Overview
Tbilisi International Film Festival (TIFF) is Georgia's primary international film event. Founded in 2000, it is organized by the Cinema Art Centre "Prometheus" and held annually in December at the Amirani Cinema in Tbilisi. The 26th edition took place 1-7 December 2025, screening approximately 40 international titles alongside 30 new Georgian films across multiple program sections.
The 2025 edition operated on a notably reduced scale due to the withdrawal of Georgian government funding. The international competition was cancelled, and the Industry Days platform - previously devoted to supporting emerging Georgian filmmakers - was largely curtailed. Despite this, the festival continued with support from the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Goethe-Institut. Additional support came from the French Institute and the embassies of Italy, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, and Austria.
The festival's situation reflects the broader political and cultural tensions in Georgian cinema. The withdrawal of state funding in 2025 created a significantly reduced program, but the festival maintained its core sections and its Georgian Panorama national competition. For 2026, the festival's 27th edition is expected to continue with international support, though the scale and whether the international competition will be restored remain uncertain.
Submission Process and Fees
The festival accepts applications for its Georgian Panorama national competition. Georgian or co-produced films (with Georgian participation) directed by Georgians are eligible. The application process is announced on the festival website ahead of each edition.
For the international program, the festival operates primarily on invitation. There is no widely publicized open submission process for international features via FilmFreeway or similar platforms. International filmmakers seeking consideration should contact the festival programming team directly.
Accreditation: Registration for accreditations opens ahead of each edition. The accreditation fee is 35 GEL (approximately 12-13 EUR). Accreditation categories include Film Industry, Media, and Festival Partners. Registration requires filling out a form, and the festival evaluates applications before issuing badges. The number of accreditations is limited.
Key Sections
- Georgian Panorama - National competition for Georgian films in four categories: feature fiction, feature documentary, short fiction, and short documentary. A jury awards the best Georgian films of the year.
- European Forum - Showcase of European cinema, featuring approximately 17 feature films from Europe and beyond. Past selections have included works by Albert Serra, Jafar Panahi, and other internationally recognized directors.
- Made in Germany - German co-productions and German cinema, supported by the Goethe-Institut. Past selections include Alexander Koberidze's "Dry Leaf" (Germany/Georgia, 2025) and Sergei Loznitsa's "Two Prosecutors" (2025).
- French Collection - French cinema showcase, supported by the French Institute. Approximately 5 films per edition.
- New Italian Cinema (N.I.C.E.) - Italian cinema showcase presented in partnership with New Italian Cinema Events.
- Director in Focus - Retrospective program highlighting a specific director's body of work.
Awards and Prizes
The Georgian Panorama jury awards the best Georgian films of the year in four categories:
- Best Feature Fiction (Georgian)
- Best Feature Documentary (Georgian)
- Best Short Fiction (Georgian)
- Best Short Documentary (Georgian)
Additionally, with support from the European Union, the festival presents a special award recognizing the Best Depiction of Human Rights in Georgian Cinema in both fiction and documentary categories.
The festival's historical awards include the Golden Prometheus and Silver Prometheus, awarded by an international jury of five filmmakers during editions when the international competition is active.
What Filmmakers Should Know
For Georgian filmmakers: The Georgian Panorama is your primary national competition platform. The four-category structure (feature fiction, feature documentary, short fiction, short documentary) provides multiple entry points. The EU-supported Human Rights award adds an additional recognition opportunity for films dealing with human rights themes. All foreign films are screened in their original language with Georgian and English subtitles.
For international filmmakers: The international competition was suspended in 2025 due to funding cuts. If it is restored in future editions, the festival historically accepted invitation-based submissions through its programming team. The European Forum, Made in Germany, French Collection, and N.I.C.E. sections are curated in partnership with respective cultural institutes. If your film is a co-production with one of these partner countries, the relevant cultural institute may be a pathway to consideration.
For industry professionals: The Industry Days platform, which previously supported emerging Georgian filmmakers through professional development and networking, was largely cancelled in 2025. The festival's industry component is currently limited. Monitor the festival website for updates on whether Industry Days will be restored.
Regarding funding instability: The 2025 withdrawal of government funding is a significant risk factor for the festival's future scale. If you are planning to attend or submit, verify the current edition's scope on the festival website before making travel or submission plans. The festival's reliance on international diplomatic and cultural support means the program structure may shift between editions.
Festival History
Tbilisi International Film Festival was founded in 2000 and initially operated within the Georgian International Festival of Arts "GIFT" for its first two years. In 2002, when "GIFT" faced closure, a group of cultural figures founded the Cinema Art Centre "Prometheus" to maintain the festival. The founders included Gaga Chkheidze, Nino Anjaparidze, Lasha Bakradze, David Bukhrikidze, Besik Danelia, Guga Kotetishvili, Gaga Lomidze, and Giorgi Qajrishvili. Prometheus organized the 2002 edition independently with limited funds.
Over time, Prometheus gained the interest of state structures. In 2004, the Georgian National Film Centre began funding the festival alongside private sponsors, with the Tbilisi City Hall and Ministry of Culture joining in subsequent years. The festival operated with state support until 2025, when government funding was withdrawn, forcing a significantly reduced scale for the 26th edition.
Georgian cinema has a substantial history, including internationally recognized filmmakers such as Otar Iosseliani and Tengiz Abuladze. Abuladze's "Repentance" (1984) was one of the first direct artistic confrontations with Stalinist crimes, released during Gorbachev's glasnost period. The festival has historically celebrated this tradition alongside emerging Georgian voices.
Practical Information
- 2025 edition: 1-7 December 2025 (26th edition)
- Venue: Amirani Cinema, Tbilisi
- Tickets: Available online and at the Amirani Cinema box office. Screening schedule published approximately one week before opening.
- Accreditation: 35 GEL (approximately 12-13 EUR). Registration deadline typically one week before the festival opening.
- Subtitles: All foreign films screened with Georgian and English subtitles
- Website: tbilisifilmfestival.ge
Past Winners
The 2025 Georgian Panorama awards (26th edition):
- Best Feature Fiction: Dry Leaf (dir. Alexandre Koberidze, Germany/Georgia, 2025) - also screened in the Made in Germany section. Koberidze previously directed Do We See When We Look at the Sky? (2021), which played Berlinale. Dry Leaf won the Golden Leopard at Locarno 2025 and was acquired by Cinema Guild for US distribution.
- Best Feature Documentary: 9-Month Contract (dir. Ketevan Vashagashvili)
- Best Short Fiction: Temo Re (dir. Anka Gujabidze)
- Best Short Documentary: Blooming of Inner Springs (dir. Tiku Kobiashvili)
- Best Depiction of Human Rights: Nobody Is Visible (doc, dir. Kote Kalandadze) and City Noise (fiction, dir. Papuna Mosidze)
The 2025 Honorary Prometheus awards went to Swiss director Nicolas Wadimoff and Georgian actor Avto Makharadze.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- Holy Electricity (dir. Tato Kotetishvili, 2024) - won the Golden Leopard in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente section at Locarno 2024. Screened in the Georgian Panorama at the 25th Tbilisi edition. The film was sold internationally by Nushi Film and played at Sarajevo, Thessaloniki, and Luxembourg film festivals.
- April (dir. Dea Kulumbegashvili, 2024) - screened in the Georgian Panorama at the 25th edition. Premiered at Cannes 2024 in the Competition section. Picked up by Metrograph Pictures for US distribution.
- Dry Leaf (dir. Alexandre Koberidze, 2025) - won Best Feature Fiction at the 26th edition. Also won the Golden Leopard at Locarno 2025. Acquired by Cinema Guild for US theatrical release starting March 2026 at Film at Lincoln Center.
- Repentance (dir. Tengiz Abuladze, 1984) - a landmark of Georgian cinema celebrated at the festival. The film won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes 1987 and was distributed internationally, becoming one of the first Soviet films to directly confront Stalinist crimes.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
The Georgian Panorama is the primary competition open to submissions. Only Georgian films or co-productions with Georgian participation, directed by Georgians, are eligible. The four-category structure (feature fiction, feature documentary, short fiction, short documentary) gives multiple entry points.
Films that address human rights themes should note the EU-supported Best Depiction of Human Rights award. This dual-category award (fiction and documentary) provides additional recognition beyond the main competition categories.
The international program operates on invitation, not open submission. International filmmakers should contact the programming team directly. Co-productions with Germany, France, or Italy may find a pathway through the respective cultural institute sections (Made in Germany, French Collection, N.I.C.E.).
Given the 2025 funding crisis, verify the current edition's scope before submitting. The international competition was cancelled in 2025 and may not be restored for 2026.
Industry Reputation Notes
Tbilisi IFF occupies a specific niche as the primary film event in the South Caucasus region. Compared to Yerevan International Film Festival (Armenia), Tbilisi has historically had a larger international program and stronger European cultural institute partnerships. However, the 2025 funding withdrawal has narrowed this gap.
The festival's Industry Days platform, when active, functioned as a development opportunity for emerging Georgian filmmakers. This was smaller in scale than the industry platforms at Sarajevo or Karlovy Vary, but it served a critical role in the Georgian film ecosystem. The 2025 curtailment of Industry Days leaves a gap that no other regional festival currently fills.
The festival's reliance on international diplomatic support (EU, Goethe-Institut, French Institute) rather than domestic government funding creates both vulnerability and a distinctive programming identity. The partner-country showcase sections give the festival a European forum character that differentiates it from purely national cinema events.
Watch
See Also
For South Caucasus and regional cinema strategy, see International Film Markets. For festival submission strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate the cost-benefit of festival submissions. For German documentary festivals with open submissions, see DOK Leipzig.
