Written & Directed by Rumen Russev
produced by Dessy Tenekedjieva
A lonely technology addict signs up for a bizarre dating service, which calls his human existence into question.
ABOUT THE FILM
MIMESIS was created as part of the prestigious 355 FILM AWARD in Bulgaria – where three young filmmakers are chosen by an international jury to create three five-minute films in five days with a budget just shy of £1000.
The film premiered at the Stoyan Karmbarev Foundation ceremony in Bulgaria where it was the winner of The Goldfinch Film Award. Following it’s premiere, the film started a Bulgarian festival tour including playing at Киноваканция New Bulgarian Cinema Festival and Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival, followed by an International festival tour with highlights including: Film 4 Fun International Comedy Short Film Festival, Soundscreen Film Festival, Sci-Fi Floripa International Film Festival (2023), with it’s British premiere at the Electric Film Festival in Bournemouth.
ABOUT THE FILMmaker
Rumen Russev developed a passion for storytelling during his "Creative Writing" classes at Liverpool College before going on to study "Film, Television and Digital Media" at UCLA. Currently, he creates in a studio space in Sofia.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH RUMEN
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your filmmaking background?
Hello, my name is Rumen Russev (@rurussev) – a creative and film director from Bulgaria. I studied “Film” at UNIVERSITY OF KENT and “Film, Television & Digital Media” at UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES. In 2022, I founded a production company in Sofia, STUDIO FLICKERS, which is specialised in the creation of digitally distributed films, shows, music videos & commercials.
During my childhood years, I wanted to become an astronaut and reach the unreachable. Many years later, I realised that you don’t need a rocket to land on the Moon – a camera, a detailed set & a professional crew can also bring you there. So, in the summer after eighth grade, with the help of family and friends, I made my first adventure-comedy film. It was screened at the local cinema in my hometown and everyone loved it. Ever since then, I have never stopped pushing the cinematic boundaries further and creating inspirational projects, which could leave lasting memories in people’s minds.
Tell us about the genesis of Mimesis?
The story was born from my own relationship with technology and how it pulls us away from the present. For example, the amount of time we spend on video sharing apps by simply swiping up and down or the number of photos we edit on social media apps to make our content more suitable for the algorithm.
I wanted to portray our modern world by focusing on two aspects: online dating and digital content consumption. Taking inspiration from real-life events, I decided to examine the moments when time “freezes” and we get lost in the vortex of our (phone, TV, computer) screens. Ultimately, I asked myself a question: To what extent will technology intervene in our personal lives? The final scene of MIMESIS serves as an answer to the aforementioned question.
What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making of Mimesis and how did you overcome them?
It is important to mention that my short film was created as part of THE 355 FILM AWARD – a prestigious competition in Bulgaria – where three young filmmakers are chosen by an international jury to create three five-minute films in five days.
So, taking this into consideration, time was obviously the biggest challenge for my project. However, I managed to create a good schedule. Day one was for filming. Day two and day three were for editing. Day four was for color correction. Day five was for sound design and music.
Another problem I had was the small budget. It was just below £1000. However, by pulling in favors from my friends, family & colleagues, I managed to assemble a team and a collection of great locations to set the film in.
Apart from the limited time and small budget, production went pretty smoothly.
Can you tell us a bit about working with the 360 spiral camera rig and your decision to use it stylistically at a few key points in your film?
The technique allowed me to create more immersive sequences. Honestly, I have used the 360 spiral camera rig in so many projects, that it is now part of my signature. Usually, I achieve the effect with the help of a gimbal. However, since I used a RED camera for this project, which is much heavier than a DSLR camera, a gimbal wasn’t an option. So, my director of photography used a really old, significantly bigger & much heavier device, so that we can get perfect shots.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
I was really lucky to have my premiere at the STOYAN KAMBAREV ART FOUNDATION ceremony, which is a big event in Bulgaria. Straight after that, MIMESIS was screened at a few national festivals and then started its international festival journey. It was accepted by plenty of festivals from around the word, but it was also rejected by others. I think it’s just important to remember that every festival is subjective. Furthermore, I realize that my film has an interesting concept, but it doesn’t have a fully-fleshed out story (since I only had 5 days to make it). Overall, I was happy with the distribution and, as the festival circuit came to an end, I reached out to several online platforms, which decided to feature the film.
What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?
There is a perfect quote by Quentin Tarantino: “If you want to make a movie, make it. Don’t wait for a grant, don’t wait for the perfect circumstances, just make it.” Honestly, that’s the best advice I can give. Surround yourself with talented people, bond with them and create awesome stuff together.
What do you think is the biggest challenge short filmmakers face trying to break into the industry?
In my opinion, finding the right path (distribution) for your film would be the biggest challenge. Submitting your six-minute project to every A-list festival is definitely not a good idea (it is also an expensive one). There are hundreds of smaller (and still great) festivals, which are willing to screen your work in front of hundreds of people. In short, before hitting that submit button, you should definitely do your research. At the end of the day, every good film finds its audience sooner or later. You just have to be patient.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
The biggest influence on MIMESIS is probably the work of Spike Jonze, especially HER (2013) and I'M HERE (2010). Additionally, there is a truly creative commercial, called LAMP (2002), also directed by him. So, if you haven’t seen those yet, you should definitely check them out.