This article first appears in Vol. 34:
Revival.

Corona

Corona
isn’t just committed to serving crisp, cold beers with
lime for you to enjoy in balmy, barefoot and downright blissful
settings with your friends. Through sharing stories from around the
world, this beer brand is actively trying to encourage all of us to
travel deeper, more meaningfully and more sustainably.

Championing creativity and seeking out diverse travel tales from
its creative community has always been high on Corona‘s agenda –
right after eliminating plastic from its supply chain. Which is
why, on 8 March 2021, it launched its pioneering Female Fund, to
award 50 women from around the world a full scholarship to Creator Circuit.
A nourishing alternative to binge-watching boxsets, the platform is
populated with hundreds of high-value video tutorials made for
creators, by creators.

Committed to nurturing exceptional female talent and closing the
gender gap that exists behind the camera, together Corona and the
Creator Circuit are providing the Female Fund winners with VIP
access and one-to-one mentoring from Creator Circuit Founders.
Creators can connect with a community of like-minded creatives,
seek out opportunities with brands like Corona, and develop their
creative craft.

We understand the power of expanding horizons and forging
connections through storytelling, which is why we’ve partnered with
Corona to shine a spotlight on the scholarship winners and their
work. The next generation of female creators is here. We chat to
Bulgarian photographer and videographer Alexandra
Karadzhova on channelling creative energy, coming up with
thoughtful stories and the power of female creators to cover new
ground.

Where are you from and what inspiration do you take from
there?

I’m from Plovdiv, Bulgaria. It’s the oldest city in
Europe and was the 2019 European Capital of Culture. If I was to
describe living here to someone, I’d say Bulgaria is like looking
through a kaleidoscope – everyone can find the thing they’re
looking for. For me, I’m inspired by the diversity of its
landscapes: natural vistas mixed with ancient historical cities,
bohemian, hipster neighbourhoods mingling with mountainscapes…
It’s wild and tame at the same time, and that’s what inspires
me.

What sparks your creativity?

Stories that shake you to the core and music that gives you
goosebumps. I believe that ideas and creativity in general are just
di erent energies that come to you at certain times. It’s up to you
to make the most of them or let them go.

What have you learnt so far?

Part of the scholarship includes an annual subscription to
Creator Circuit, which is like Netflix but for creative courses.
You’ll always find me watching tutorials, reading books or
connecting with mentors.

As a whole, winning the scholarship has also helped me learn
patience. Good things – ideas, projects, opportunities – take time
to develop and I’ve definitely learned the value of that.

What do you hope to achieve with the scholarship?

Corona is supportive and open-minded as a brand, and it cares
about the planet – I love that. You can see that in the projects it
backs, like the stories created in collaboration with Chelsea
Yamase, Emmett Sparling and Antoine Janssens. I want to soak up all
of the knowledge from the Creator Circuit mentors and then graduate
from the fund and work with them on meaningful projects. I’m very
grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a part of the
Corona Female Creator Fund because that’s a step closer to
achieving this goal.

Where would you like to shoot next?

I want to explore untraditional and remote locations, meeting
the people who live there and sharing their stories. Places like

Siberia, and the Nenets who live there, as well as Greenland
and Guatemala. I also want to create something deep and meaningful
in Bulgaria. I feel there’s so much to tell that’s never been
shared before.

I’m going to Kyrgyzstan
at the end of August. It definitely checks o the “remote” and
“little-known” boxes and I’m excited to be going there for a work
project.

What photography kit is in your SUITCASE?

I recently upgraded to a cinema rig, so I currently film with a
Canon C200. An old film camera is also always in my carry-on. It
helps capture all the special, in-between moments when you’re
shooting.

Finally, share the story behind one of your proudest pieces of
work.

Since the beginning of 2021, I’ve been working on a short film,
I Choose the Heart. It’s definitely the most meaningful and
personal project I’ve worked on, as it explores the feelings of
being a female creator in a predominately male filmmaking industry.
It plays on personal experiences where people underestimate your
abilities as a female creative or lack trust that you can deliver a
project. Yet, being a creator means you get to follow your own path
despite the challenges. I Choose the Heart is a story of female
independence, resilience and belief that any woman, anywhere, can
take on anything.