Documentary Film Tells the Story of the Contemporary Art Festival – Ruse 2026

What lies behind the organization of an international contemporary art festival? How is a programme created that brings together artists from different countries and transforms an entire city into a space for cultural dialogue?

The answers are revealed in the new 30-minute documentary about the Contemporary Art Festival – Ruse 2026, produced by Perseus Production Company / Arena Media Label with the financial support of the National Culture Fund under the programme “Creation and Distribution of Large-Scale Projects 2025.”

The film follows, indirectly, the festival’s entire journey—from the birth of the initial idea, through the preparation process and the work of the international jury, to the realization of the events in Ruse and the surrounding region. Through interviews with organizers, curators, artists, and the people working behind the scenes, viewers gain a rare insight into the processes that usually remain unseen.

Special attention is given to the artists’ original concepts and the diverse interpretations of the festival theme, “Space,” as well as to the encounter between contemporary art and the local audience.

The documentary also raises questions that extend beyond the festival itself.

Can a city with a rich cultural heritage also be a place where classical and contemporary art coexist? How is a new audience for contemporary art created? And why is contemporary art important not only for artists, but for society as a whole?

This documentary is an invitation to join that conversation.

You can watch it on the Ruse Art Gallery YouTube channel: HERE.