Two Georgian Oscar-nominated films are continuing to be recognized and applauded in the international film world.
This year Corn Island (Simindis Kundzuli), directed by George Ovashvili, was nominated for an Oscar in the best foreign language film category while Tangerines (Mandarinebi) by Zaza Urushadze was shortlisted in the same category. Both films were nominated for the prestigious Cinema for Peace Awards held during the Berlin International Film Festival Berlinale 2015.
The two films were presented at a special gala ceremony yesterday, February 9, in Berlin.
For the prestigious Cinema for Peace Awards, Estonian-Georgian co-production Tangerines (Mandarinebi) was nominated for the Most Valuable Movie of the Year category and the Georgia-German-French co-production Corn Island (Simindis Kundzuli) was nominated for the International Green Film Award category.
Critics described Corn Island as a poetic tale on the cycle of life told through the eyes of an old Abkhazian peasant and his teenage granddaughter.
The film, an almost wordless story about an aging farmer and his granddaughter pitted against nature and a lingering ethnic conflict, is one of 83 films to be submitted for final selection in the foreign language film category of the prestigious Oscars film awards.
During the year the film has won 14 international awards and three nominations.
This year the Cinema for Peace gala awards focused on the issue of climate change. Honorary guests and dedicated film artists gathered to celebrate the vital influence of movies and documentaries on the perception and resolution of this and other global social, political and humanitarian challenges of the 21st century.
Meanwhile, Corn Island will be released in Germany for the first time on May 28 by New Visions Film Distribution (Neue Visionen Filmverleih).
On another note, this year a Georgian project debuted at the Berlinale Coproduction Market. Georgian movie My Happy Family directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili was among the three best projects at the Berlinale Coproduction Market. This now means the directors of the three chosen films have a chance to pitch their projects and meet international producers and in a bid to achieve further funding.