Overview
The Tbilisi International Film Festival (TIFF) is Georgia's primary international film festival, held annually in December at Amirani Cinema in Tbilisi. Founded in 2000 as part of the Georgian International Festival of Arts (GIFT), the festival became independent in 2002 under the organization of the Cinema Art Center Prometheus. The 26th edition runs December 1 to 7, 2025.
The festival screens approximately 40 international titles and 30 new Georgian films across its established sections: European Forum, Made in Germany, French Collection, New Italian Cinema, and Georgian Panorama. The 25th edition (December 2024) opened with Tato Kotetishvili's "Holy Electricity," which won the Golden Leopard in the Young Directors Competition at the Locarno Film Festival.
The 26th edition (December 2025) operates on a reduced scale due to the withdrawal of government funding. The international competition section has been suspended, and the Industry Days program, previously supporting emerging Georgian filmmakers, has been largely cancelled. Despite these limitations, the festival continues with support from the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, the United Nations Development Programme, the Goethe-Institut, the French Institute, and the embassies of Italy, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, and Austria. The general partner is TBC Concept.
For filmmakers submitting to Tbilisi, the international competition (when active) accepts first and second full-length fiction films from European directors that have not been presented at any motion picture event in Georgia. The Georgian Panorama section accepts Georgian or co-produced films directed by Georgians. Accreditation costs 35 GEL (approximately $13 USD).
Key Sections
- International Competition (suspended for 26th edition) - first and second full-length fiction films from European directors, not previously screened at any event in Georgia
- Georgian Panorama - the latest Georgian films; competitive section with jury awards in feature fiction, feature documentary, short fiction, and short documentary
- European Forum - recent full-length fiction films from European countries
- Made in Germany - the latest German films, in collaboration with Goethe-Institut Georgien
- French Collection - French cinema selections, in collaboration with the French Institute
- New Italian Cinema - presented by New Italian Cinema Events (N.I.C.E.)
- Horizons - full-length fiction films from outside Europe
- World in Docs - documentaries from around the world
- Director in Focus / Country in Focus - dedicated retrospective programs
- Film Schools - student film screenings
Submission Details
- International Competition: Open to first and second full-length fiction films from European directors. Films must not have been presented at any motion picture event in Georgia. Submission via entry form with digital copy (DVD, Blu-ray, or internet link) sent by mail or courier to: Cinema Art Center Prometheus, 164 Aghmashenebeli Avenue, 0112 Tbilisi, Georgia. Mark packages: "For cultural purposes only, no commercial value."
- Georgian Panorama: Open to Georgian or co-produced films (with Georgian participation) directed by Georgians. Applications announced via the festival website.
- Accreditation fee: 35 GEL (approximately $13 USD) for press, film industry, and festival partners. Registration via Google Form. Number of accreditations is limited.
- Submission fee: Not publicly listed; consult the festival website for current details
- Contact for submissions: accreditations@tbilisifilmfestival.ge
- Full regulations: Available at tbilisifilmfestival.ge
Major Awards
- Golden Prometheus - best film in the international competition
- Silver Prometheus - best director
- Special Jury Award - can be given to an actor, composer, editor, director of photography, producer, scriptwriter, or set designer
- Georgian Panorama Awards (4 categories) - best feature fiction, best feature documentary, best short fiction, best short documentary
- Best Depiction of Human Rights in Georgian Cinema - special award supported by the European Union, for both fiction and documentary categories
- Best Cinematography, Georgian Film - nomination established by the Georgian Cinematographers Association
Past Winners
The Tbilisi International Film Festival's top prize is the Golden Prometheus. Recent winners in the Georgian Panorama and international competition sections:
24th Edition (December 2023):
- Golden Prometheus, Best Full-Length Feature Film: Lotto (Drawing Lots), directed by Zaza Khalvashi (Georgia)
- Golden Prometheus, Best Short Feature Film: Soup, directed by Mariam Betchashvili (Georgia)
- Georgian Panorama also screened Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry by Elene Naveriani (Switzerland/Georgia), which went on to screen at Cannes and Locarno
23rd Edition (December 2022):
- Golden Prometheus, Best Fiction Film: A Room of My Own, directed by Ioseb (Soso) Bliadze (Georgia, Germany)
- Golden Prometheus, Best Short Fiction Film: My Friend Andro, directed by Katalina Bakradze (Georgia)
- Golden Prometheus, Best Documentary Film: A State in a State, directed by Tekla Aslanishvili (Georgia, Spain, Germany)
- Golden Prometheus, Best Short Documentary: Hey, Gunesh!, directed by Ana Jegnaradze and Marita Tevzadze (Georgia)
- Honorary Prometheus for contribution to cinema: Agnieszka Holland and Otar Ioseliani
25th Edition (December 2024):
- The 25th edition opened with Holy Electricity by Tato Kotetishvili, a Georgian-Dutch co-production that won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival. The film follows two cousins in Tbilisi who find a suitcase of rusty crosses and convert them into neon crucifixes to sell door-to-door.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
Several films that screened at Tbilisi went on to significant international careers:
- Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry (Elene Naveriani, 2023) - screened at Tbilisi's Georgian Panorama, then premiered at Cannes 2023 (Directors' Fortnight) and won the Best Film Award at Locarno 2023. Distributed internationally by Alpha Violet.
- Holy Electricity (Tato Kotetishvili, 2024) - opened the 25th Tbilisi edition after winning the Golden Leopard at Locarno 2024. A Georgian-Dutch co-production.
- A Room of My Own (Ioseb Bliadze, 2022) - won the Golden Prometheus at Tbilisi, then screened at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
- Beginning (Dea Kulumbegashvili, 2020) - while not a Tbilisi premiere, this Georgian film won the FIPRESCI Prize at San Sebastian and was Georgia's Oscar submission, illustrating the strength of the Georgian cinema ecosystem that Tbilisi serves.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
The Tbilisi International Film Festival has a specific curatorial focus that filmmakers should understand before submitting:
- For the international competition (when active): Only first and second full-length fiction films from European directors are eligible. Films must not have been presented at any motion picture event in Georgia. This makes Tbilisi a Georgian premiere platform for international work. Third films and beyond are not eligible for the competition.
- For Georgian Panorama: Open to Georgian or co-produced films (with Georgian participation) directed by Georgians. This is the primary national showcase and the most active competitive section. Submit via the festival website when applications are announced.
- For European Forum, Horizons, and World in Docs: These are curated sections, not open-submission. The festival programmers select films for these strands based on their network of festival and industry contacts.
- The 2026 funding crisis: The 26th edition (December 2025) suspended the international competition and largely cancelled the Industry Days program due to government funding withdrawal. Filmmakers should verify the current program structure before submitting. The Cinema Art Center Prometheus has filed a lawsuit against the Georgian National Film Center over the funding withdrawal.
- Language: All non-English films should have English subtitles. Georgian films should have English subtitles for international audience access.
Industry Reputation Notes
The Tbilisi International Film Festival is the primary film festival in Georgia and the South Caucasus region. It is not FIAPF-accredited and does not have an attached film market. It is not an Academy Award-qualifying festival.
Compared to peer festivals in the region, Tbilisi occupies a specific niche. The Yerevan International Film Festival (Armenia) and the Batumi International Art-House Film Festival (Georgia) are smaller. The Istanbul Film Festival (Turkey) is larger and has stronger industry infrastructure but serves a different national cinema. Tbilisi's value is its position as the central gathering point for Georgian and Caucasus-region cinema, with strong European institutional support from the EU, Goethe-Institut, French Institute, and Italian cultural organizations.
For international attendees, the primary value is access to Georgian and Caucasus-region cinema, networking with regional filmmakers, and the festival's industry program (when active). The festival is not a strong acquisitions market. It is better for cultural exchange and regional networking than for selling a completed film.
The funding crisis that began with the 26th edition (December 2025) has weakened the festival's industry position. The suspension of the international competition and the cancellation of most Industry Days programming reduce the festival's value for international filmmakers. The festival's future depends on whether government funding is restored or whether the EU and international institutional support can sustain a full program.
Festival History
The Tbilisi International Film Festival was first held in 2000 as part of the Georgian International Festival of Arts (GIFT). When GIFT faced closure in 2002, a group of cultural figures (Gaga Chkheidze, Nino Anjaparidze, Lasha Bakradze, David Bukhrikidze, Besik Danelia, Guga Kotetishvili, Gaga Lomidze, and Giorgi Kajrishvili) founded the Cinema Art Center Prometheus to keep the film festival alive. Prometheus organized the 2002 edition independently with minimal funding.
In 2004, the Georgian National Film Center began funding the festival alongside private sponsors. In subsequent years, the Tbilisi City Hall and the Ministry of Culture joined as supporters. The festival grew over its first two decades, adding sections like European Forum, Horizons, and the international competition for European debut and second films.
The festival has operated through Georgia's post-Soviet transition, including the 2008 war with Russia. The 25th edition (December 2024) opened with "Holy Electricity" by Tato Kotetishvili, a Georgian-Dutch co-production that won the Golden Leopard at Locarno. The 26th edition (December 2025) was announced with a reduced program due to the withdrawal of government funding, relying on international institutional support from the EU, UNDP, Goethe-Institut, French Institute, and several European embassies.
The Prometheus Art Center's lawsuit against the Georgian National Film Center over the funding withdrawal is ongoing, and the festival's long-term financial structure remains uncertain.
Watch
The 25th edition of the Tbilisi International Film Festival (December 2024) opened with Holy Electricity by Tato Kotetishvili, a Georgian-Dutch co-production that won the Golden Leopard in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente section at the Locarno Film Festival. The film follows two cousins in Tbilisi who find a suitcase of rusty crosses and convert them into neon crucifixes to sell door-to-door. The trailer is below.
See Also
For festival submission strategy and budgeting, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For understanding Caucasus and Eurasian cinema markets, see International Film Markets. For general festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.
