The Film Academy for Talents and actor Bashar Rahal are launching a strategic partnership focused on discovering new film talent, creating future productions and strengthening the connection between actors and the professional film industry.
The partnership brings together several areas: national casting initiatives, the Film Academy Film Awards, special professional meetings and work on future film productions.
It comes as the Film Academy for Talents expands its ambitions. Over the past four years, the organisation has completed nine film productions, a national record, including "One Gram of Life", the most-watched Bulgarian film of 2025 and of 2026 so far.
The 2026/2027 season sets a new goal: preparing 14 new film productions within the next year. This signals a large-scale production programme designed to open up more opportunities for new acting faces, directors and creative teams.
The strategic partnership with Bashar Rahal has a clear place in this direction. His professional experience and standing will be part of selected initiatives, special events and communication formats at the Film Academy for Talents.
A free national casting is coming
The new season’s first major step is a free national casting campaign, taking place between September and November 2026 in cities across the country.
The casting will seek new film talents with character, screen presence and the potential to work in a professional environment. Approved candidates may be considered for future Academy productions according to each project’s needs.
The casting is a gateway to opportunity. It does not promise every candidate a role; it offers a chance for their talent to be seen and assessed in a real professional context.
Bashar Rahal’s participation will take place in special, pre-planned formats after the selection stage. Approved candidates may receive invitations to meetings and initiatives with him as part of the Academy’s development.
Film Academy Film Awards
One of the partnership’s main initiatives is the Film Academy Film Awards, a platform for discovering, recognising and promoting new faces in Bulgarian cinema.
The awards will bring together actors, directors, producers and representatives of the film community. The idea is to create an environment where strong screen presence is recognised and connected with the people and projects creating the next Bulgarian films.
Bashar Rahal will take part in selected events and formats related to the initiative, within the partnership’s agreed programme.
From discovering talent to film production
For the Film Academy for Talents, casting is the first step towards a larger goal: giving talents the opportunity to be part of real film projects.
Future productions will develop according to their specific screenplay, creative team, financing and production plan. The strategic partnership with Bashar Rahal creates an additional opportunity to exchange professional experience, develop new formats and build industry connections.
Preparing for digital cinema
Contemporary cinema is changing quickly. Virtual Production, LED studios, CGI characters, visual effects and digital filming environments are already part of work on many international productions.
The Film Academy for Talents is developing its Digital Performance framework: digital screen acting geared towards the real requirements of the modern screen environment.
The focus includes close-up work, emotional precision, consistency between takes, adapting to high-resolution cameras, interacting with digital elements and finding one’s bearings in a virtual filming environment.
Technology builds the film’s world. The actor brings it to life.
A year with a clear direction – overview
The ambition is clear: more discovered talents, more opportunities to work and more Bulgarian films with the potential to reach a broad audience.
Great cinema begins with discovering great talent.
"Talent brings cinema to life."