The thirty-seventh edition of the international forum for computer arts “Computer space” includes a competition part and a festival program. The festival program will be held from 16.10.2025 (Thursday) to 18.10.2025 (Saturday) in the National Student House, Sofia.
All events in the programme are free but prior registration is necessary. Register to receive an invitation to the in-person events.
Get an invitation| Programme: 1. About 2. Exhibitions 3. Festival part Awarding ceremony Thursday – 16.10.2025 Friday- 17.10.2025 Saturday – 18.10.2025 4. Partners and organizers 5. Contacts |
2. Exhibitions
Location: National student house, ground floor, Pl. Narodno sabranie 10, Sofia
All events in the programme are free but prior registration is necessary. Register to receive an invitation to the in-person events – click here to get an invitation.
| Thursday 16.10.2025 | Friday 17.10.2025 | Saturday 18.10.2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 14:00 – 19:00 | 14:00 – 19:00 | 14:00 – 18:00 |
Computer Space – club for computer games in the 2000s
Student Computer Art Society
One of the highlights of this year’s edition of the festival is the immersive exhibition, recreating a computer game club from the late 1990s and early 2000s. This is the time when computers were still expensive and had not yet made their way into homes on a massive scale. Dozens of game clubs began appearing in different cities, creating a boom in their popularity.
Visitors of the exhibition will be able to go back in time and see not only some iconic computers and authentic peripherals, but also experience the thrill of playing some of the most popular computer games of the period over a local area network (LAN) with friends, just like it was done in the past.
3. Festival part
All events in the programme are free but prior registration is necessary. Register to receive an invitation to the in-person events – click here to get an invitation
Thursday – 16.10.2025
Thursday – 16.10.2025
13:00 – 15:30
Computer Space 2025 awarding ceremony
Forum opening and awarding ceremony for the winners of the competition part of “Computer space 2025”. Invitation only event, request your invitation below.
Hall “Kamerna zala”, National Student House.
National student house, ground floor, Pl. Narodno sabranie 10, Sofia
17:00 – 17:45
3D ANI-EMOTION Computer Animation – Gianluca Fratellini
Language of the lecture: English
Presentation of computer animation works from Gianluca Fratellini.
Gianluca Fratellini, a 3D animation expert from Modugno, Italy, who kickstarted his journey in the field at the age of 14. Over the years, he crafted a remarkable career with standout roles in popular movies like “Happy Feet,” “Hotel Transylvania,” “Epic”, “Rio 2”, “Peanuts”, “Ice Age: Collision Course” , “Dumbo”, “The Lion King”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2” and many others. Gianluca’s expertise also extends to working on award-winning short films, teaching, and supervising animation in prestigious studios, solidifying his status as an animation luminary.
National student house, ground floor, Pl. Narodno sabranie 10, Sofia
18:00 – 19:00
Composing Between Pictures: an electroacoustic composition that explores filmic relations – Adam Stanović
Language of the lecture: English
“I am never quite sure what to think when listeners describe my music using the term ‘filmic’. Whatever the case, my very first piece of music was described as ‘filmic’, and such comparisons continue to this day. In this talk, I introduce a new piece – Between Pictures – and explain some of the ways in which I have intentionally drawn upon filmic connections, specifically in terms of referential sounds, narrative elements, dramaturgy, and spatial design.”
Dr Adam Stanović is a composer and researcher in electroacoustic music, currently Interim Dean of Screen and Programme Director for Sound and Music at the London College of Communication. His works, often acousmatic, but sometimes accompanied by instruments, electronics, film, and animation, have been performed at over 500 international festivals and released on multiple acclaimed albums. He is a co-founder of the British Electroacoustic Network.
Friday – 17.10.2025
Location: National student house, ground floor, Pl. Narodno sabranie 10, Sofia
18:00 – 19:00
Seminar: 100 years of Leica
On Friday, October 17, the program pays tribute to the 100th anniversary of the launch of the iconic Leica cameras. Leica is an innovator in many ways in photographic technology and creators of cameras exceptional in design and quality. The temporary exhibition will present rare vintage Leica cameras, as well as some of their newer technological models. Along with the exhibition, photographers Nikolay Treiman and Vladimir Tomashevich will talk about the brand’s legacy in the field of visual storytelling and its influence on several generations of photographers. Dr. Eng. Rosen Petkov will talk about the key technological innovations introduced by Leitz and Leica.
14:00 – 20:00
Pop-up exhibition: 100 years of Leica
18:00 – 18:40
The Laika camera – an exemplary combination of technology and aesthetics – Nikolay Treiman
The lecture will touch on topics from the history, messages and personal experience in handling Laika cameras. You will see the smallest and last book dedicated to the legendary brand.
Nikolay Treiman is a hereditary photographer. He is the author of the exhibitions “The Swamp”, “Orthodox Bulgaria”, “12 Images of Philosophers and 12 Philosophers for the Image”, “Pricked with a Thorn” and others.
18:40 – 19:20
Leica in the Digital Age: Tradition, Vision and Personal Experience – Vladimir Tomashevich
The lecture examines Leica in modern digital photography. Impressions from working with the M and SL product lines will be shared. How minimalism is not a limitation through personal photographic experience.
Vladimir Tomashevich is a photographer with over 15 years of experience, whose visual stories capture beauty, emotion and authenticity.
He has worked with publishers such as Forbes, Elle, Glamour and others, as well as major brands such as VW, Audi, Porsche, Unicredit, BASF and Hitachi, creating campaigns that resonate with international and local audiences.
19:20 – 20:00
Key technological innovations introduced by Leitz and Leica – Rosen Petkov
These include the creation of the first compact 35mm Leica camera in 1925, which made high-quality photography accessible and mobile. The company also pioneered the development of precision lenses and optical systems used in both professional photography and scientific and medical applications.
Dr. Eng. Rosen Petkov is a researcher of the book as an artifact, a creator of educational materials in the field and a collector. Petkov is the founder of the Student Society for Computer Art, as well as the founder and organizer of “Computer Space”
Saturday – 18.10.2025
Location: National student house, ground floor, Pl. Narodno sabranie 10, Sofia
Old and new media – Games, gaming clubs and internet cafes from the 2000s
On Saturday, October 18, a seminar will be held dedicated to gaming clubs and gaming culture in the late 1990s and early 2000s in Bulgaria and the Balkans. The Bulgarian computer game magazines of the period are also particularly interesting, about which Dido Karolev from Project Lazarus will tell more. Valentin Milev will examine computer clubs as a phenomenon, as well as the youth subculture that formed around them. Emil Gruev, a lecturer at the National Academy of Arts, will talk about the history of computer games and will tell us more about the technological advances that contributed to the games we know and play today.
14:00 – 15:00
Bulgarian gaming magazines as part of gaming culture – Diyan Karolev
Between 1998 and 2010, 10 specialized publications for computer and video games were published in Bulgaria. Together with computer clubs and local file servers of Internet providers, they left a lasting mark on an entire generation. In this presentation, we will briefly examine the history and role of the native gaming press in shaping the native gaming subculture and remember the times when the breath of ink and the computer mouse went hand in hand.
Diyan Karolev is the man behind Project Lazarus – an archive of Bulgarian game magazines. The initiative aims to archive Bulgarian specialized publications for computer and video games.
15:00 – 16:00
The phenomenon of the 90s computer games clubs – Valentin Milev
16:00 – 17:00
A journey through the world of video games – Emil Gruev
Immerse yourself in the world of visual development – from the first pixel experiments to modern virtual universes.
In this lecture, you will see how artists and technology are changing the way we experience games. Iconic titles and important moments in the history of computer games will be examined.
Emil Gruev is a lecturer at the National Academy of Arts, as well as a 3D artist who has participated in the development of many popular video games.
4. Partners and organizers
SCAS is the creator of “Computer Space” and is responsible for the very existence of the forum since its beginning. SCAS and Center for the Development of Computer Technologies and Arts are the main organizers of the competition as well as the festival part of “Computer Space”. Every year it provides the traditional statuette of the forum for the winners in the competition part, as well as certificates and other material and financial prizes. SCAS organizes the awarding ceremony and selects the seminar participants. Independent jury from well known experts will evaluate the submitted projects in the contest part.
Computer Space is included in the Calendar of Cultural Events of Sofia Municipality
Partners:
“Computer space 2025” is part of the Cultural Events Calendar of Sofia Municipality and is organized with the support of the Sofia Municipality.
The event is also supported by the National Student House at the Ministry of Education and Science.
The competition part is organized with the support of Bulgarian design group.
5. Contacts
info@computerspace.org
+359 88 8709488 (13:30 – 18:00, ЕЕТ)