Bringing Emotional Revolution: Teodora Markova and Martichka Bozhilova on Bold Storytelling in CEE
In a region where funding is scarce and creative risk is often discouraged, Teodora Markova and Martichka Bozhilova have set up on a path of telling provocative and genuine stories. Markova, one of Bulgaria’s most prolific screenwriters, and Bozhilova, an internationally acclaimed producer known for both fiction and documentary work, first joined forces on Father’s Day—a six-part drama that broke new ground for Bulgarian television in tone, subject matter, and format. What began as a shared desire to tell bolder, more emotionally resonant stories quickly evolved into a creative partnership rooted in mutual trust and a hunger to challenge the status quo.
Now, with their latest project Gold War — a Cold War-era coming-of-age drama inspired by Bulgaria’s iconic rhythmic gymnasts of the 1980s — they are once again proving that stories from Central and Eastern Europe can be both deeply local and powerfully global.
In this interview with Yako Molhov for TVBIZZ Magazine, Bozhilova and Markova reflect on their collaboration, the challenges of international co-production, and how real-life events continue to shape the narratives they bring to screen.
Now, with their latest project Gold War — a Cold War-era coming-of-age drama inspired by Bulgaria’s iconic rhythmic gymnasts of the 1980s — they are once again proving that stories from Central and Eastern Europe can be both deeply local and powerfully global.
In this interview with Yako Molhov for TVBIZZ Magazine, Bozhilova and Markova reflect on their collaboration, the challenges of international co-production, and how real-life events continue to shape the narratives they bring to screen.
Soviet Jeans
Teodora, Martichka, you both come from distinguished backgrounds in screenwriting and producing. What drew you together creatively, and how did your collaboration first begin?
Teodora: It started with the six-episode drama Father’s Day for the Bulgarian National Television. At that time, I had already worked as head writer on four TV series, but I wouldn’t say any of them had a particularly bold author’s voice. Even though some were quite successful and sold internationally, I felt they were somewhat trapped in a conventional mainstream style, required by the broadcasters. Together with my co-writers Nevena Kertova and Georgi Ivanov, we decided it was time to create something with greater artistic ambition – something that wasn’t just entertainment but also explored deeper personal and social issues. The script for Father’s Day was born after months of research on traumatic family separations, where the child is used as a weapon in the conflict between parents, leaving lasting emotional scars.
None of the existing TV producers seemed like the right fit for such a serious, cinematic project. That’s when we thought of AGITPROP and Martichka - we felt they might recognize this story as something that aligned with their profile.
The series came at a time when BNT still had a different outlook on filmmaking and more ambitious goals. It’s a pity that after Emil Koshloukov became General Director of the television, the deal for international sales was canceled. Despite its promising festival selections, the project never left Bulgaria.
Martichka: Father’s Day became the first high-end limited series in Bulgaria, introducing for the first time a 6-series format on Bulgarian National Television. I had already oriented myself towards the series industry and since my profile is international production, I started to explore international content markets and look for options for co-productions, since the money for series in Bulgaria is very little and it is practically impossible to produce an original quality series. Thus, Father’s Day became the first Bulgarian series supported by the then new support for the development of series from the Creative Europe Media Program in Brussels. This first collaboration of ours was proclaimed the best Bulgarian series for 2019 and provoked many reactions from the audience, who associated themselves with the protagonists of the series and constantly took sides and reacted. I remember that Teodora and I really liked the amazing miniseries that went on HBO at the time, like Olive Kitteridge and The Night Off, from which we were very inspired and wanted to do something with such emotional charge and quality.
Let’s talk about your latest project, Gold War. What can you tell us about its premise, and how does it reflect the kind of stories you want to tell together?
Teodora: It’s inspired by the Bulgarian Golden Girls of rhythmic gymnastics in the 1980s, who were undisputed World and European champions for nearly a decade. At the time, sports had become a new battlefield in the Cold War, and some disciplines, including rhythmic gymnastics, were developed specifically to show the “superiority” of the USSR over the West. Based on true events but with fictional characters, the series follows the lives and struggles of three young gymnasts and their coach. It portrays the inhumanity behind the facade of medals and fame. At its heart, Gold War is a personal coming-of-age story set against a politically turbulent backdrop, which is disturbingly reminiscent of today’s world. As authors, we feel a responsibility to remind viewers of how oppressive systems shape not just politics, but also personal relationships.
Martichka: Gold War is a project that we have dedicated a lot of time and attention to together with Teodora and we literally grew up with it. From the very beginning, when Teodora, together with screenwriters Nevena Kertova and Georgi Ivanov (with whom they also co-wrote Father’s Day), the project was noticed on the international market and over the several years of development and financing it became the most invited and awarded project from Eastern Europe. I guess what makes it stand out is that it is inspired by real historical events in the ‘80s between the two iconic Olympics that became a battlefield of the Cold War - Moscow’80 and Los Angeles’84. This is a sports drama that tells the story of the young golden girls of rhythmic gymnastics and their coach and how they go to extremes to achieve their dream of Olympic gold. But the ones at the top of politics have decided otherwise...
You presented the project at this year’s Media Play in Sofia. Have you secured financing, are there broadcasters and a distributor already attached?
Martichka: Gold War already has funding from the Bulgarian National Film Center, Nova TV, Lithuanian and Estonian TV. We have serious interest from Beta Group, who were already behind my previous series, which I co-produced, Operation Sabre, and Soviet Jeans, which Teodora wrote and showruns. We are currently expecting to fill the gap in the budget through international co-production, cash rebate and European gap financing.
Martichka, you’ve been internationally recognized for your documentary work. What inspired the move toward fiction, and how does your documentary background influence your narrative decisions in scripted projects like RTS’ period drama Operation Sabre about the assassination of Zoran Đinđić for which you provided crucial support in securing the financing?
Martichka: Both Operation Sabre and Gold War, but also Father’s Day, are seriously based of documentary research and inspired by real events. AGITPROP is famous for its high-quality work on topics from the recent past, explored through innovative, profound and emotionally charged narrative. This is our trademark and know-how which we project to our work on the series.
Teodora, as one of the creators of the Bulgarian hit series Undercover, how has your experience in long-form storytelling informed your newer international co-productions?
Teodora: Undercover was an early chapter in my career, and looking back now, it feels quite distant from where I am today. I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to create and lead the writers’ room on so many Bulgarian series. None of it would have been possible without the writers I worked with: Nevena Kertova, Georgi Ivanov, Tsonko Bumbalov, Teo Chepilov and Ivan Landzhev - talented people who were always searching for new and contemporary ways of storytelling.
We often participated in international workshops and tailored programs to understand how long-form storytelling works globally and then tried to develop our own authentic model of writing. Over the years, I’ve shaped my own approach to building characters and structuring stories, but I think it’s very important to keep experimenting and break your own rules.
Both Gold War and Operation Sabre explore are based on real events. Do you see a common thread in the kinds of stories you’re drawn to tell?
Martichka: This is one of the trends on the market - to create IP based on real events. This brings immediately a big group of viewers that have memories and hopes related to the time capsules and the world of the story described in the series. The release of Operation Sabre coincided with the beginning of the big protests in Serbia, and it gave sense of freedom and hope for the people to fight for their lost human rights. Often based on true stories content is very emotional and nostalgic to generations of people and if it is made with talent and freshness, it can attract younger audiences like it happened with Operation Sabre.
Teodora: I am fascinated by Operation Sabre. I had the opportunity to meet the creators Goran Stankovic and Vladimir Tagic at several events and to discuss with them our understanding of storytelling. I hope that someday we could cooperate, as I believe that the future of high-quality series from the region lies in co-productions and connecting talents from different countries.
Both of you have worked with producers and creative partners from other countries from CEE. Are there any territories you are particularly interested in collaborating with?
Martichka: It happened that most of the recent collaborations of AGITPROP are with countries from Balkan and Baltic regions. There is a particular effort on behalf of these territories to expand and bring added value to our local content and bring it to the rest of the world through our common effort and great talents involved.
Teodora: I am an adventurer at heart, always open to discovering new galaxies. I believe that it is not about a particular country – it’s about finding a person you could feel safe with. It takes boldness to open straight up your deeper reservoirs, as the most valuable ideas come from the unconscious.
Co-productions are sometimes key to getting ambitious projects off the ground in CEE. What has your experience been like with international co-production models, and what lessons have you learned along the way?
Martichka: Co-production is key for smaller territories like Bulgaria, in which broadcasters have too limited budgets. Most TV series aired on the territory of the Balkans are soap operas and sitcoms, which can be produced on the basis of full commission. Bulgaria is one of the countries, in which Bulgarian National Film Center minoritarian support was opened also for series. In addition, European financing from Eurimages and Creative Europe Media is possible only in the presence of European co-production and at least two TVs supporting the series. This makes it possible for series from our part of Europe to be produced with the relevant budget and to be competitive on the international market. Now besides Gold War, I co-produce two international series with great potential for international distribution, which received support from Bulgaria - A Girl from Tallinn (Estonia, Bulgaria, Ukraine) with ETV, Go3, BNFC, Creative Europe Media, as well as The Last Divorce of Communism (co-written also by Teodora Markova) - Latvia-Bulgaria, with LTV and BNFC. Currently they are in pre-production phase.
What are some of the major hurdles you encounter when developing and financing projects in Central and Eastern Europe?
Martichka: We have to all the time break the taboos and stigmatized perceptions regarding our territories. It comes most of the time because of lack of knowledge or out of pure ignorance. Within the last years this has changed considerably because of our constant presence on the international market offering high-quality relevant stories that can enrich the international TV landscape with great and unique storytelling.
Teodora: Our budgets are still very low compared to other countries in the region, and it is extremely difficult to create something meaningful within such financial constraints.
I hope that Bulgarian private TV channels will begin to see the value in this kind of cooperation and shift their focus. I also hope that, in the future, there will be a new management team at BNT – one that embraces the European approach and spirit: larger budgets, more transparent procedures, and support for high-quality projects with international potential. The most positive development in recent years is the funding scheme for series from our National Film Center, which - despite the low grant amounts – opens doors for international collaborations.
You’ve both participated in major development labs and pitch forums. What current pitch projects are you most excited about, and what kind of international response are you seeing?
Martichka: The market has opened for projects from CEE and we had the chance to pitch at the most important pitching events in Europe. The awards and selections of Gold War include European Producer’s Club & Netflix Award for Best Female Producer - Venice Film Festival; Paramount Plus MIA Market Best Project Development Award; HypeWriter Development Award for scriptwriting - Budapest; etc. At the MIA Market pitching a jury member even declared the series the best IP of the season.
Teodora: I am usually excited about all my projects. If I lose passion for any of them, it means something is wrong and I should probably reconsider continuing with it.
I’m currently working on our new TV series with Stanislavs Tokalovs, The Last Divorce of Communism (Tasse Film), for Latvian Television, which will be an international co-production. On the Bulgarian side, we are once again partnering with Martichka and AGITPROP, and we’re happy to announce that we’ve just received funding from the Bulgarian National Film Center, so the post-production will most likely take place in Sofia.
We also hope to begin production on Soviet Jeans 2 next year.
Another upcoming project is The Judgement of Solomon, written by me and Nevena Kertova, with producer Katya Trichkova and director Konstantin Bojanov. It’s the only Bulgarian project so far to have been selected for the Series Mania Co-Pro Pitch in 2024. This year, we received funding from the Bulgarian National Film Center, and we are now beginning our search for international partners.
There’s been increasing interest in stories from the CEE region. What trends are you observing in the regional content landscape—both in fiction and non-fiction?
Martichka: I am observing a great presence of stories provoked by the major contemporary issues that have a particular local perspective and are tackled with a lot of talent and innovation by our writers and directors. The locality is our main asset, and this makes us appealing to the international market. One of the trends are the character-driven stories that bring uniqueness with their big emotional drive and pay off for the viewers in the end.
Teodora: As an author, I don’t believe in trends. If there are trends, I think the best thing you can do is run as far away from them as possible and search for your own inner need and unique perspective.
Major streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Max, SkyShowtime, etc. are increasingly talking about their “CEE strategy” but in reality, they shoot original fiction projects only for Poland. Do you think this might change anytime soon and do you think local and regional streaming platforms like Voyo, Go3, etc. are more likely to fund projects from local CEE authors outside of Poland?
Martichka: We are here now and there is no point to wait for the big players to change their strategies. This will most probably happen sooner or later. In the meantime, we have so many good stories to tell and so many talented and skilled people to bring. What makes more sense is to unite our efforts regionally, as we are doing it already, and to convince our broadcasters and local platforms to allocate funding for more original programming.
Teodora: I don’t see why not. The mantra that we are small markets is no longer valid, especially after the international success of project like Soviet Jeans and Operation Sabre. They proved that a local story could be significant and compelling for global audiences, if told with originality, boldness and honesty.
Securing funding remains a challenge for many regional creators. How are you approaching financing today—are European funds or private partnerships playing a bigger role?
Martichka: European funding is demanding and bureaucratic, yet it is one of the few options through which producers from low-capacity countries and underrepresented TV industries can co-finance their budgets properly. It plays crucial role in today’s financial planning of our TV series along with the national funding schemes that are already available in some of the countries like Bulgaria and Czech Republic, for example.
Teodora: In my experience state and European funds are invaluable for this market, also because we are witnessing a global decline in the industry and I think that private investors will are increasingly cautious which makes public funding even more crucial.
Looking ahead, what kinds of stories are you most passionate about telling next, and how do you hope to influence the regional or global narrative space through your work?
Martichka: For sure the stories I want to tell aim at bringing emotional revolution to the viewers. What is important to me is the stories to provoke, to make you think or react within your personal life or the community. So far, the results have been really rewarding, which makes me believe in the huge impact that serials storytelling can bring to audiences for a really short time.
Teodora: If a story is not just a product designed to fit the market but comes from an inner space – from the authentic fears and desires of the author—it becomes unexpected and genuine. That’s what I’m passionate about. It’s not restricted to a specific theme or genre… those layers come later.
I’ve never really thought in terms of influencing the industry. But if viewers can gain a new perspective on something that’s usually treated as a stigma or prejudice through my work, then that’s already deeply fulfilling.
Teodora: It started with the six-episode drama Father’s Day for the Bulgarian National Television. At that time, I had already worked as head writer on four TV series, but I wouldn’t say any of them had a particularly bold author’s voice. Even though some were quite successful and sold internationally, I felt they were somewhat trapped in a conventional mainstream style, required by the broadcasters. Together with my co-writers Nevena Kertova and Georgi Ivanov, we decided it was time to create something with greater artistic ambition – something that wasn’t just entertainment but also explored deeper personal and social issues. The script for Father’s Day was born after months of research on traumatic family separations, where the child is used as a weapon in the conflict between parents, leaving lasting emotional scars.
None of the existing TV producers seemed like the right fit for such a serious, cinematic project. That’s when we thought of AGITPROP and Martichka - we felt they might recognize this story as something that aligned with their profile.
The series came at a time when BNT still had a different outlook on filmmaking and more ambitious goals. It’s a pity that after Emil Koshloukov became General Director of the television, the deal for international sales was canceled. Despite its promising festival selections, the project never left Bulgaria.
Martichka: Father’s Day became the first high-end limited series in Bulgaria, introducing for the first time a 6-series format on Bulgarian National Television. I had already oriented myself towards the series industry and since my profile is international production, I started to explore international content markets and look for options for co-productions, since the money for series in Bulgaria is very little and it is practically impossible to produce an original quality series. Thus, Father’s Day became the first Bulgarian series supported by the then new support for the development of series from the Creative Europe Media Program in Brussels. This first collaboration of ours was proclaimed the best Bulgarian series for 2019 and provoked many reactions from the audience, who associated themselves with the protagonists of the series and constantly took sides and reacted. I remember that Teodora and I really liked the amazing miniseries that went on HBO at the time, like Olive Kitteridge and The Night Off, from which we were very inspired and wanted to do something with such emotional charge and quality.
Let’s talk about your latest project, Gold War. What can you tell us about its premise, and how does it reflect the kind of stories you want to tell together?
Teodora: It’s inspired by the Bulgarian Golden Girls of rhythmic gymnastics in the 1980s, who were undisputed World and European champions for nearly a decade. At the time, sports had become a new battlefield in the Cold War, and some disciplines, including rhythmic gymnastics, were developed specifically to show the “superiority” of the USSR over the West. Based on true events but with fictional characters, the series follows the lives and struggles of three young gymnasts and their coach. It portrays the inhumanity behind the facade of medals and fame. At its heart, Gold War is a personal coming-of-age story set against a politically turbulent backdrop, which is disturbingly reminiscent of today’s world. As authors, we feel a responsibility to remind viewers of how oppressive systems shape not just politics, but also personal relationships.
Martichka: Gold War is a project that we have dedicated a lot of time and attention to together with Teodora and we literally grew up with it. From the very beginning, when Teodora, together with screenwriters Nevena Kertova and Georgi Ivanov (with whom they also co-wrote Father’s Day), the project was noticed on the international market and over the several years of development and financing it became the most invited and awarded project from Eastern Europe. I guess what makes it stand out is that it is inspired by real historical events in the ‘80s between the two iconic Olympics that became a battlefield of the Cold War - Moscow’80 and Los Angeles’84. This is a sports drama that tells the story of the young golden girls of rhythmic gymnastics and their coach and how they go to extremes to achieve their dream of Olympic gold. But the ones at the top of politics have decided otherwise...
You presented the project at this year’s Media Play in Sofia. Have you secured financing, are there broadcasters and a distributor already attached?
Martichka: Gold War already has funding from the Bulgarian National Film Center, Nova TV, Lithuanian and Estonian TV. We have serious interest from Beta Group, who were already behind my previous series, which I co-produced, Operation Sabre, and Soviet Jeans, which Teodora wrote and showruns. We are currently expecting to fill the gap in the budget through international co-production, cash rebate and European gap financing.
Martichka, you’ve been internationally recognized for your documentary work. What inspired the move toward fiction, and how does your documentary background influence your narrative decisions in scripted projects like RTS’ period drama Operation Sabre about the assassination of Zoran Đinđić for which you provided crucial support in securing the financing?
Martichka: Both Operation Sabre and Gold War, but also Father’s Day, are seriously based of documentary research and inspired by real events. AGITPROP is famous for its high-quality work on topics from the recent past, explored through innovative, profound and emotionally charged narrative. This is our trademark and know-how which we project to our work on the series.
Soviet Jeans
Teodora, as one of the creators of the Bulgarian hit series Undercover, how has your experience in long-form storytelling informed your newer international co-productions?
Teodora: Undercover was an early chapter in my career, and looking back now, it feels quite distant from where I am today. I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to create and lead the writers’ room on so many Bulgarian series. None of it would have been possible without the writers I worked with: Nevena Kertova, Georgi Ivanov, Tsonko Bumbalov, Teo Chepilov and Ivan Landzhev - talented people who were always searching for new and contemporary ways of storytelling.
We often participated in international workshops and tailored programs to understand how long-form storytelling works globally and then tried to develop our own authentic model of writing. Over the years, I’ve shaped my own approach to building characters and structuring stories, but I think it’s very important to keep experimenting and break your own rules.
Both Gold War and Operation Sabre explore are based on real events. Do you see a common thread in the kinds of stories you’re drawn to tell?
Martichka: This is one of the trends on the market - to create IP based on real events. This brings immediately a big group of viewers that have memories and hopes related to the time capsules and the world of the story described in the series. The release of Operation Sabre coincided with the beginning of the big protests in Serbia, and it gave sense of freedom and hope for the people to fight for their lost human rights. Often based on true stories content is very emotional and nostalgic to generations of people and if it is made with talent and freshness, it can attract younger audiences like it happened with Operation Sabre.
Teodora: I am fascinated by Operation Sabre. I had the opportunity to meet the creators Goran Stankovic and Vladimir Tagic at several events and to discuss with them our understanding of storytelling. I hope that someday we could cooperate, as I believe that the future of high-quality series from the region lies in co-productions and connecting talents from different countries.
Both of you have worked with producers and creative partners from other countries from CEE. Are there any territories you are particularly interested in collaborating with?
Martichka: It happened that most of the recent collaborations of AGITPROP are with countries from Balkan and Baltic regions. There is a particular effort on behalf of these territories to expand and bring added value to our local content and bring it to the rest of the world through our common effort and great talents involved.
Teodora: I am an adventurer at heart, always open to discovering new galaxies. I believe that it is not about a particular country – it’s about finding a person you could feel safe with. It takes boldness to open straight up your deeper reservoirs, as the most valuable ideas come from the unconscious.
Co-productions are sometimes key to getting ambitious projects off the ground in CEE. What has your experience been like with international co-production models, and what lessons have you learned along the way?
Martichka: Co-production is key for smaller territories like Bulgaria, in which broadcasters have too limited budgets. Most TV series aired on the territory of the Balkans are soap operas and sitcoms, which can be produced on the basis of full commission. Bulgaria is one of the countries, in which Bulgarian National Film Center minoritarian support was opened also for series. In addition, European financing from Eurimages and Creative Europe Media is possible only in the presence of European co-production and at least two TVs supporting the series. This makes it possible for series from our part of Europe to be produced with the relevant budget and to be competitive on the international market. Now besides Gold War, I co-produce two international series with great potential for international distribution, which received support from Bulgaria - A Girl from Tallinn (Estonia, Bulgaria, Ukraine) with ETV, Go3, BNFC, Creative Europe Media, as well as The Last Divorce of Communism (co-written also by Teodora Markova) - Latvia-Bulgaria, with LTV and BNFC. Currently they are in pre-production phase.
What are some of the major hurdles you encounter when developing and financing projects in Central and Eastern Europe?
Martichka: We have to all the time break the taboos and stigmatized perceptions regarding our territories. It comes most of the time because of lack of knowledge or out of pure ignorance. Within the last years this has changed considerably because of our constant presence on the international market offering high-quality relevant stories that can enrich the international TV landscape with great and unique storytelling.
Teodora: Our budgets are still very low compared to other countries in the region, and it is extremely difficult to create something meaningful within such financial constraints.
I hope that Bulgarian private TV channels will begin to see the value in this kind of cooperation and shift their focus. I also hope that, in the future, there will be a new management team at BNT – one that embraces the European approach and spirit: larger budgets, more transparent procedures, and support for high-quality projects with international potential. The most positive development in recent years is the funding scheme for series from our National Film Center, which - despite the low grant amounts – opens doors for international collaborations.
You’ve both participated in major development labs and pitch forums. What current pitch projects are you most excited about, and what kind of international response are you seeing?
Martichka: The market has opened for projects from CEE and we had the chance to pitch at the most important pitching events in Europe. The awards and selections of Gold War include European Producer’s Club & Netflix Award for Best Female Producer - Venice Film Festival; Paramount Plus MIA Market Best Project Development Award; HypeWriter Development Award for scriptwriting - Budapest; etc. At the MIA Market pitching a jury member even declared the series the best IP of the season.
Operation Sabre
Teodora: I am usually excited about all my projects. If I lose passion for any of them, it means something is wrong and I should probably reconsider continuing with it.
I’m currently working on our new TV series with Stanislavs Tokalovs, The Last Divorce of Communism (Tasse Film), for Latvian Television, which will be an international co-production. On the Bulgarian side, we are once again partnering with Martichka and AGITPROP, and we’re happy to announce that we’ve just received funding from the Bulgarian National Film Center, so the post-production will most likely take place in Sofia.
We also hope to begin production on Soviet Jeans 2 next year.
Another upcoming project is The Judgement of Solomon, written by me and Nevena Kertova, with producer Katya Trichkova and director Konstantin Bojanov. It’s the only Bulgarian project so far to have been selected for the Series Mania Co-Pro Pitch in 2024. This year, we received funding from the Bulgarian National Film Center, and we are now beginning our search for international partners.
There’s been increasing interest in stories from the CEE region. What trends are you observing in the regional content landscape—both in fiction and non-fiction?
Martichka: I am observing a great presence of stories provoked by the major contemporary issues that have a particular local perspective and are tackled with a lot of talent and innovation by our writers and directors. The locality is our main asset, and this makes us appealing to the international market. One of the trends are the character-driven stories that bring uniqueness with their big emotional drive and pay off for the viewers in the end.
Teodora: As an author, I don’t believe in trends. If there are trends, I think the best thing you can do is run as far away from them as possible and search for your own inner need and unique perspective.
Major streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Max, SkyShowtime, etc. are increasingly talking about their “CEE strategy” but in reality, they shoot original fiction projects only for Poland. Do you think this might change anytime soon and do you think local and regional streaming platforms like Voyo, Go3, etc. are more likely to fund projects from local CEE authors outside of Poland?
Martichka: We are here now and there is no point to wait for the big players to change their strategies. This will most probably happen sooner or later. In the meantime, we have so many good stories to tell and so many talented and skilled people to bring. What makes more sense is to unite our efforts regionally, as we are doing it already, and to convince our broadcasters and local platforms to allocate funding for more original programming.
Teodora: I don’t see why not. The mantra that we are small markets is no longer valid, especially after the international success of project like Soviet Jeans and Operation Sabre. They proved that a local story could be significant and compelling for global audiences, if told with originality, boldness and honesty.
Securing funding remains a challenge for many regional creators. How are you approaching financing today—are European funds or private partnerships playing a bigger role?
Martichka: European funding is demanding and bureaucratic, yet it is one of the few options through which producers from low-capacity countries and underrepresented TV industries can co-finance their budgets properly. It plays crucial role in today’s financial planning of our TV series along with the national funding schemes that are already available in some of the countries like Bulgaria and Czech Republic, for example.
Teodora: In my experience state and European funds are invaluable for this market, also because we are witnessing a global decline in the industry and I think that private investors will are increasingly cautious which makes public funding even more crucial.
Looking ahead, what kinds of stories are you most passionate about telling next, and how do you hope to influence the regional or global narrative space through your work?
Martichka: For sure the stories I want to tell aim at bringing emotional revolution to the viewers. What is important to me is the stories to provoke, to make you think or react within your personal life or the community. So far, the results have been really rewarding, which makes me believe in the huge impact that serials storytelling can bring to audiences for a really short time.
Teodora: If a story is not just a product designed to fit the market but comes from an inner space – from the authentic fears and desires of the author—it becomes unexpected and genuine. That’s what I’m passionate about. It’s not restricted to a specific theme or genre… those layers come later.
I’ve never really thought in terms of influencing the industry. But if viewers can gain a new perspective on something that’s usually treated as a stigma or prejudice through my work, then that’s already deeply fulfilling.
