Locarno Film Festival honours short film by Georgian director

A new short film by Georgian director Anna Sarukhanova will compete for one of the main prizes at a prestigious European festival among hundreds of feature and short films from across the world.

Sarukhanova's 2016 film Till the End of the Day will be screened at this year's Locarno Film Festival, an annual event recognised as one of the longest running cinema occasions in Europe.

Beginning on August 3, the festival will present more than 200 films from Europe, Asia, South America, North America and the Middle East to guests in Locarno in southern Switzerland.

The highly anticipated cinema festival will feature 20th Century classics as well as contemporary works, while special industry forums will bring together creators and the audience for discussions.

See the trailer for director Anna Sarukhanova's short film 'Till the End of the Day' below:

Sarukhanova's work brings together actors Tina Eradze, Sako Tenzin and Jemal Gaganidze in a 15 minute short film.

Produced by Tbilisi-based Millimeter Film in co-production with Olami studio, the film's screenplay was also created by Sarukhanova.

The film’s plot follows two young sisters who are visiting their grandfather but discover him missing from the apartment. As the girls decide what to do next, the old home becomes a spot where memories come alive. 

The 2016 production will screen from August 9-11 as one of 28 films in the festival's Pardi di domani section.

Sarukhanova's work is also Locarno’s short film nominee for the European Film Awards 2016, to be presented in Poland in December.

See the promotional video for the 2016 Locarno Film Festival below:

Films screened in the Pardi di domani section will be judged by a jury of five cinema experts from Germany, Spain, the United States, Afghanistan and Switzerland.

Other jury teams will assess films in the festival's other sections but the public attending the film festival can also have their say in determining their favourite work within the UBS Public Award.

In parallel with the film screenings, the Swiss festival will host the 7th Locarno Summer Academy which invites filmmakers, critics, industry figures and aspiring documentary creators to attend workshops and meetings.

Launched in 1946, the Locarno Film Festival is recognised as a launching platform for international cinema careers and has involved famous industry names including Jean-Luc Godard, Jim Jarmusch and Andrei Tarkovsky.

Last year's competition for the Pardi di domani Award was won by Georgian director Davit Pirtskhalava for his short film Father.

This year's Locarno Film Festival will run until August 13.

The film festival’s full program can be viewed on the official website here.