The Tbilisi International Film Festival (TIFF) is one of the most important cultural events in Georgia. It was founded by the Prometheus film arts centre in 2000. It receives financial support from the Georgian Culture and Monuments Protection Ministry, Tbilisi city hall and the Georgian National Film Centre.
Over the course of its existence, the festival has acquired great importance for the entire South Caucasus region. The festival's aim is to introduce filmgoers to new film products of a high artistic quality, highlight new trends in film and facilitate the development of Georgian film industry.
The central and most important part of the festival is the competition for best debut and sophomore full-length feature films by young directors. The competing films will be assessed by three juries: International Jury (five members) will award the prize for best film and best director; Parajanov Jury (three members) will award the Parajanov Prize for outstanding poetic vision; and the FIPRESCI Jury (three members) will award the International Federation of Film Critics Prize.
Apart from the competition, the festival will comprise the following sections:
National Film Forum (new European films);
Horizons (new films from around the world);
Georgian Panorama (new Georgian films);
Made in Germany (new German films);
also: premieres, a retrospective, special showings and master classes.
Over the years many important representatives of the film world have visited the festival, including: Bob Rafelson, Mike Lee, Krzysztof Zanus, Vanessa Redgrave, Bruno Dumont, Hugh Hudson, Renny Bartlett, Frank Rodham, Helma Zanders-Brams, Ulrike Ottinger, Mika Kaurismäki, Joe Wright, Franco Nero, Maryam D'Abo, Sergey Solovyev and Yesim Ustaoglu. Also taking part have been Georgian filmmakers based abroad such as Otar Iosseliani, Mikheil Kobakhidze, Irakli Kvirikadze, Nana Jorjadze, Nino Kirtadze, Mikheil Kalatozishvili, Dito Tsintsadze and Merab Ninidze.
Over the past ten years the festival has found many friends and partners both in Georgia and abroad, including: film critics Erika and Ulrich Gregor (founders of the New Film Forum at the Berlin International Film Festival), Peter Scarlett (executive director of the Tribeca Film Festival); ambassadors accredited in Georgia; the Goethe Institute in Georgia and the Dumas French Culture Centre. International publications such as the Hollywood Reporter and Screen Daily also work with the festival.
