Georgia’s ancient Nikozi village hosts animation film festival

One of Georgia's oldest villages is preparing to host more than a dozen international film studios and filmmakers for the 6th annual International Animation Film Festival Nikozi.

From Thursday locals and visitors will gather in Nikozi village, located 90km northwest of capital Tbilisi, to see more than 60 animation films, art exhibitions, performances and workshops led by international cinema professionals.

This year’s animation festival takes places from September 1-6. After launching in 2011 the festival has grown to involve growing numbers of animation film experts from all over the world. 

2016 marks the 6th edition of the International Animation Film Festival Nikozi and this year participating groups including the famed French animation studio Folimage and Germany's International Short Film Festival Dresden.

Belgium's Anima Brussels Animation Film Festival and Open Russian Festival of Animation Cinema Suzdal's Echo will also participate in the occasion and present their animation works.

‘Mamie’ by director Janice Nadeau will be screened at the International Animation Film Festival Nikozi. Screenshot from the teaser.

The opening day of the festival will involve the screening of seven films created by Folimage studio from 1994 to 2014.

Organisers of the festival will also use the first day to screen segments from the in-production Georgian-French animation film The Pocket Man by Georgian director Ana Chubinidze. Chubinidze has been working with Folimage since presenting her work at the 2015 Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France.

In the following days visitors will be able to see some of the best animation works from Europe and beyond, including the best films of the 2016 Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France.

People will also be able to enjoy exhibitions by local theatres, painters and musical artists and a special three-day workshop for animation artists hosted by German character designer Gabor Steisinger. At the workshop guests will learn about the process of designing an animation character.

Director Konstantin Bronzit's 1998 animation film 'The End of the Earth' will screen at the International Animation Film Festival Nikozi. Photo from Presentatorium/Facebook.

Meanwhile Georgian art director Gogi Mikeladze, who has worked on over 40 animation films, will host an exhibition showcasing some of his work, while another exhibition will present creations by students of Nikozi's St. Alexandre Okropiridze Art School.

A highlight of the event will see Italian film critic Giannalberto Bendazzi present his encyclopaedia Animation: A World History, a three-volume book including information on Georgian animated cinema.

Musical and theatrical performances during the six-day festival will come from Georgian pianist Tamar Zhvania, Shadow Theatre Budrugana Gagra and Gori Women Choir.

The full program and participant details of the 6th International Animation Film Festival Nikozi can be found here.