BIAFF Surprises with New Films and Projects

The 10th Batumi International Art-House Film Festival (BIAFF) will open with Winter Song, a film by Otar Iosseliani, recently presented at the Locarno International Film Festival. The Festival will showcase 40 feature and documentaries films and 40 short movies from 30 countries. It brings together well-known filmmakers including Georgian director Otar Iosseliani, actor Merab Ninidze and German actress Nastassja Kinski.

Batumi International Art-House Film Festival is one of the main film festivals in Georgia and a great platform, designed to enhance cultural exchange, understanding, and collaboration through the screening of new art house and non-commercial films from Georgia and abroad.

All films will compete for the main prize – the golden seahorse - in the following sections: International Feature Films Competition, International Short Films Competition and International Documentary Films Competition. There will also be non-competitive sections like Georgian Panorama, Retrospectives and the Grand Masters Collection.

Famous figures in cinematography will make up part of the jury. BIAFF’s Feature Films jury includes Alexander Mindadze (Russia), Niki Karimi (Iran), Christopher Goodwin (UK), Nicolas Ronchi (France) and George Ovashvili (Georgia). Zelimer Zilnik (Serbia), Wojciech Szczudlo (Poland), Dennis Wheatly (UK), Iryna Gordichuk (Ukraine) and Lasha Khalvashi (Georgia) will choose the Best Documentary Film. Nenad Dzindarevich (Bosnia Herzogovina), Susanna Harutyunyan (Armenia), Siegfried (France), Helen Yanovsky (Israel) and Tinatin Kajrishvili (Georgia) will deal with the Best Short Film.

The organizers of the BIAFF also draw attention to the Festival’s new project – Alternative Wave. The idea behind this is that many filmmakers do not have access to public funding or sources of financing and conventional distribution. While the industry is trying to adapt, some filmmakers have successfully created their own individual approach and scheme. This lab will bring such filmmakers together and give them the chance to express themselves. Alternative Wave will take place September 15-19, also in Batumi.

The 10th Batumi International Art-House Film Festival itself will take place September 13-20. Film screenings are free of charge as well as all masterclasses. For more information visit the Festival’s official website http://www.biaff.org/

Eka Karsaulidze