Director Tamta Gabrichidze claims major Canadian fest award

Georgian filmmaker Tamta Gabrichidze claimed one of the principal prizes of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on Friday for her new film Sovdagari.

The documentary received the Best Short Documentary Award of the festival promoted as North America’s largest documentary cinema event.

The winners of the event were awarded on Friday, two days before the festival’s conclusion.

See highlights from the awards ceremony held in Toronto on Friday below:

Apart from receiving the award and a $3,000 cash prize, the Georgian filmmaker will be able to submit her work to the next Academy Awards without the theatrical run usually required for entrants.

Sovdagari screened at the Hot Docs festival on May 2 and 3 to tell the story of a Georgian man traversing the countryside looking to sell second-hand clothing and everyday items, in a portrayal of the stark contrast between urban and rural life.

#HotDocs17 *Winner* of Award for BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY: SOVDAGARI, directed by TAMTA GABRICHIDZE AwardsCeremony pic.twitter.com/sLQkiFkpIA

— Hot Docs (@hotdocs) 5 May 2017

The 22-minute film was part of the Shorts section of the festival that featured 230 films from nearly 60 countries since its launch on April 27.

Produced by Ilia Tavberidze and featuring cinematography by Vano Andiashvili, the 2016 short is the latest film by Gabrichidze.

The Georgian director has worked on a number of short productions over the last five years including Hidden Names and Lady Inmate, with the latter screening as part of the official selection for the 2016 Toronto Urban Film Festival.