell in love with editing by accident, when she had to step in for a documentary she was working on, after the intended editor fell through at the last minute.Ever since her work as an editor has been varied, having worked on movies – both fictional and documentary, advertisements, live event and music videos, and different formats of social media, for both local and international projects. Boyana is infatuated by all stages of film making and likes saying that when she grows up, she’s going to have her own film studio.
COMPOSER | Arn Andersson
Arn Andersson is a Norwegian composer and producer for Film, TV and motion picture advertising. He studied Orchestration for Film and TV at Berklee Online, and over the years he has dedicated his time to honing his craft in varying ways. He has a passion for learning and exploring new instruments, and he has worked with Grammy-winning artists on varying game soundtracks, feature films and Hollywood trailers. Over time his work has managed to acquire over 100 Million streams online, and he has now decided to pass his knowledge to other people and provides learning courses for aspiring music creatives.
PROMOTIONAL DESIGNER/DIT/PA/DRIVER | Dimitar Spasov
Dimitar Spasov (he/him) is an artist and practitioner in the medium of digital design. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1999, his upbringing in the vibrant capital and the tranquil seaside village of Sinemorets ignited his passion for visual arts through graffiti and street art. Dimitar later continued his studies in art and design at the University of Reading’s Typography and Graphic Communication Department and further with a Master's in Digital Direction at the Royal College of Art. His work merges creativity with technical expertise, focusing on user-centric solutions that challenge conventions. A key theme in Dimitar’s practice is the exploration of urban and suburban histories, aiming to make these narratives accessible to diverse audiences. His interest in identity and community led him to join the creative team of “Shifting Tides,” where he actively sought to reconnect with and celebrate the cultural richness of his Bulgarian heritage while utilising his expertise.
Shifting Tides Socials:
Contact:
Yoan Petrov | Writer, Director & Exec. Producer
+447 856 798 457 | +359 885 227 170
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Here is a file with the selected film festivals we will be applying for, with a breakdown of the prices.
Organizer
Yoan Petrov
Organizer
England