| Mina Mileva | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mileva in 2020 | |
| Born | Mina Nikolova Mileva |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1999–present |
Mina Nikolova Mileva (Bulgarian: Мина Николова Милева) is a Bulgarian director and animator. She is best known for her cinematography in Cat in the Wall (2019) and Women Do Cry (2021) alongside directing partner Vesela Kazakova.
Life and career
Mileva studied animation at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia, and at La Cambre in Brussels. She has lived in London since 1997, working as a freelance animator. After relocating to the United Kingdom, Mileva entered the British animation industry, and worked as animation director, animator and line producer for films, commercials and TV series. In 2008, she set up the production company Activist 38 with Vesela Kazakova.
The pair's documentary Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service (2014) caused major controversy in Bulgaria, but it also achieved prestigious selections and awards. It premiered at Sarajevo Film Festival, and later made it to several other festivals such as Warsaw Film Festival and Cairo Film Festival. Writing for Variety, Jay Weissberg noted that the film made good use of the wealth of material, and praised the music. Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service was picked by the American Film Institute for their showcase "Best of European cinema 2014. Despite receiving a lot of controversy, the film was screened in Bulgarian cinemas for seven months and received numerous international awards.
In 2019, she directed Cat in the Wall alongside Kazakova. The film was presented in the official competition of the Locarno Film Festival and at South by Southwest in the United States. It received the FIPRESCI prize from the Warsaw Film Festival.
In 2021, she paired up with Kazakova again to direct Women Do Cry. This film was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival, and was also screened at South by Southwest and the Glasgow Film Festival. It was the winner of the Eurimages Audentia Award at the Trieste Film Festival in 2022.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | |||
| 2008 | Zaradi lelia Sneje | Yes | No | Documentary |
| 2014 | Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service | Yes | Yes | Documentary |
| 2016 | The Beast is Still Alive | Yes | Yes | Documentary |
| 2019 | Cat in the Wall | No | Yes | |
| 2021 | Women Do Cry | Yes | Yes | |
References
- Teoharova, Delyana (7 July 2021). "Весела Казакова и Мина Милева, които заслужиха своето място в Кан". Radio Free Europe (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ^ "Mina Mileva". Institute of Documentary Film. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- Weissberg, Jay (4 August 2014). "Film Review: 'Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service'". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- "Mina Mileva". Reykjavík International Film Festival. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- "Les invités: Vesela Kazakova". Un weekend à l'est (in French). 24 November 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- Sharf, Zack (10 June 2021). "Cannes Film Festival 2021 Lineup: Sean Baker, Wes Anderson, and More Compete for Palme d'Or". IndieWire. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- Yossman, K.J. (14 July 2021). "Maria Bakalova Stars in Cannes Contender 'Women Do Cry'". Variety. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- "Women Do Cry". Glasgow Film Festival. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- O'Donoghue, Denise (14 March 2022). "Maria Bakalova Makes Her SXSW Debut With Two Films". WWD. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- Camillo De Marco, "Radu Muntean's Întregalde wins in Trieste". Cineuropa, 26 January 2022.