During this period Bulgaria alone, and in co-production with other countries, has produced 39 films. Four of these (Geroite na Shipka in co-production with the Soviet Union, Tochka parva, Zemya and Sterne in co-production with East Germany) got a Golden palm nomination at the Cannes Film Festival. Geroite na Shipka (1955), Pod Igoto (1952) and Trevoga (1951) went on to become one of the most viewed Bulgarian films. Geroite na Shipka was viewed some 5,8 mill times and ranks second in the all-time Bulgarian rang-list, Pod Igoto is 5th with 5 mill views and Trevoga - 10th with 3,8 mill. [1]
The most notable actors from the period were without doubt Ivan Dimov ("Kalin orelat", "Pod igoto", "Geratzite"), Konstantin Kisimov ("Kalin orelat", "Pod igoto", "Tochka parva", "Geroite na Shipka") and Apostol Karamitev ("Pod igoto", "Geroite na Shipka", "Lyubimetz 13").
| Title (Cyrilic) |
Title (Latin)/English |
Director |
Length |
Cast |
Notes |
| 1950 |
| Калин Орелът |
Kalin Orelat/Kalin the eagle |
Boris Borozanov |
89 min |
Ivan Dimov, Boris Ganchev, Mariya Yasnikova and Konstantin Kisimov |
Black and White drama |
| 1951 |
| Тревога |
Trevoga/Alarm |
Zahari Zhandov |
115 min |
Stefan Savov and Nadya Stanislavova |
Black and White drama about a Bulgarian family's tragedy during World War II |
| Утро над родината |
Utro nad Rodinata/Dawn Over the Homeland |
Kamen Kalchev |
82 min |
Lubomir Kabakchiyev, Apostol Karamitev, Georgi Georgiev-Getz and Rangel Vulchanov |
Black and White drama |
| 1952 |
| Данка |
Danka |
Krastyu Belev |
83 min |
Milka Tuykova, Ivanka Dimitrova and Miroslav Mindov |
Black and White Drama |
| Наша земя |
Nasha zemya/Our land |
Anton Marinovich and Stefan Surchadzhiev |
103 min |
Apostol Karamitev, Milka Tuykova, Georgi Georgiev-Getz, Iossif Surchadzhiev and Lubomir Kabakchiyev |
Black and White Drama |
| Под игото |
Pod igoto/Under the Yoke |
Dako Dakovski |
118 min |
Miroslav Mindov, Lili Popivanova, Petar Dimitrov (actor), Ivan Dimov and Konstantin Kisimov |
Black and White Drama based on Ivan Vazov's novel |
| 1954 |
| Граница |
Granitza/The border |
Nikola Minchev |
21 min |
Kunka Baeva, Ivan Bratanov and Georgi Georgiev-Gocheto |
Short film |
| Песен за човека |
Pesen za choveka/Song of Man |
Borislav Sharaliev |
111 min |
Dinko Dinev, Ivan Bratanov, Apostol Karamitev and Leo Conforti |
Black and White film based on the famous Nikola Vaptsarov poem |
| Септемврийци |
Septemvriytzi/Septembrists(The Heroes of September) |
Zahari Zhandov |
117 min |
Asparuh Temelkov and Boris Ganchev |
Black and White drama dedicated to the uprising, which broke out in Bulgaria in September 1923 |
| Снаха |
Snaha/Daughter-In-Law |
Anton Marinovich |
116 min |
Petar Dimitrov, Margarita Duparinova and Leo Conforti |
Black and White drama based on novel |
| 1955 |
| Героите на Шипка |
Geroite na Shipka/Shipka heroes |
Sergei Vasilyev |
137 min (123 min in the Soviet Union) |
Ivan Pereverzev, Viktor Avdyushko and Apostol Karamitev |
Black and White historical film about the Battle of Shipka Pass. Best director award and a Golden palm nomination at the Cannes Film Festival. |
| Неспокоен път |
Nespokoen pat/Troubled Road, a Man Decides |
Dako Dakovski |
116 min |
Ivan Bratanov, Tzvetana Nikolova, Georgi Georgiev-Getz and Petar Dimitrov |
Black and White drama based on a novel by Stoyan Daskalov |
| Празник |
Praznik/Feast |
Dimitar Petrov |
24 min |
Olga Kircheva, Mihail Dzhunov and Leo Conforti |
a short black and white comedy |
| 1956 |
| Две победи |
Dve pobedi/Two Victories |
Borislav Sharaliev |
92 min |
Nikola Popov, Assen Milanov, Nikolina Lekova and Rangel Vulchanov |
Black and White musical comedy |
| Димитровградци |
Dimitrovgradtsy/People of Dimitrovgrad |
Nikola Korabov and Ducho Mundrov |
109 min |
Georgi Kaloyanchev, Mariya Rusalieva and Ivan Dimov |
Black and White drama |
| Една българка |
Edna balgarka/A Bulgarian Woman |
Nikolay Borovishki |
22 min |
Penka Vasileva and Lyubomir Bobchevski |
short black and white film based on Ivan Vazov's novel |
| Екипажът на Надежда |
Ekipazhat na Nadezhda/The Crew from Nadezhda |
Kiril Ilinchev |
95 min |
Nikola Marinov and Veselin Marinov |
black and white drama |
| Следите остават |
Sledite ostavat/The Traces Remain |
Petar Vasilev |
100 min |
Stefan Danailov and Vera Dragostinova |
black and white adventure comedy based on Pavel Vezhinov's novel |
| Това се случи на улицата |
Tova se sluchi na ulitzata/It Happened in the Street |
Yanko Yankov |
87 min |
Apostol Karamitev, Petrana Lambrinova and Leo Conforti |
black and white comedy |
| Точка първа |
Tochka parva/Item One |
Boyan Danovski |
77 min |
Rumyana Chokoyska, Zheni Bozhinova and Konstantin Kisimov |
Drama - received a Golden palm nomination at the Cannes Film Festival. |
| 1957 |
| Години за любов |
Godini za lyubov/Years of Love |
Yanko Yankov |
77 min |
Stefan Dobrev, Antoniya Yaneva, Nevena Kokanova, Ivan Andonov and Georgi Kaloyanchev |
black and white comedy |
| Животът си тече тихо... |
Zhivotut si teche tiho.../Life Flows Slowly by... |
Hristo Ganev and Binka Zhelyazkova |
120 min |
Bogomil Simeonov, Georgi Georgiev-Getz, Emilia Radeva and Ivan Bratanov |
black and white drama |
| Земя |
Zemya/A Land(Earth) |
Zahari Zhandov |
102 min |
Bogomil Simeonov, Slavka Slavova and Ginka Stancheva |
black and white drama based on the novel of Elin Pelin; Golden palm nomination at the Cannes Film Festival |
| Лабакан |
Labakan |
Václav Krska |
75 min |
Eduard Cupák, Karel Fiala and Alexander Milkovski |
Czechoslovakia/Bulgaria co-production based on the fairytale of Wilhelm Hauff |
| Легенда за любовта |
Legenda za lyubovta/Legend of Love |
Václav Krska |
82 min |
Apostol Karamitev, Emilia Radeva and Frantisek Smolík |
Czechoslovakia/Bulgaria fantasy co-production based on Nazim Hikmet's play |
| Тайната вечеря на седмаците |
Taynata vecherya na sedmatzite/Secret Supper of the Sedmak's Family |
Dako Dakovski |
101 min |
Ivan Bratanov, Nikolay Doychev and Maria Shopova |
Black and White drama |
| Урокът на историята |
Urok istorii(in Russian)/A Lesson in History |
Lev Arnshtam, Hristo Piskov and Mikhail Romm |
91 min |
Stefan Savov, Tzvetana Arnaudova, Apolon Yachnitzkiy and Gennadi Yudin |
Soviet Union/Bulgaria co-production drama about World War II |
| 1958 |
| Гераците |
Geratzite/The Gerak Family |
Anton Marinovich |
96 min |
Georgi Stamatov, Ivan Dimov and Maria Shopova |
Black and White drama based on the novel by Elin Pelin |
| Големанов |
Golemanov |
Kiril Ilinchev |
84 min |
Nikola Popov, Andrey Chaprazov and Penka Ikonomova |
Black and White comedy based on the novel by Stefan Kostov |
| Законът на морето |
Zakonat na moreto/The Law of the Sea |
Yakim Yakimov |
96 min |
Georgi Georgiev-Getz, Bogomil Simeonov and Ani Damyanova |
Black and White drama |
| Любимец 13 |
Lyubimetz 13/Favourite #13 |
Vladimir Yanchev |
89 min |
Apostol Karamitev, Ginka Stancheva and Georgi Partsalev |
Black and White comedy about twin brothers (an excellent footballer and an undependable gambler) that switch places. One of the most beloved Bulgarian films ever. |
| На малкия остров |
Na malkiya ostrov/On a Small Island |
Rangel Vulchanov |
94 min |
Ivan Kondov, Konstantin Kotsev and Ivan Andonov |
Black and White drama |
| Ребро Адамово |
Rebro Adamovo/Adam's Rib |
Anton Marinovich |
n/a |
Emilia Radeva, Georgi Popov and Georgi Kaloyanchev |
Black and White drama |
| Сиромашка радост |
Siromashka radost/Poor Man's Joy |
Anton Marinovich |
84 min |
Ivan Dimov, Georgi Stamatov, Vyara Kovacheva, Kosta Tsonev, Ivan Bratanov and Vera Dragostinova |
Black and White drama based on a number of Elin Pelin stories |
| Хайдушка клетва |
Haydushka kletva/The Oath of the Haidouks |
Petar Vasilev |
98 min |
Apostol Karamitev, Ginka Stancheva, Konstantin Kisimov and Ivan Bratanov |
Black and White drama based on a novel by Orlin Vasilyev |
| 1959 |
| В навечерието |
(in Russian)/On the Eve |
Vladimir Petrov |
88 min |
Lubomir Kabakchiyev, Irina Milopolskaya and [[ Boris Livanov]] |
Black and White Soviet Union/Bulgaria co-production based on the novel by Ivan Turgenev |
| Командирът на отряда |
Komandirat na otryada/The Commander of the Detachment |
Ducho Mundrov |
108 min |
Kosta Tsonev, Ivan Dimov, Tzvetana Nikolova and Ivan Bratanov |
Black and White drama ] |
| Звезди |
Sterne(in German)/Stars |
Konrad Wolf |
Bulgaria:103 min/Germany:92 min |
Sasha Krusharska, Jürgen Frohriep, Georgi Naumov, Leo Conforti, Grigor Vachkov and Itzhak Finzi |
East Germany/Bulgaria co-production. Won Grand prize of the jury and got a Golden palm nomination at the Cannes Film Festival. |
| Малката |
Malkata/The Little Girl |
Nikola Korabov |
95 min |
Rumyana Kefirova, Margarita Ilieva, Ivan Dimov and Georgi Kaloyanchev |
Drama based on a novel by Lyuben Stanev |
