Contemporary Film School Opens in Tbilisi

A new school of contemporary cinema has opened in Tbilisi at which industry professionals will teach the art of filmmaking to young aspiring filmmakers.

The Caucasus School of New Cinema formally opened in April, however it has only been able to start receiving students now.

Students will be able to learn film direction, script writing, casting and more.

Film director Dimitri Mamulia had the idea to create the film school.

“We are now in the year 2016 and we need new signs and language created by the young generation. I hope we can create new Georgian cinema with them,” Mamulia said.

At the new school, programs are available in film direction and film dramaturgy.

“There is a new format of schooling which means teaching not only the technical profession of filmmaking but also the required ‘vision’ to succeed in the field,” Mamulia said.

Award-winning filmmaker Nana Ekvtimishvili is part of the teaching team at the new school, alongside other internationally recognized industry professionals like Otar Ioseliani, Salome Jashi, and Zaza Urushadze who will teach contemporary technical and creative methods for filmmaking.

Programs in theater and acting art will be led by a group involving established and young directors like Robert Sturua and Data Tavadze.

Classes in other programs are being taught by other film and industry experts including the internationally recognized Lasha Bugadze, publicist Zaal Andronikashvili, musical artist and innovator of electronic music in Georgia, Nika Machaidze, and writer Naira Gelashvili.

The Caucasus School of New Cinema is partnered with Georgian and foreign institutions including CinemadaMare Film Festival in Italy, Moscow School of New Cinema in Russia and the Georgian Film Fund.

Natia Liparteliani