2015
The beginning
What do Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, the United States, and Italy have in common? In May 2015, these were the countries where we were living when we came together around the idea of creating an animated series based on Bulgarian folklore.
Inspired by dragons—the guardians of clouds and storms—and by our own “cloud-based” approach to work, we launched “Studio Zmei”. With a budget of 800 BGN and constant work in every spare moment, we created the first one-minute trailer for our project “The Golden Apple.”
Without realizing what an adventure we were getting ourselves into, we launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance the production of the series.
2016
First crowdfunding success
As a result of the campaign, we managed to raise an unprecedented 64,000 BGN, which allowed us to take our style to the next level and create a 6-minute animated film, “The Legend of the First Kuker.”
We already had our own space, provided to us free of charge by the nonprofit organization Move.bg. While some of us were still working remotely, the rest of us took turns using the five workstations we had.
And so, as we worked to develop our team’s potential, we ended up at the Cartoon Forum festival. There, we presented “The Golden Apple” and met the French company Dandeloo (spoiler: this company would turn out to be extremely important for the project’s development).
2017
Zmei Academy and a Second Crowdfunding Campaign
That was the year we first encountered a problem that would resurface time and again along our journey—we had taken on a huge, ambitious project, but we didn’t have a team large enough to pull it off. And it became our style of work, instead of finding a solution, we simply created one. That’s how “Zmei Academy”—an intensive course in animation and set design—was born, attracting over 40 participants and forming our first animation team from the most talented among them.
The popularity of “The Golden Apple” grew inversely proportional to our funding opportunities. After a series of rejections from various institutions, we found the support of the Bulgarian National Television. With their help and a second crowdfunding campaign, we created a total of 24 minutes of animation.
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2018
Premiere and International Partnership
After completing the pilot episode of “The Golden Apple” and a whirlwind tour of free screenings across the country, our work attracted international attention. That’s how we landed our first long-term subcontracting project—the series “I, Elvis Riboldi,” which airs on Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, and leading French and Italian television networks.
2019 - 2021
Growth and New Horizons
With Bulgarian funding for “The Golden Apple” running out, we had to make a snap decision about the project’s future. We had two options: either move forward by bringing in another majority co-producer, or let it remain just an idea, putting its realization on hold. Determined to bring it to life, we accepted Dandelooo’s proposal to work together, and thus the project was reborn as “Vihra and the Golden Apple.” This opened up opportunities previously unimaginable—working with experienced screenwriters, securing French government funding within a month, and negotiating with international streaming platforms.
The year of 2020 forced us, like the rest of the world, to switch entirely to remote work, reminding us of our experience from the company’s early days. That same year also marked the beginning of our second original project—“Mila and Marko”—which was realized with financial support from the National Culture Fund and won an award at the Balkan Pitching Forum.
At the same time, we began negotiations with the French studio La Cachette, and shortly thereafter, work on director Genndy Tartakovsky’s new project. As fans of his previous projects—“Samurai Jack,” “Dexter’s Laboratory,” and “Hotel Transylvania”—we couldn’t wait to find out what was in store for us. The next year and a half was spent working at a breakneck pace on the animation, cleanup, and color stages of the series “Unicorn: Warriors Eternal,” which is now available to watch on Adult Swim and HBO Max.
2022-2023
Development and New Partnerships
The scale of “Unicorn: Warriors Eternal” brought us back to the familiar question: how would we pull off such an ambitious project with a small team? We found the answer when we managed to bring several young talents back to Bulgaria immediately after they graduated from prestigious universities in Europe.
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We also took on short-form projects with various partners—videos promoting the hit series “The Care Bears” and trailers for the popular British studio The Line.
True to our desire to inspire and work with young people, we have launched our next initiatives: a mentoring program with the University of Dundee, the organization of an annual visit to Bulgaria for students from the EDHEC Business School, and seminars on entrepreneurship in the creative industries at the local level.
2024 - 2025
Changes and new hopes
As part of our ongoing efforts to contribute to the development of the animation industry, we have been teaching at 51st Secondary School “Elisaveta Bagryana” for the second consecutive year, as part of the computer animation curriculum. We serve as guest lecturers at various universities and events, both in Bulgaria and across Europe, such as at the University of Westminster in London, England, and EDHEC in Lille, France.
We haven’t stopped working on our own ideas either. Together with other inspiring Bulgarian companies, we are actively working to improve local mechanisms for financing and distributing animation aimed at a broad audience, so that we can watch Bulgarian animated films and series more often and more quickly. We do this as being part of ABAP—the Association of Bulgarian Animation Producers. For the first time in 2024, ABAP representatives were not merely visitors to Europe’s largest animation festival—the one in Annecy, France—but participants with our own stand, showing the achievements of the Bulgarian animation to the world.
The past 10 years have taught us that development and progress happen slowly and steadily. That is precisely why we are increasingly inspired to work on stories that are worth telling. “Vihra and the Golden Apple,” “Mila and Marko: Mini-Episodes,” and very soon our third co-production, “Dungeons and Kittens,” are just some of the projects we’ve focused our efforts on.
We started out in a small apartment on the outskirts of Sofia, with a budget of 800 BGN. Ten years later, we now produce about 200 minutes of animation annually. We were responsible for Bulgaria’s first co-productions of animated series, and we continue to learn, develop, and grow.
2026
The best is yet to come...
Dimitar Petrov
Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of the studio
Creator of the projects “The Golden Apple” and “Mila and Marko.” He began his career as a 3D animator for video games, but after completing his education in England, he specialized as a visual artist and set designer on international productions, including for Cartoon Network Studios Europe. As creative director, Dimitar is responsible for creating and developing original concepts, the artistic vision of projects, and leading the design team at "Studio Zmei." His experience also includes directing commercials, trailers, and short films. His mission is to build a contemporary Bulgarian animation scene inspired by the folklore and cultural heritage of our country. Dimitar believes that high-quality animation can serve as a bridge between traditions and the new generation. As executive director, Dimitar is also a producer on a number of projects, as well as a lecturer in Bulgaria and abroad.
Stanislav Tsvetkov
Head of Animation Department and Partner at Studio Zmei
Stanislav has been part of Studio Zmei from its begining, and since 2020 he has also been a partner and co-manager, thereby contributing to the studio’s stability and future development. He brings with him exceptional creative talent, honed over more than 20 years of tireless work in the field of animation. At the studio, he oversees the animation process, provides precise technical guidance, and contributes valuable experience to every phase of production. His love for animation began in childhood, thanks to a poster of an animated film that hung on the wall of his room. Years later, he worked on the sequel to that very film—“Asterix and the Vikings.”
We have worked with
We are looking for talented artists, animators, and creative professionals
Our studio is expanding its team, and we’re looking for people who love creating stories, visual worlds, and high-quality animation. If you want to work in a creative environment, develop your skills, and contribute to real projects—apply now!
