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AUGUST 13th

AUGUST 13th is a film inspired by actual events from the near past. The story follows the encounters of Victor and Tanya at the end of their junior year. The two of them grow closer and closer during the summer vacation, despite the danger surrounding them. On the night of August 13th they come across the bullies of the hood and their gang leader Galin, who seems to have come up with a cruel plan.

  • Ventsislav Sariev
    Director
  • Ventsislav Sariev
    Writer
  • Siyana Dimitrova Nedyalkova
    Producer
  • Ventsislav Sariev
    Producer
  • Aleksandar Stoyanov Aleksiev
    Producer
  • Nickolay Zdravkov Stoichkov
    Producer
  • Aleksandar Tonev
    Key Cast
    "Victor"
  • Boryana Simeonova
    Key Cast
    "Tanya"
  • Zachary Baharov
    Key Cast
    "Tanya's Father"
    Zift (2008), The Monuments Men (2014), Game of Thrones
  • Bogdan Buhalov
    Key Cast
    "Andrey 'Gamena' "
  • Slavyan Bozhinov
    Key Cast
    "Galin"
  • Aleksandar Benev
    Key Cast
    "Kaloyan"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Fiction, Drama, Short movie, Thriller
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    16,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Bulgaria
  • Country of Filming:
    Bulgaria
  • Language:
    Bulgarian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:39
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 45th Drama International Short Film Festival 2022
    Drama
    Greece
    September 8, 2022
    World Premiere
    The European Values Award
Director Biography - Ventsislav Sariev

Ventsislav wore a stage costume for the first time as the White Rabbit at a kindergarden’s play, based on “Alice in Wonderland”. Throughout the years he has been part of various theatre troups and literature clubs. He won some short story awards at the time. He first graduated Tourism Management and then Acting and Directing in NATFA. Now he is a part of theatre plays, performed in Sofia. He has ongoing experience filming Bulgarian and foreign productions. "August 13th" is his debut both as screenwriter and director in film.

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Director Statement

The film is based on a true story. Unfortunately, and without doubt, there are many others like it. Kids all over the world are raised in toxic environments characterised by alcoholism, extreme poverty and addictions. These human beings are trying to grow up while the most important unit in human life – the loving family – is in a state of breakdown and moral decay. Domestic violence statistics in Bulgaria uncover frightening truths. As a consequence of this brutality, psychological traumatic experiences have long-lasting (and oftentimes fatal) results. Nevertheless, the topic is still overlooked and deliberately disregarded.

Violence has always existed and will continue doing so unless we try to understand it. Only then can we cure its prime source. My firm belief is that the more personal stories revealing violence we tell (like the one in the film), the better chance we stand to be courageous in the face of pain and adversity. We learn from the experience of others, and many people who become bullies have also been bullied themselves. Only when this vicious cycle is understood by the majority of people, can we develop defence mechanisms. This way the story of Victor and Tanya will stop being a frightening statistic.

The line between a witness and a savior is thin. We want to form partnerships with hotlines and domestic violence support organizations as one of the many ways to help prevent thousands of cases of children and young adults still suffering in the dark.

AUGUST 13th is a story about violence and has every player involved in the hierarchy of The Vicious Violence Cycle: the oppressor, the victim and the witness. The film takes a close look at the consequences of cruelty.

One of the main aims of AUGUST 13th is for it to be shown not only in high schools, but also to be part of nationwide projections and forums. Additionally, our goal is to attract professionals during these meetings – children’ psychologists who would initiate open discussions on the topics of brutality towards people in the same age group as our characters.