Angel Ivanov

Year Joined: 2021

City: Sofia
Country: Bulgaria

Languages: English, Bulgarian

Biography

Angel Ivanov is a Bulgarian film and video producer, interested in delivering high-quality video productions and strong narrative films. He holds a diploma from the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) with a double major in Business Administration and Mass Communications. Angel’s professional career started at Chouchkov Brothers, where he worked on various feature film projects. 

He developed his film production capabilities at several different international programs, such as Digital Strategies 2.0 by Erich Pommer Institut (Vienna, November 2012), Nisi Masa Generator (Strasbourg, January 2013), Creative Aspects by Maia Workshops (Fiuggi, May 2013), Sarajevo Talents (Sarajevo, August 2015), FEST – Pitching Forum in Espinho, Portugal as a member of the jury (June 2018). 

In 2013, while still at Chouchkov Brothers, Angel embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by co-founding Skapto – now the largest Bulgarian gourmet burger chain with 10 restaurants in Sofia and Plovdiv. In 2019 Skapto became just the 16th Bulgarian company to join the global mentorship network of Endeavor. 

Angel founded Handplayed productions in the spring of 2015 and has since produced TV and internet commercials for some of the largest brands in Bulgaria, such as Adobe, Google, PayPal, Telenor, Jack Daniel’s, KitKat, Huawei, Absolut, Pfizer, OLX, Beefeater, EVN, OMV, Ford, McDonald’s, HP, among many others, in collaboration with some of the leading agencies on the market, such as DDB Sofia, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy, JWT, Tribal Worldwide Sofia, etc. The company also works on short films (in 2020 the short “Father-time”, directed by Martin Iliev, was sold to Canal+ for VOD distribution in France, Switzerland, and Africa), music videos, corporate and branded content, and interactive experiences. The company also employs close to 100 remote first post-production freelancers, working on editing, color grading, motion graphics, animation, etc. for media production companies in the US, UK, and France. 

In 2018 Angel became a Fellow at the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative – a mentorship experience in the US for young European entrepreneurs. As one of the two Bulgarian representatives in the program, Angel travelled to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Washington D.C. and met with seasoned professionals from the entertainment and advertising industries.

Filmography

“For you” (2022) | Feature film
Co-producer. Director – Dimitar Kotzev – Shosho. DOP – Alexander Stanishev | Received development support from Bulgarian National Film Center and currently expecting results for production support. 

“Cancer, Lobster, Oyster” (2021) | Short film
Producer. Director – Mariy Rosen. DOP – Nenad Boroevich. | With the financial support of the Bulgarian National Film Center. | Completed. 

“The Gift” (2019) | Short film
Coproducer. Director – Boya Harizanova. DOP – Georgi Chelebiev. | With the financial support of the National Film Center.

Official Selection 2020 at:
Ontario International Film Festival
Syracuse International Film Festival
Golden Rose International Film Festival 

“Father-time” (2019) | Short film
Producer. Director – Martin Iliev. DOP – Alexander Stanishev. | With the financial support of National Culture Fund of Bulgaria. | Sold to Canal+ for distribution in France, Switzerland, and Africa.

Official Selection 2019-2020 at:
Brussels Short Film Festival
Sofia International Film Festival
IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival
Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival
Friss Hús Budapest
Zagreb Film Festival
KO:SH FILM FEST
Burgas Film Festival
Planos Film Fest
Film Front Festival
Close:Up Reykjavik Film Festival 

“Maybe Tomorrow” (2017) | Short film
Executive producer. Director – Martin Iliev. DOP – Alexander Stanishev. | With the financial support of National Film Center, National Culture Fund, Sofia Municipality, “In the Palace” film festival.

Awards:
Best Bulgarian Short Film | 8th So Independent Film Festival, Sofia
Best Film Prize | Balkans Beyond Borders, Athens

Official Selection at:
Internationale Filmwochenende 2018, Wurzburg
International Tirana Film 2017, Albania
“BuSho”, Budapest;
Jameson Short Films Awards, Sofia International Film Festival, 2018
Golden Rose Film Festival 2017, Varna

Contact

Company: Handplayed
Business phone:+359 877 161 266
Business address: 30 Hristo Belchev Street, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

Email: [email protected]
Website: https://handplayed.co

Company Overview

Handplayed is an award-winning full-service content creation studio, based in Sofia/Bulgaria, founded in 2015.

We produce commercials, music videos, films & experiences. We are a team of young, driven, and accomplished professionals with passion and expertise for challenging productions. We work with brands, artists, and organizations to help them create their audio-visual definitions.

We pay special attention to high aesthetic standards, innovation, deadline compliance, and budget efficiency. And we are constantly on the lookout for raw, undiscovered talent. Our innate motivation for beauty, desire for development, and zest for originality fuel a genuine love for creating by incorporating new technologies, methods, and talent into traditional storytelling to produce rich audio-visual experiences.