The 24th Tbilisi International Film Festival is set to open on November 26 at the "Amirani” cinema, featuring the opening film "Forced Migration of Butterflies" (2023) directed by Nana Jorjadze.
The festival will conclude with the closing and award ceremony on December 2, where the German-Georgian film "Gondola" (2023) by director Veit Helmer will be presented. The closing ceremony will be attended by the EU Ambassador to Georgia.
DIRECTOR IN FOCUS
As part of the festival's "Director in Focus" section, Pedro Costa’s works will be showcased, and he will receive the honorary Prometheus award alongside director Nana Jorjadze.
Distinguished filmmakers from various countries, including Benoit Volnet (France), Thomas Heise (Germany), Veit Helmer (Germany), Dover Kosashvili (Israel), Reza Mirkarim (Iran), and others, will be in attendance.
Country in Focus: Armenia
The focus country for this year's festival is Armenia, which is celebrating its centennial in 2023. In collaboration with the Armenian National Film Center, the festival will feature screenings of Armenian films.
The "Country in Focus" section will highlight the works of Amo Bek-Nazarov, a film director who worked in Tbilisi during the 1920s and was a pioneer of Armenian cinema, known for the first Armenian feature film, "House on the Volcano" (1929), and "The Country of Nair" (1930).
Additionally, the "Apollo: Memory of Cinema" section will host a retrospective of Ruben Mamoulian, an American director of Armenian origin born in Tbilisi. This retrospective is sponsored by the Embassy of the United States of America. Additionally, the film festival will showcase both Soviet-era and modern Armenian films. A delegation of Armenian filmmakers, including directors, producers, and representatives from the Union of Filmmakers of Armenia and the Armenian National Film Centre, will be in attendance at the Tbilisi Film Festival.
Competition Program During the award ceremony of the film festival, the winners of the competition program for Georgian films will be announced and presented with the festival's prize - the Golden Prometheus.
Competition Program
Competition Program During the award ceremony of the film festival, the winners of the competition program for Georgian films will be announced and presented with the festival's prize - the Golden Prometheus.
The competition films will be evaluated by an international jury, and the winners will be announced in the following categories:
- Best Fiction Film
- Best Full-Length Documentary
- Best Short Fiction Film
- Best Short Documentary
Regarding the jury, different panels will assess fiction and documentary films.
Jury for Fiction Films:
- Marie Amachoukeli (France)
- Katriel Schory (Israel)
- Eva Blondiau (Germany)
Jury for Documentary Films:
- Lucas D'Intro (Italy)
- Thomas Heise (Germany)
- Jad Salfiti (UK) Competition Program
The competition program for Georgian films will feature 4 full-length and 9 short feature films, along with 9 full-length and 10 short documentaries. The winners will be announced during the festival's award ceremony, receiving the prestigious Golden Prometheus.
Sections of the Film Festival
In addition to the competition program, the festival will showcase outstanding works from European and global cinema in the following sections:
- European Forum
- European Film Month
- Horizons
- Made in Germany
- Country in Focus - Armenia
- British Cinema
- Director in Focus - Pedro Costa
- The World in Documentary Cinema
- Apollo: Cinema Memory
- Special Sessions
- Georgian Panorama
INDUSTRIAL DAYS
The 24th Tbilisi International Film Festival will host Industrial Days, generously sponsored by the regional department of the French Institute. This platform will give special attention to the presentation of full-length fiction and documentary projects. Producers and directors from Georgia and Armenia with projects in the initial stages of development will participate. Eight projects have been selected in the category of fiction films, and nine projects in the category of documentary films.
Following the pitching of the selected projects, the international jury will identify the project that will receive the monetary reward of 5000 GEL established
by "Terminal" LLC. Additionally, as part of the industrial days during the Tbilisi International Film Festival, lectures and panel discussions by invited film professionals will be held.
The Representation of the European Union in Georgia has established two awards at the Tbilisi International Film Festival.
In the Human Rights in Cinema category, the award is given to outstanding documentary and fiction films that address human rights issues.
Specially selected jury members will identify the winners, who will be honoured at the closing ceremony of the festival on December 2.
Month of European Film
This year, the Tbilisi International Film Festival is part of the European Film Month.
Over the course of six weeks, approximately 700 cinemas in 40 countries will host film premieres, retrospectives, special film programs, art-house film screenings, exhibitions, discussions, meetings with filmmakers, and many other events. Tbilisi is also joining in this celebration of cinema.
With the initiative of the Tbilisi International Film Festival, Cavea will offer the audience seven full-length fiction films on youth themes, films will be screened at Cavea Galleria every day at 19:00 as part of the Tbilisi International Film Festival.
Events Planned Within the Framework of the Film Festival:
The presentation of Tamar Amashukeli's book, "The Political Context of Architecture," will be held as part of the film festival.
Film critic Diana Maglakelidze will conduct a presentation on "Creative Europe" and discuss the media direction, its goals, priorities, and financial schemes.
Giorgi Koberidze's musical work, "Forests, Tales, Cities, Forests," was created for movie theatres without images. For an hour and 5 minutes, the audience sits in a dark movie hall where nothing but music can be heard.
Sponsors and supporters of the film festival
Tbilisi International Film Festival is organised by the "Prometheus" Film Art Center.
Supporters of the 24th Tbilisi International Film Festival are Tbilisi City Hall, Georgian National Film Centre, European Union for Georgia, Creative Europe, British Council, Goethe Institute, French Institute, Embassy of Italy, Embassy of Sweden, Embassy of Spain, Embassy of Austria, Embassy of Switzerland, Embassy of Poland, Polish Institute in Tbilisi, Embassy of Lithuania, Embassy of Estonia, Embassy of Armenia, National Cinema Center of Armenia.
The general sponsors of the Tbilisi International Film Festival are TBC Concept and MasterCard. Sponsors are: Terminal, Unfound Door Hotel, Factory, Rooms Hotel and Badagoni.