Kutaisi International Short Film Festival awards Pedro Almodóvar for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema

The fourth edition of the International Short Film Festival was held in the western Georgian city of Kutaisi from October 4 to 10, which gathered domestic and international actors, directors and industry experts to deliver masterclasses and workshops and hold discussions about films.

The Film Festival recognised the excellence of short films in the three categories, the winners of which were awarded the prestigious Golden Dinosaur prizes.

The Golden Dinosaur for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema was awarded to the Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar, and the prize was presented to Almodóvar’s actress Eva Siva to deliver it to the director in Spain.

The Golden Dinosaur for Best Film was awarded to Nutsa Tsikaridze's film Burning Sun.

The jury, comprised of independent film critics, also gave the Golden Dinosaur award for Best Director category to the Spanish director Manuel Muñoz Rivas for the film Aqueronte.

An Iranian actress Maryam Boubani won a special prize for Best Actress nomination for her role in the film the Child.

Kutaisi, the second largest city in Georgia, holds a 116-year-old tradition in filmmaking. The Kutaisi International Short Film Festival aims to bring cinema back to the city, revive cultural life in the region, and establish an annual celebration of the cinema. Focused on short films and discovering and showcasing new talents in the film industry, the Festival also seeks to underscore the importance and value of short films and spark public interest in this “form of art”.