Georgian films selected for major documentary festival in Amsterdam
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Four Georgian filmmakers will be presenting their projects in one of Europe’s major documentary film festivals that annually attracts thousands of visitors.
The 28th annual International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) will open in the Dutch capital tomorrow and continue for 11 days of screenings, talks and meetings from film experts from all over Europe.
The festival – described as a "massive gathering of the international documentary community” by the International Documentary Association – will welcome roughly 2,500 documentary professionals and host events at dozens of locations around Amsterdam.
Four Georgian filmmakers will present their works in the Festival. The event has separated films into eight categories. More than 450 films and events will feature in this year’s IDFA.
Among the productions at the event will be the film When the Earth Seems to be Light by directors Salome Machaidze, Tamuna Karumidze and David Meskhi, making its international debut in the Festival’s main competition on November 21. The film tells the story of youth in a former Soviet state.
Another documentary-maker, Tsira Gvasalia, will present her project in the IDFAcademy forum, which involves workshops and master classes for a select group of 80 young filmmakers from around the world.
When the Earth Seems to be Light by directors Salome Machaidze, Tamuna Karumidze and David Meskhi focuses on the experiences of young and free-minded people in a former Soviet country. Photo from whenearthseemstobelight.tumblr.com.
The Festival’s Round Table Pitch will include Rati Oneli’s work City of the Sun – a film about the life and hardships of inhabitants of the Chiatura mining town in western Georgia. The film was earlier chosen among 500 submitted projects to be presented to film agents and other interested industry figures.
Finally, seasoned documentary filmmaker Toma Chagelishvili will see his creation Little Berlin Wall, about the everyday relationships in the Russian-occupied areas of Georgia, presented in the IDFA Market after it received the IDFA Award at the 21st Sarajevo Film Festival in August.
The event’s jury team will involve 34 members including teenage judges for the DOC U section of the event aimed at young audiences.
The 28th edition of the Amsterdam gathering will offer 36 post-screening discussions and Q&A sessions with film directors and actors. There will also be extended discussions for industry figures and experts.
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam has annually been held in the Dutch capital since 1988.
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