Zlatan Dekov

Zlatan Dekov is a Bulgarian filmmaker, cinematographer and photographer, and co-founder of High Noir Studio, a full-service film and photography production company based in Sofia.

He discovered his passion for visual storytelling at an early age and began his professional path in 2009 with the 17-minute short film Equivalent, created in collaboration with students from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA). In the years that followed, he became part of the independent cultural media platform Contemporary Bohemians, where he contributed to printed arts magazines, filmed more than 50 concerts and festivals, and co-directed the documentary Movers and Shakers of Contemporary Art.

From 2013 to 2022, Zlatan was a co-founder and active partner in Albumite.bg, the largest photo album agency in Bulgaria, where he personally photographed portraits of more than 7,000 high-school graduates across the country.

He holds a degree in Economics and Business from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE). Alongside his creative work, he spent eight years as a financial analyst at IQVIA, gaining extensive experience in business strategy, financial planning, and structured production processes.

In 2015, Zlatan co-founded High Noir Studio, which has since grown into a team of around 20 professionals. The studio has delivered over 1,000 commercial productions and events, working across advertising, corporate, lifestyle, fashion, music and broadcast formats.

High Noir Studio maintains long-term partnerships with Forbes Bulgaria, producing the TV show Forbes Success, one of the country's leading business formats, as well as collaborations with L'Europeo, GoGuide, Code Fashion TV and Sunotec, including international productions at Intersolar Europe. The studio has also produced television commercials featuring prominent public figures such as Hristo Stoichkov and Grigor Dimitrov, and has directed more than ten music videos for Bulgarian artists.

Fashion and editorial photography have become another significant part of Dekov's work. He has served as an official photographer for major fashion events in Bulgaria, including Sofia Fashion Week, Summer Fashion Weekend and CodeFashion RUNWAY. In 2026, Zlatan and Boris Dekov received Code Fashion's prestigious Art Fashion Photographer award, recognizing their distinctive visual approach and contribution to contemporary fashion photography in Bulgaria.

Alongside his commercial work, Zlatan has maintained a strong connection to independent cinema, working both as a director and cinematographer. Together with Boris Dekov, he served as cinematographer on Devina Vassileva's short film FriDgid, which went on to receive festival recognition and was presented at the Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival.

Zlatan's own short film Sometimes I Dream I'm Dying explores the psychological impact of social media on young people. The film has been selected for international film festivals and was included in the official program of Bulgaria's prestigious Golden Rose Film Festival.

His experience behind the camera has also led to an increasingly active role within Bulgaria's professional photography and filmmaking community. Zlatan has been invited to share his experience as a speaker at the International Pro Photo Video Forum, one of the country's major professional events for photographers and filmmakers.

His long-standing work with Canon's professional camera systems has also led to collaborations around the brand's latest-generation equipment. In 2024, Zlatan was invited to present his professional experience with the Canon EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II at an event organized with Canon Bulgaria, demonstrating their application across professional photography and filmmaking.

Across more than fifteen years of professional work, Zlatan has built a career spanning filmmaking, cinematography, photography and large-scale commercial production, combining an independent cinematic background with extensive experience working for brands, media, artists and public figures.