Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ema Konstantinova
Film & TV Director and Editor
Education
2017 PhD in Film Studies, Film Art and Television, NATFA “Krastyo Sarafov”
2010 Master’s degree in Screen Arts Management, NATFA “Krastyo Sarafov”
2005 Bachelor’s degree in Film and Television Editing, NATFA “Krastyo Sarafov”
1997 Vocational education in Fashion Design, Kalagia A College
1994 31st Secondary School for Foreign Languages and Management (advanced study of English)
Professional Positions
Since 2025 Lecturer in the Pathfinder Joint BA in International Film, delivered in partnership by Lusófona University – Portugal, VŠMU – Slovakia, Tallinn University – Estonia, LUCA – Belgium, IADT – Ireland, NATFA – Bulgaria
Since 2024 Guest Lecturer in Directing of Short Television Forms, Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Since 2020 Associate Professor and Head of the Film and Television Producing programme, NATFA “Krastyo Sarafov”
Since 2018 Lecturer in Film Producing, NATFA “Krastyo Sarafov”
2013-2014 Lecturer in Editing in the Master’s programme Journalism, Finance and Producing, VUZF University
2006 Film Editor of documentary series, Travel TV
2005 Editor, BNT morning programme The Day Begins
2000-2001 Head of Department, Shed Advertising Agency
1998-2000 Gallerist, Natalie Gallery
International Activities
Jury Member, 20th Early Bird International Student Film Festival, Sofia, 2024
Project evaluator for FilmEU and WIRE programmes, 2024-2027
Work Package Leader in the FilmEU Plus international project of the European alliance of higher education institutions in film and media arts, 2024-2027
Workshop “Mastering Audience Engagement – the Power of Storytelling”, delivered within the training and mentoring programme of the In Situ project, Valmiera, Latvia, April 2024
Workshop “Storytelling as Equipment for Living”, delivered within the training and mentoring programme of the In Situ project, Galway, Ireland, February 2024
Participant in the international In Situ project – Innovation in Cultural and Creative Industries in Non-Urban Areas, supported by the European Commission and involving 13 European institutions, including NATFA “Krastyo Sarafov”, 2023-2026
Masterclass “BG Cinema”, delivered at the Student Film Festival in Tel Aviv at the invitation of the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, 2023
Producer participant in “4 Corners” – a MEDIA-supported workshop for the development of feature film projects (Spain, UK, Bulgaria and Greece), 2009
Certificate of completed training in “Science for Television” – British Council, 2009
Artist in residence at LabFactory, Vienna, Austria, 2008
Jury Member, 23rd Warsaw International Film Festival, 2007
Scholarship for participation as a screenwriter in the international workshop “Searching for a Documentary Script”, Lithuania, 2006
Participant in the international workshop “Building a Common European House” for young filmmakers, Turin, 2006
Participant in a masterclass at the Golden Award International Advertising Festival, Montreux, 2004
Masterclasses, Lectures and Training in Bulgaria
Film lecture “Documentary Cinema – Principles and Practices” within a practice-oriented seminar at Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, 2025
Masterclass “The Colourful World of Documentary Cinema” at the Summer Scholarship Meeting of the American Foundation for Bulgaria, Tryavna, 2024
Workshop “The Importance of Knowing How to Tell a Story” at the Summer Scholarship Meeting of the American Foundation for Bulgaria, Tryavna, 2024
Film Productions
The Invisible Invasion, 2026 – documentary film, 27′
BNT, TVR (director)
Before Sunrise. Swami Tirtha, 2026 – documentary film, 55′
Kalpataru Foundation (line producer, director, film editor)
Berlin. Friedrichstadt-Palast, 2026 – documentary film, 55′
Art Productions, (line producer, director, film editor)
- Official Selection, Master of Art Film Festival, 2026
Demons by the Gram, 2025 – documentary film, 27′
“In Frame”, BNT (director)
- Special Award in the Web Report 2026 competition for independent journalism, Dir.bg
Stories of Hope, 2025 – documentary film, 30′
Art Productions, BNDIO (director, film editor)
Sylvie Vartan, Par amour, 2025 – documentary film, 65′
Art Productions, (director, film editor)
- Documentary Film Competition Programme, Cinelibri, 2025
Rusi Chanev. Soul of an Actor, 2025 – documentary film, 55′
Art Productions, Burgas Municipality, Sofia Municipality Culture Programme
(co-writer, director, film editor)
- Kinomania, 2025
Following the Shadows of the Words, 2025 – documentary film, 45′
Art Productions, Chirpan Municipality, Peyo K. Yavorov Foundation
(co-writer, director, film editor)
- Documentary Film Competition Programme, Cinelibri, 2025
Tsvetana Maneva. Through Time, 2024 – documentary film, 27′
Art Productions, Sofia Municipality Culture Programme
(co-writer, director, film editor)
- Competition Programme, Golden Rhyton Documentary Film Festival, 2024
Children of the Danube, 2024 – documentary film, 54′
“In Frame”, BNT (director, film editor)
- Screenplay Award, Golden Rhyton Film Festival, 2024
- Plovdiv Municipality Award, Golden Rhyton Film Festival, 2024
- Award of the Association of Spanish-Speaking Journalists in Bulgaria, 2024
Verka’s Roses, 2024 – documentary film, 27′
“In Frame”, BNT (director)
- Nomination in the IRIS category, Prix Europa, 2025
- Special Jury Prize, Heart of Europe International Television Festival, Warsaw, 2025
- Nomination for the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers Vasil Gendov Awards, 2025
Anatomy of Sin, 2024 – documentary film, 27′
“In Frame”, BNT (director)
The Benefactors, 2024 – documentary series, 4 episodes x 27′
Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation (screenwriter, director)
The Bulgarians at the Friedrichstadt-Palast, 2023 – documentary film, 23′
Art Productions, “The Unknown”, bTV，(co-writer, director, film editor)
The Flood of Edelweiss Street, 2023 – documentary film, 27′
“In Frame”, BNT (director)
- Green Feather 2024 Award, Television category, National Competition The Greenest Companies in Bulgaria
- Nomination for Best Documentary Film, Vasil Gendov Awards of the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers, 2024
The Theatre of Change, 2023 – documentary film, 23′
Art Productions, “The Unknown”, bTV, (co-writer, director, film editor)
Gala in Sofia, 2023 – documentary film, 54′
SY11 (director, film editor)
Labyrinth of Hope – 2023 – documentary film, 27′
“In Frame”, BNT; (director)
Lambo from Sofia, 2022 – documentary film, 25′
Art Productions, Sofia Municipality Culture Programme (director, film editor)
Being Karajan, 2022 – documentary film, 25′
Art Productions, “The Unknown”, bTV (co-writer, director, film editor)
Diary of an Antarctic Hitchhiker, 2022 – documentary film, 27′
“In Frame”, BNT; (director)
The Colours of Life, 2022 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions; (director, co-writer, film editor)
Words of Hate and Love, 2021 – documentary film, 30′
Foundation GLAS (co-writer, director, film editor)
Lady Strangford. The Memory Lives On, 2021 – documentary film, 30′
Zlatitsa Municipality, Art Productions (director, film editor)
Life After Death, 2021 – documentary film, 75′
Film jam, Lithuania (editing consultant)
Gloria and Paul McCartney, 2021 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions, “The Unknown”, bTV (co-writer, director, film editor)
The Secrets of the Chelsea Hotel, 2021 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions, “The Unknown”, bTV (co-writer, director, film editor)
The Portrait Artist, 2021 – documentary film, 23′
Art Productions, “The Unknown”, bTV (co-writer, director, film editor)
A Night in New York, 2021 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions, “The Unknown”, bTV (co-writer, director, film editor)
Liv and Ingmar, 2021 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions, “The Unknown”, bTV (film editor)
Through the Lens, 2020 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
Svetlina Rises, 2020 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
Lights and Shadows, 2020 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
The Mirror of Time, 2020 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
The Dance of the Penguins, 2020 – documentary film, 48′
Bulgarian Antarctic Institute (director, screenwriter, film editor)
Paths to Integration, 2020 – documentary film, 51′
Produced under the project ‘Socio-Economic and Educational Integration of Vulnerable Groups in Pavlikeni Municipality’ (director, film editor)
In Search of Shambhala, 2019 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
The Dream of the Red Princess, 2019 – documentary film, 24′
Art Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
Zubin Mehta. Silence and Music, 2019 – documentary film, 23′
Art Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
Anatomy of a Performance, 2019 – documentary film, 25′
ARTO+, Sofia Municipality Culture Programme (director, film editor)
Exemplary Behaviour, 2019 – documentary film, 85′
Era Film, AGITPROP and others (film editor)
- Golden Dove Best Feature Documentary, Interreligious Jury Prize, FIPRESCI Prize, DOK Leipzig, 2019
- Special Mention, Documentary Film Festival, Ljubljana, 2020
- Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, 2020
- Trieste Film Festival, 2019
- Edinburgh Film Festival, 2020 (and others)
Sonya Yoncheva. Sempre libera, 2018 – documentary film, 70′
ARTO+, Sofia Municipality Culture Programme ( line producer, co-director, film editor)
The Last Concert, 2018 – documentary film, 80′
ARTO+, Burgas Municipality (co-writer, film editor)
An Antarctic Summer, 2018 – documentary film, 46′
BAI, Prof. Hristo Pimpirev (line producer, screenwriter, director, film editor)
Stoyanka Mutafova. The Untamed, 2018 – documentary film, 48′
ARTO+ and Short Cut Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
Stefan Danailov. Monologue, 2017 – documentary film, 58′
ARTO+ and Short Cut Productions (line producer, co-director, co-writer, film editor)
World of the Geisha, 2017 – documentary film, 27′
ARTO+ and Short Cut Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
Christo. Images, 2017 – documentary film, 30′
ARTO+ and Short Cut Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
Palace for the People, 2017 – documentary project of 5 films: 3 x 25′; 1 x 52′; 1 x 90′
AGITPROP, ARTE and others (film editor)
- Dok Buster Award, DOK Leipzig Film Festival, 2018
- INPUT Brooklyn, 2018
- Sofia IFF, 2019
- Master of Art FF, 2019
- Copenhagen Architecture Festival 2019
- Shanghai IFF, 2019
The Invisible Part of Flight, 2016 – documentary film, 22′
BULATSA (director, co-writer, film editor)
Svetla Vassileva. The Life of a Diva, 2016 – documentary film, 24′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Katya Paskaleva. The Last Role, 2015 – documentary film, 62′
Short Cut Productions (line producer, director, co-writer, film editor)
Antarctica. Love Below Zero, 2015 – documentary film, 61′
BAI & Short Cut Productions (co-director, co-writer, film editor)
Bogdana’s Paris, 2014 – documentary film, 60′
Short Cut Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
Tatyana Lolova. Portrait of a Lady, 2014 – documentary film, 80′
Short Cut Productions (line producer, director, co-writer, film editor)
Boris Christoff. A Letter from Tuscany, 2014 – documentary film, 62′
Short Cut Productions (line producer, director, co-writer, film editor)
Placido Domingo. The King of Opera, 2014 – documentary film, 45′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Lili Ivanova. Inexplicable, 2013 – documentary film, 69′
Short Cut Productions (line producer, director, co-writer, film editor)
John Lawton. Rock to the Limit, 2013 – documentary film, 30′
Intelligent Music, Short Cut Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
The Da Vinci Mystery, 2013 – documentary film, 24′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Puccini’s Women, 2013 – documentary film, 24′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
The Story of Cirque du Soleil, 2013 – documentary film, 24′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
The Diamond Way, 2013 – documentary film, 65′
Diamond way Bulgaria, Short Cut Productions (director, co-writer, film editor)
Benny Andersson. Life Is Music, 2013 – documentary film, 24′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Marina Abramovic. Superstar, 2013 – documentary film, 24′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Tim Yip. Chinese Tales, 2013 – documentary film, 24′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Kustendorf. The Wooden Town of Stars, 2013 – documentary film, 24′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Manager of the Year 2012, 2012 – documentary film, 45′
Short Cut Productions, Manager magazine (director, co-writer, film editor)
In the Shadow of Sophia Loren, 2012 – documentary film, 23′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Arabel Karajan. Improvisations, 2012 – documentary film, 45′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Encho Keryazov. And the Circus Travels On, 2012 – documentary film, 45′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Laurentine, the Princess and Mr Finney, 2011 – documentary film, 45′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Manager of the Year 2011, 2011 – documentary film, 45′
Short Cut Productions, Manager magazine (director, co-writer, film editor)
Aliens in the Kremlin, 2010 – documentary film, 45′
AA Productions, from the series Kremlin Stories (film editor)
Elevation 42, 2010 – documentary film, 62′
Red carpet (director, film editor)
- Best Film Award in the Mountain Experience category, 10th Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, Germany
- Sofia IFF, 2011
Frida. The Dancing Queen, 2010 – documentary film, 45′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, film editor)
Flamenco: Black and Red, 2010 – documentary film, 45′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Al Bano. The Road to Happiness, 2010 – documentary film, 45′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (line producer, director, co-writer, film editor)
State Security File, 2009 – documentary film, 54′
Commission for the Dossiers (director, film editor)
Sylvie Vartan. Reflections, 2009 – documentary film, 48′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, co-writer, film editor)
Cuba Sings, 2009 – documentary film, 48′
Short Cut Productions, The Unknown, bTV (director, film editor)
The Pursuer, 2008 – fiction film, 54′
Studio 42 (film editor)
The Independence Day, 2008 – documentary film, 57′
BNT, Studio 42 (production manager, film editor)
Video Diary, Rough Cuts, 2008 – experimental documentary film, 42′
created during an artist residency at LabFactory, Vienna,
(screenwriter, director, film editor)
Vaya Con Dios in Sofia, 2007 – documentary film, 27′
BNT, Studio 42 (director, film editor)
Citizen Can, 2007 – documentary film, 54′
Bulgarian-Swiss co-production (film editor, text)
Nutmeg, 2006 – short fiction film, 24′
American Foundation for Bulgaria & NATFA (screenwriter, director, film editor)
- Screenplay Award in the American Foundation for Bulgaria competition
- Jamesson Short Film Award nomination, Sofia IFF, 2006
- Bulgarian Competition Programme, 4th International Film Festival, Balchik, 2006
- Warsaw International Film Festival, by special invitation of the festival, 2006
- VGIK International Student Film Festival, Moscow, 2007
Energy Efficiency, 2004 – documentary film, 54′
EnEffect Centre for Energy Efficiency (line producer, director, film editor)
Barefooted, 2004 – fiction film, 17′
NATFA (film editor)
- Helsinki International Film Festival, Finland
- Balchik International Film Festival, Bulgaria
- Augsburg International Film Festival, Germany
- New York International Film Festival, USA
- International Children’s Film Festival, Hyderabad, India
- Ismailia International Film Festival, Egypt
Animals, 2003 – fiction film, 10′
NATFA (film editor)
- Award at the 2nd Student Film Festival, Balchik, 2004
Television Productions
Europeans, 2020-2023 – weekly programme, BNT, with the support of the EU (director)
#Europe, 2018-2019 – weekly current-affairs programme, BNT (director, film editor)
Casting, 2012 – series of reality programmes and live broadcasts, BNT (director, film editor of the remake segments)
The Little Big Read, 2011 – BNT campaign (children’s adaptation of the BBC format), series of live broadcasts, clips and films (director, film editor)
Bulgarian Events of the 20th Century, 2009-2010 – BNT campaign (director, film editor)
The Golden Orpheus, 2009 – television series, 7 x 54′, BNT (director, film editor)
The Big Choice, 2009 – BNT campaign (film editor)
Journalist Exchange, 2009 – reality show, TV2 (film editor)
The Big Read, 2008-2009 – BNT campaign (based on the BBC format), series of live broadcasts, clips and films (member of the core production team and participant in various subprojects as director, production manager and film editor)
Travel Guide, 2005-2006 – documentary series, Travel TV, 8 x 27′ (film editor)
Sunny Path, 2005-2006 – documentary series, Travel TV, 11 x 7′ (film editor)
Clips and Promotional Works
Training video for the In Situ project, 2026 – dedicated to the use of storytelling in the work of the cultural and creative industries, 1 x 14′
(director, screenwriter, film editor, presenter)
Training videos for the In Situ project, 2026 – designed to build the capacity of cultural and creative industries based in non-urban areas of Europe, 3 x 14′
(director, film editor)
Promotional videos for BNTnews, 2021 – videos for the BNT app, 5 x 0:30′
(director, screenwriter, film editor)
Oblivion soave (Claudio Monteverdi), 2021 – music video by Sonya Yoncheva, 3:40′
Sony Classical, Sonya Yoncheva (director, screenwriter, film editor)
Zableyalo mi agantse, 2020 – music video by Sonya Yoncheva, 7′
Sony Classical, Sonya Yoncheva (director, screenwriter, film editor)
For a Greener World, 2017 – promotional video for Top Cleaning, 3′ (screenwriter, director, film editor)
Project DOMINO, 2016 – 6 videos dedicated to dual education
DOMINO (screenwriter, director, film editor)
Become an Air Traffic Controller, 2016 – 2 x 0:30′
BULATSA (screenwriter, director, film editor)
Play Light, 2015 – art video, 3′ (concept, director, film editor)
Copper Cow, 2014 – promotional video for Copper Cow, London, 3′ (screenwriter, director, film editor)
Alexandra Jekova, 2013 – commercial for Procter & Gamble, 3′ (director, film editor)
The Silk City, 2013 – promotional video for Svilengrad, 5′ (director, film editor)
Interactive Classroom, 2013 – 8 videos for an Always campaign (director, film editor)
Warm Lunch, 2011 – video for a Bulgarian Red Cross campaign, 5′ (director, film editor)
50 Years of BNT, 2009 – 50 short films made from archival footage for BNT’s anniversary (film editor)
The Travelling Library, 2008 – initiative within BNT’s The Big Read campaign (based on the BBC format), a series of 56 reports for BNT’s main news and morning programme (director, film editor)
Bacchus magazine and Chivas Regal Restaurant of the Year Competition, 2008 – videos for the nominated restaurants and chefs, 17 x 1′ (director, film editor)
From the Shore, 2004 – music video, 5′ (director, film editor)
- Award on the occasion of Europe Day, Milan, 2006
Multimedia and Ceremonies
Director of the stage production and creator of the multimedia content for the Sofia Municipality Awards for Outstanding Achievements in Culture, National Theatre, Sofia, 2018
Multimedia content for the performance celebrating Stefan Danailov’s 75th anniversary, National Theatre, Sofia, 2017
Multimedia content for a gala performance dedicated to the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Cité de la musique et de la danse, Strasbourg, 2018
Multimedia project “Bulgarian Female Voices”, part of the cultural programme of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Sofia, 2018
Multimedia content for the concert “The Magical Voices of Bulgaria”, co-production of ARTO+, National Palace of Culture and Art Theatre Berlin, Berlin, 2018
Co-director of the videos, programme idents and awards ceremony for the Annual Film Art Awards presented by the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers and the Bulgarian National Film Center, Sofia, 2009
