A New World

A working-class man has to choose between staying in the room where he lived all his life or defying the mysterious figure that holds him captive.

  • Slav Velkov
    Writer and Director
    Easy, M, The Thief
  • Slav Velkov
    Producer
  • Borislav Chouchkov
    Producer
    Tilt, 18% Grey, A Picture With Yuki
  • Petko Venelinov
    Key Cast
    "Man"
    Dear Heirs, Diagnosis, Seen
  • Boyan Mladenov
    Key Cast
    "Figure"
  • Anna-Elena Zhekova
    Key Cast
    "Woman"
  • Alberto Dimitrov
    Director of Photography
    The Last Two Days, The Voice of the Voiceless
  • Mina Kaye
    Production and Costume Designer
    Mission London, Heights, Undercover
  • Krasimira Petrova
    Makeup Artist and Hairstylist
    Wildings, Broken Road, Bad Girl
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Satire, horror, comedy
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 14 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 12, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Bulgaria
  • Country of Filming:
    Bulgaria
  • Language:
    No Dialogue
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Fordham University
Director Biography

Slav Velkov is a Bulgarian filmmaker born on March 6, 2000. In 2014, his first short script won the award for Best Screenplay at the Nevena Kokanova Film Festival. In 2016, he directed, wrote, and produced his first narrative short film, "M," which starred the famous Bulgarian actress Koina Rousseva. In 2018, Slav co-founded a charity t-shirt brand to improve living conditions for animals in Sofia's Zoo. In 2020, he directed the short documentary "Change Bulgaria," which had more than a million views on Facebook. As part of his films' marketing campaigns, Slav has appeared on Bulgarian National Television, Bulgaria on Air TV, and other prominent TV stations, where he advocated for a just and impartial government. Slav has also collaborated with the Ministry of Environment and Waters to create a marketing campaign that encouraged people to use sustainable transportation in Bulgaria's capital city. He is passionate about philosophy and believes in art that promotes critical and constructive action. Currently, Slav studies Film and Television at Fordham University at Lincoln Center and is the recipient of the Fordham Faber Scholarship Award.

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Director Statement

Last year in Bulgaria, hundreds of thousands of people protested for justice and the rule of law. Years of governmental corruption had devastated the economy and forced people to migrate or comply with an unfair system. I asked myself, what is the root of these issues? What drove politicians to corruption? To me, the answer is desire. In A New World, I present the story of a person enslaved by his desires. Rather than blame the system that controls him, I wanted to show that his willingness to abide and inability to resist desire keep the system alive. In the end, I do not say what a desireless world looks like. Instead, I show a visual metaphor: a coin in a pool of blood next to a human brain. The metaphor has various meanings, but its primary goal is to spark a conversation on what drives human behavior and how our habits make or break the status quo.