See European Shooting Stars Levan Gelbakhiani, Irakli Kvirikadze speak about award, film careers [VIDEO]

Levan Gelbakhiani (pictured sixth from left) was unveiled alongside nine other actors as winner of the European Shooting Stars award at the Berlin International Film Festival that opened last week. Photo: Andreas Renz.

Agenda.ge, 25 Feb 2020 - 18:29, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia's young cinema talents Levan Gelbakhiani and Irakli Kvirikadze, winners of the European Shooting Stars awards in 2020 and 2018 respectively, have been interviewed for their take on the prize and its effect on their burgeoning careers in film.

Gelbakhiani, unveiled alongside 9 other European actors for the honour at the Berlin International Film Festival this week, and Kvirikadze, distinguished with the award two years ago, speak in their video profile produced by Movement media platform.

Released as the Berlinale opened in the German capital last week, the video also shows the two Georgian recipients of the European emerging talent recognition speak about their path to the selection and about their roles that marked their breakthrough on the international scene.

 

Gelbakhiani, 22, was selected for the ESS prize - handed out by the European Film Promotion - after his role as the protagonist of director Levan Akin's award-finning feature And Then We Danced.

Along with prizes for the filmmaker and the feature itself, the actor was singled out for Best Actor Awards of the Sarajevo and Valladolid film festivals.

An EFP jury praised the actor as a "master of physical elegance and psychological sensitivity" after seeing him in the drama. Gelbakhiani was nominated for the Europe-wide prize by the Georgian National Film Centre.

Kvirikadze earned his spot among ESS winners in 2018 after impressing the juries with his "natural presence and overwhelming energy" in Rezo Gigineishvili's feature drama Hostages.