Mestia International Short and Mountain Film Festival

The Mestia International Short and Mountain Film Festival, the next exciting film festival on our festival circuit will take place 22-26.08.2023. The idea of establishing a mountain-themed film festival in the beautiful Georgian town Mestia, was born while Khatuna Khundadze was discussing with Gegi Faliani the director of the Mestia Culture and Art Center, that there was no such festival in the Caucasus mountain region, while Mestia wellknown. Khundadze explains: "We didn't think too much and named the mountain-themed section and the prize after our national heroe Mikheil Khergiani." He was a seven-time national champion climber who earned the nickname the "Tiger of the Cliffs" for his ability to rapidly attack difficult routes. Khatuna Khundadze, the festival director tells us, that the first edition of the Mestia Short and Mountain Film Festival opened on September 15, 2021, the exact day that public gatherings were first allowed during the pandemic. Not only in Mestia, but also in Svaneti the red carpet was rolled out for the first time. The 180-person hall was full of people. She continues telling us: "We entertained the guests who stayed outside on the theatre terrace and told them about the festival. Despite the location of Georgia, there was no mountain-themed film festival in the Caucasus and we are proud to be innovators in this regard. We wanted our festival to be multifaceted, so that guests could see different films in one visit, and we divided the festival into 2 sections/ mountain themed films and short films. The experiment paid off and both sections have their audience. We opened the festival with the classic film of the Georgian director, Merab Kokchshvili – Mountain Peak-/1976/, which was restored by the Georgian Film Studio and was seen again by the audience after a long break". The idea would have remained an idea if not for the support of the Mestia municipality,  the main supporter of the festival which started with big enthusiasm. "This is already the third year that the municipality is at our side, together with the National Film Center and the Ministry of Culture, the National Tourism Agency and other sponsors." A good festival is characterized not only by good films, but also by high-ranking jury members and interesting guests, The trust and approval of the film officials and film journalists were also amazing who visited Mestia during this time. After all, we were enriched by their visit and they came back with amazing emotions. Especially interesting were our guests‘master classes, so interesting and diverse that they attracted not only professionals, but also for non-professional viewers. Of course, nothing will happen without Georgian wine and Georgian songs, and our festival evenings are also outstanding in this regard. Along with Svan cuisine, we pamper our guests with Svan wine. It is a great honor for us that the second festival opened with the film of the legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner, which caused amazing emotions in the audience. Our festival is internationally recognized. The foundation of many new ideas is laid at the festival. We are especially pleased with the fact that with the visit and recommendation of our 2022 jury chairman, member of the board of directors of the Hollywood International Press, Barbara Gasser, 2 Georgians, our festival programmer, film historian, professor Zviad Dolidze and a friend of the festival, film journalist Marika Bakuradze, will be on the list of Golden Globe voters, as well as our festival journalists from Korea and India. Articles about the festival have been published in various major publications like Vanity Fair and filmfestival.com. 5 representatives of the international press and several Georgian journalists will be covering the festival in 2023.

Khatuna Khundadze is a well established film director and producer. After studing medicine she continued her studies at the Stuttgart State Academy of Arts (Germany) majoring in ceramics/sculpture. She continued her studies at the Institute of Cultural Management in Ludwigsburg, and she later worked as a curator,  event manager, as as an artist and gallerist. At the end of 2012, she was appointed by the Deputy Minister of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia, and became the Head of the Department of International Relations and Promotion of Georgian Culture. In 2012-2014, she studied at Shota Rustaveli Theater and Film Georgia State University, majoring in film and television directing. Since 2016, she has been a member of the board of directors of the joint-stock company "Georgian Film," later its chairman, the chairman of the board of the Georgian Film Development Fund, and since 2020 - the founder and festival director of the Mestia International Short and Mountain Film Festival. As a director, she has shot several feature films and documentaries. She has also worked as a production designer, screenwriter, film producer. She currently works as a producer of Merab Kokochashvili's feature film. In addition, she has published 70 books. Everything Svan and nothing but Svan. This was her motto when she started thinking about the Mestia Film Festival trophies and she returned to her old profession as an artist and created sketches and prototypes.

The result are 3 amazing trophies, made out of epoxy and other auxiliary materials in the Beso Sikharulidze's workshop.

1. Grand Prix - Svan gold frozen in a crystal Svan tower

2. Best Short Film - The Svan Crystal Frozen in the Svan crystal tower

3. Mountain themed prize named after Mikheil Khergiani - the last fateful rope of Mikheil Khergiani frozen in the Svan crystal tower, which he broke in the Dolomites.

And all the trophies stand on the pedestal of the Svan yew-tree. "It was very important for me that all the winners will take their share of Svaneti from Georgia", Khatuna says.

Sali Chokheli is Khatuna's right hand, overlooking all operations and in charge of nternational relations.

Designer Lasha Giorgadze created the logo of the festival, a Svan tower spread out in letters on a blue color, which we fell in love with at first sight and approved without any unnecessary corrections.The festival is visually wrapped by cinematographer Elia Farsadanishvili, who is the author of the festival's visual films and miniclips. He is also the technical manager of the festival. Manana Khundadze Leman, based in Germany is the sister of the festival director and as a film composer in charge of the music at the festival. The festival posters are created by the designer Giorgi Mamulashvili. Zviad Dolidze is a professor at the Theater and Cinema University, and the director of the selection committee. Ketevan Janelidze holds a PHD in Art and works as a film critic and part of the team. The motto is to encourage the new generation, and this is why students also take part in the film selection, Eter Parchukidze and Saba Makharashvili have been members of the team since the very beginning, while Gnatsa Nozadze joined recently. Gegi Faliani is the deputy director,  Mari Naveriani and Ramaz Filfani are in charge of PR and Mamuka Ninua is the lawyer of the festival. Last but not least Sali Chokcheli overlooks the international relations. The festival receives funds from the National Film Center of the Mestia Municipality and the National Tourism Agency. 

JURY 2023 

Prof. Martin Rennert is the president of the jury. He is currently the chairman of the Einstein Foundation and a member of the board of the Berlin Public Broadcasting Company ARD/Germany 2011-2023. He has been the president of the University of the Arts Berlin 2005-2020 in the past.

Producer Ieva Norvilienė is a member of the jury.She founded together with director Ignas Miškinis their own production company called Tremora (2005). Since then she has produced 14 feature-length films, most of which coproductions, 7 shorts and 2 documentaries. All of them were screened at numerous festivals around the world, winning over hundred awards in the festivals. Most of the films was nominated for national awards and won numerous awards. Ieva Norvilienė is a member of European Film Academy (EU) and Alliance of Cinema Auteurs (Lithuania) organizations. 2017 – 2021 she was managing director of Lithuanian Filmmakers Union.

Dr. Peter Muszatics Hungary is a member of the jury. He has studied in Budapest at University of Theater and Film (SzFE) and in Prague at the film university FAMU. Peter is the program director of the Hungarian Motion Picture Festival (the Hungarian national film festival), curator of the annual festival Budapest Classics and one of the main organizers of CineFest, Hungary's leading international film festival. He has published many  articles and and is the author of three books, including a book about the Austria-Hungary's impact on the American cinema. As a film historian he is an expert of the early Hollywood films and the Central European Cinema.

Prof. Lela Ochiauri is a member of the jury. She is the head of the Department of Film Critisizm and Theory at Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgia State University and the author of several books and articles.

George Ovashvili is also a member of the jury and a Georgian director, writer and producer. He has graduated from the film department of the Georgian State university of Cinema and Theatre (1996) and the New York Film Academy at Universal Studios in Hollywood (2006). His first feature film “The Other Bank” premiered at the Berlin Film Festival's Generation section in 2009 and won over 50 international prizes. It was nominated at European Film Awards in the category “European Discovery”. His second feature “Corn Island” won the Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2014 and was shortlisted for the Academy’s best foreign language film in 2015. “Khibula” ended the trilogy of long features, dedicated to the recent history of director’s home country. The film premiered in the main competition of Karlovy Vary IFF in 2017. “Beautiful Helen” (2023) premiered at the Trieste Film Festival. He is currently working on his new film “The Moon is a Father of Mine” (2024).

To be continued!

Alice Kanterian