| Phi 1.618 | |
| Director: | Theodore Ushev |
| Based On: | The Spinning Top by Vladislav Todorov |
| Producer: | Orlin Ruevski Vladislav Todorov Theodore Ushev Etienne Hansez |
| Starring: | Nikolay Stanoev Deyan Donkov Martina Apostolova |
| Cinematography: | Emil Christov |
| Editing: | Victoria Radoslavova |
| Studio: | Moviemento Peripeteia |
| Runtime: | 91 minutes |
| Country: | Bulgaria Canada |
| Language: | Bulgarian |
Phi 1.618 (Bulgarian: ф 1.618) is a 2022 Bulgarian-Canadian dystopian science fiction adventure film directed by Theodore Ushev (in his directorial debut)[1] and written by Vladislav Todorov.[2] Starring Nikolay Stanoev, Deyan Donkov & Martina Apostolova. It is based on the novel The Spinning Top by Vladislav Todorov.[3] The film was named on the shortlist for Bulgarian's entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, but it was not selected.[4] It was considered again when Mother was disqualified,[5] however, it was not selected.[6]
In a dystopian future, asexual, immortal men are created. The female sex to reproduce has therefore become redundant. As a poison spreads across the Earth, the loveless men set out to colonize the galaxy. On the spaceship they take the barely alive body of a woman with them, as a reminder of the past. While the calligrapher Krypton is busy creating a copy of the entire legacy of the Immortals, he comes across the irascible woman Gargara.
The actors participating in this film are:
The film had its premiere in Bulgaria on October 8, 2022, at the Cinelibri International Book&Movie Festival[7] and had its international premiere on October 13, 2022, at Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, in Canada.[8]
The film stirred controversy by being winning an Award at the Moscow International Film Festival during the Russo-Ukrainian War. During his acceptance speech, the director, Theodore Ushev, made antiwar statements. The acceptance speech was not aired during the official broadcast of the ceremony in Russia, however Ushev shared the speech on Facebook. The director refused the award, giving it to Nikita Mikhalkov, artistic director of the Festival.[9]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cinelibri International Book&Movie Festival | Best Costume Design | Velika Prahova | [10] | ||
| Festival du nouveau cinéma | New Alchemist Award - Feature Film | Phi 1.618 | [11] | |||
| 2023 | Beverly Hills Film Festival | Best Feature Film | Phi 1.618 | Won | ||
| 2023 | Moscow International Film Festival | Feature Film Competition | Phi 1.618 | Won/refused | ||
| 2023 | Miami International Sci-Fi Festival | Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | Phi 1.618 | Won | ||
| Miami International Sci-Fi Festival | Best Director Feature Sci-Fi | Theodore Ushev | Won |