On November 21, 2023, the premiere screening of the Bulgarian film "Mother" took place in the Canadian capital at the Ottawa Art Gallery.

The multi-awarded film, which has also been Bulgaria's proposal for the Academy awards, was chosen among the many Bulgarian films to represent our country during the EU Film Festival in Canada in 2023. In the current 38th edition of the Festival, which presented for the first time European cinema in Canada way back in 1984, 28 films are participating. Exceptionally and as a gesture to Ukraine, the Festival will end with a screening of the Ukrainian film "Luxembourg, Luxembourg".

Immediately before its screening, the film "Mother" was presented by Mr. Plamen Georgiev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria in Canada - with a brief introduction about the history of the production, its creators and the nature of the message to the viewer. The screening enjoyed expected interest, and deservedly received high reviews from the audience for the selected Bulgarian film.

After the screenings in Ottawa and Toronto, the Festival will continue with the presentation of the selected films to the Canadian public in Vancouver, British Columbia. The screening of "Mother" in Vancouver will be on November 26 at 8:20 pm local time.

On behalf of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ottawa and the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Toronto, we express our gratitude to Zornitsa Sophia who is the film maker and producer of "Mother" movie - for allowing the Canadian public to experience this high-quality example of modern European cinema.

We also extend our special thanks to the National Film Center in Sofia, and specifically to its executive director Mr. Petar Todorov - for the invaluable help in the selection of the Bulgarian movie for the current 38th edition of the European Film Festival in Canada, and for his assistance in providing the local Canadian audience with the opportunity to enjoy the newest examples of the contemporary Bulgarian cinema.