The Love is Folly international film festival, held every year in Varna, runs this year from August 29 to September 4. Some 50 films from Bulgaria, Europe and the rest of the world will be shown, all of which have themes relating to love, passion and the folly that these emotions engender.

This year, 2008, is the 15th time that Love is Folly (Любовта е лудост, in Bulgarian) is being held.

Among these, three French films will be screened for the first time in Bulgaria: Le premier venu by Jacques Doillon (2h03, 2008), which will open the festival's competition programme on August 30 at 8pm; Toi et moi by Julie Lopes Curval (1h25, 2006) on August 31 at 6pm; and Changement d’adresse by Emmanuel Mouret (1h30, 2006) on September 2 at 6pm. Also to be show, on September 2 at 10pm, is Un conte de Noël by Arnaud Desplechin, which was presented this year at the Festival de Cannes.

Love is Folly officially closes on September 4, with a ceremony at 7pm followed by a screening of Roman de gare by Claude Lelouche (2007, 1h43).

There are, of course, more than just French films at the festival. Germany will be present with Kebab Connection, directed by Anno Saul and written by Fatih Akin and Ruth Toma (2004, 1h36) on August 30 at 10.30pm, and Cuba will show its film El Benny, directed by Jorge Luis Sánchez (2006, 2h12) on August 31 at 10pm.

Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, the USA and others will also have movies competing for the grand prize.

Last year's Golden Aphrodite (Златна Афродита) went to Wir werden uns wiederseh'n, directed by Stefan Hillebrand and Oliver Paulus (2007). The first year of the festival, 1993, the award went to Strictly Ballroom, Baz Luhrmann's 1992 romantic comedy about an Australian ballroom dancer.

All film screenings are held at the Festival and Congress Centre in Varna.