Annual box-office takings rose by 16.6% in Bulgaria in 2013
- The Color of the Chameleon was the local champion during a very slow year for domestic releases
Bulgarian cinema attendance levels recorded a significant increase last year, rising from 4.1 million admissions in 2012 to 4.79 million in 2013. More 3D releases, with their higher ticket prices, made for an impressive increase in annual takings: a hike of 17.2%, from €17.4 million to €20.3 million. In 2012, the average ticket price was €4.23, while in 2013 the average price increased to €4.26.
The most successful release in Bulgarian cinemas in 2013 was The Fast and the Furious 6, with 229,750 admissions. The action film was followed by the Disney animation Frozen (178,000 admissions), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (176,250), Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (136,800) and Thor: The Dark World (130,550).
The most successful European production, according to figures made available by the National Film Center (NFC), was Walking with Dinosaurs, a 3D release that took 29,354 admissions. It was followed by Anna Karenina [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (18,945 admissions) and Gladiators of Rome (18,695).
The market share of Bulgarian films was 0.86%, a significant drop from almost 6% in 2012. The market share of US productions rose from 81.48% to 85.2% in 2013.
2013 was not a good year for Bulgarian films, recording an 85.6% drop in earnings, to only €119,541, according to the NFC. The most successful domestic release of last year was Emil Christov's The Color of the Chameleon [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emil Christov
film profile], with just 11,210 admissions.
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