From New York to Sofia: How an impact film screening inspired a new youth movement for sustainable agrifood systems in Bulgaria

What began as a conversation at an international conference has evolved into a new platform for youth engagement in Bulgaria.

Earlier this year, while attending the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York, Svetoslava Simeonova, Founder and CEO of the Bulgarian social enterprise Foody and Bulgaria's United Nations Youth Delegate (2024–2025), watched “Hidden Hunger”, the winner of the Best Focus on Women in Agrifood Systems category at the 2025 World Food Forum (WFF) Youth Film Festival, directed by Orit Novak. Inspired by the film and supported by the WFF Toolkit for Impact Film Screenings, developed to encourage youth-led screenings and dialogue, she set out to organize Bulgaria's first public screening of the documentary.

On 21 June, Foody hosted the screening at Odeon Cinema in Sofia. More than a film event, the evening became a catalyst for ongoing efforts to establish a WFF National Youth Chapter in Bulgaria, bringing together young people committed to advancing sustainable agrifood systems through dialogue and action.

Around 45 participants joined the event, bringing together students, young professionals, diplomats, representatives of international organizations, academics, civil society leaders and policymakers. Among the participants were H.E. Kirsti Pohjankukka, Ambassador of Finland to Bulgaria; Anne Aarts, Second Secretary to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bulgaria; Aylin Pehlivanova, Member of the Bulgarian Parliament and representatives of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.A particularly encouraging outcome of the event was the strong engagement of young participants. For many, it was their first opportunity to attend a public discussion on agrifood systems. The screening prompted thoughtful reflection and generated lively discussions on food security, gender equality and the role of young people in addressing global challenges.

The panel discussion explored one of the documentary's central messages; the essential role of women in agrifood systems and the importance of recognizing their contributions across food production, household nutrition and community resilience.  Seda Kuzucu from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Bulgaria, highlighted that women continue to carry much of the responsibility for food security around the world, not only within farming communities, but also throughout humanitarian operations, where women make up a significant portion of teams delivering food assistance during crises.

Those conversations have already evolved into plans for establishing the Chapter, a platform where young people can continue working together on food security, sustainable agrifood systems and youth engagement in the country.

Building on the positive response, the organizers, in partnership with Odeon Cinema, are preparing a second documentary screening for later this year. Their long-term ambition is to establish a series of documentary screenings and public discussions that use films as a tool to engage new audiences on global challenges, including food security and sustainable agrifood systems, climate resilience and gender equality.

Sometimes change begins with a policy. Sometimes it begins with a conversation. And sometimes, it begins with the lights coming back on in a cinema.