About

Known credits:
35
Birthday:
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Place of birth:
Alexandroúpoli, Greece
Website:
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Todor Dinov

Overview

Todor Dinov (24 July 1919 – 17 June 2004) was a Bulgarian animator informally known as the Father of Bulgarian animation. During his lifetime, he wrote and directed more than 40 short animated films and several live-action feature films, and was also a popular illustrator, children's book illustrator, painter, graphic artist, comics artist and caricaturist.

Dinov was born to a Bulgarian family in Dedeagach in Western Thrace (today Alexandroupoli, Greece) and finished school in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He studied at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in Moscow under the tutelage of distinguished Soviet animators such as Ivan Ivanov-Vano. Dinov created his own first animated film, Yunak Marko (English: Marko the Hero), in 1955. Perhaps his best-known animated film in the West is the five-minute short Margaritka (English: The Daisy), produced in 1965. The film features a square-shaped little man trying to cut down a daisy and failing, then becoming more and more enraged as he tries increasingly brutal methods against the flower; in the end, the daisy only responds to the love of a child. Oddly, Margaritka won a prize for best children's film even though it was meant for adults.

In 1967 he was a member of the jury of the 5th Moscow International Film Festival.[1]

He founded the first animation studio in Bulgaria, setting the highest quality professional standards for producing animation in his country. Later, he created the Animation Department (now a separate major) and taught animation classes at the Theatre and Film Arts Institute. Dinov was also a member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

In 1999, Dinov was awarded the highest-rank Bulgarian medal — the Stara Planina order (First Degree). In 2003 he received the Crystal Pyramide Award of the Bulgarian Filmmaker Union for lifetime achievement to the art of Bulgarian animation.

He died in Sofia at the age of 84.

Known for

Directing
1980 The Rain of Paris Directing Director N/A
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1977 Gunpowder Directing Director N/A
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1975 Perpetuum Mobile Directing Director N/A
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1974 The Dragon Directing Director 59
Average
1973 The Kettle-Drum Directing Director N/A
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1971 Chain Reaction Directing Director N/A
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1970 Prometheus XX Directing Director N/A
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1969 The Icon Stand Directing Director 59
Average
1967 Banished from Eden Directing Director N/A
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1965 The Daisy Directing Director N/A
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1963 Jealousy Directing Director N/A
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1963 The Apple Directing Director N/A
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1962 The Lighting Rod Directing Director N/A
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1961 Duo Directing Director N/A
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1959 Prometheus Directing Director N/A
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1959 The Secret of the Golden Shoes Directing Director N/A
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1958 Nadkhitrenata lisitsa Directing Director N/A
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1958 In the Land of Cannibals Directing Director N/A
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1958 Little Anna Directing Director N/A
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Writing
1980 The Rain of Paris Writing Writer N/A
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1977 Gunpowder Writing Writer N/A
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1973 The Kettle-Drum Writing Writer N/A
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1970 Prometheus XX Writing Writer N/A
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1967 Banished from Eden Writing Writer N/A
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1963 The Apple Writing Writer N/A
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1961 Duo Writing Writer N/A
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Art
1988 Libido Art Art Direction 59
Average
1987 Bustle Art Art Direction N/A
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1983 Cuckoo Art Art Direction 58
Average
1970 Prometheus XX Art Art Direction N/A
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1965 The Daisy Art Art Direction N/A
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1963 The Apple Art Art Direction N/A
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1962 The Lighting Rod Art Art Direction N/A
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1958 Nadkhitrenata lisitsa Art Art Direction N/A
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Visual Effects
1967 Banished from Eden Visual Effects Animation N/A
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