Tbilisi International Film Festival

Overview

The Tbilisi International Film Festival is Georgia's most important film festival. Founded in 2000 and held annually in November in Tbilisi, the festival presents competitive international and Georgian cinema in one of the South Caucasus's most historically and culturally rich capitals.

Tbilisi's extraordinary architecture -- its carved wooden balconies overlooking the Kura River gorge, its ancient fortresses, its Persian and Russian and Soviet-era layers, and its vibrant contemporary arts scene -- creates a festival setting of unusual historical depth. The city's identity at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Islamic and Christian worlds gives Georgian cinema a perspective of remarkable richness.

Georgian cinema has a long tradition, including the internationally acclaimed films of Otar Iosseliani and Tengiz Abuladze (whose Repentance was one of the first direct artistic confrontations with Stalinist crimes, released during Gorbachev's glasnost). The festival celebrates this tradition alongside emerging Georgian voices.

Key Sections

• International Competition -- films competing for jury prizes
• Georgian Film Program -- new Georgian features and shorts
• South Caucasus Panorama -- films from Armenia and Azerbaijan
• Documentary Program -- nonfiction features
• Short Film Competition -- competitive short programs

What Filmmakers Should Know

Tbilisi accepts open submissions. For Georgian filmmakers, this is the most important domestic international platform. The South Caucasus Panorama creates regional connections with Armenian and Azerbaijani cinema.

Major Awards

• Best Film -- jury prize
• Best Georgian Film
• Audience Award

Festival History

Tbilisi International Film Festival was founded in 2000 and has operated as Georgia's primary film cultural event.

See Also

For South Caucasus cinema, see International Film Markets. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.