Among the seven features shot in 2013 are Olena Fetisova’s Ukrainian/French/Georgian coproduction Parajanov (produced from Georgia by Gemini Producing Center), Zaza Urushadze’s Estonian/Georgian coproduction Tangerines (produced from Georgia by Cinema24), Levan Koghuashvili’s Blind Dates (produced by LTD Cinema Iberika, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and the black comedy Epic, written by Pawel Pawlikovski and Ben Hopkins and directed by Hopkina, a Georgian-British-Russian coproduction with Ltd 20 Steps Production, as the main producer. The Georgian-French coproduction Brides by Tinatin Kajrishvili with LTD Jemini producing, and I am Beso by Giorgi Tskvitinidze, produced by LTD Pansionati, are also finished.
The Georgian-French-German-Czech-Kazhak coproduction Corn Island by George Ovashvili, produced in Georgia by Alamdary Films, (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), started production in 2013 with plans to be finished by April 2014, representatives of Alamdary Films told FNE. Brother by Teona Mgvdeladze-Grenade, a coproduction between Georgia and France, was shot in 2012. Seven documentaries were also produced in 2012, among them See You in Chechnya by Alexander Kvatashidze, an international coproduction produced by Kvatashidze through Lokokina Studio, Prison Confessions by Levan Koghuashvili andproduced by Kino Iberika, and Ramaz Chkhikvadze directed and produced by Alexander Rekhviashvili. Expected to be shot in 2014 are features Folklore (produced by LTD Gams Pictures, directed by Levan Tutberidze) and Sleeping Lessons/Dzilis gakvetilebi (produced by LTD Caucasian Filmodrom, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and directed by Rusudan Pirveli), the debut feature Skhvisi Sakhli by Rusudan Glurjadze, produced by LTD Cinetek (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), and the international coproductions Ursus by Otar Shamatava (produced by LTD Studio O) and Dito Tsintsadze‘s Contest (produced by LTD Koro Pictures). Seven documentaries are also waiting to go into production soon, among them Religion, Power, State, Georgia 1989 – 2013, produced and directed by Soso Dumbadze, Channel by Salome Jashi (produced by LTD Sakdoc films) and Suburb by Zurab Inashvili (produced by NNLE Author Films Studio).
Eight foreign films, mostly coproductions, were shot in Georgia between November 2012 and November 2013. A cash rebate plan is still in discussion. Approximately 50% of the domestic films produced during a year are coproductions. The average budget for a feature film is 360,000 EUR/850,000 GEL.
Two international productions were shot in Georgia in 2013 with no support from the GNFC. Michel Hazanavicius’s new project, The Search (produced by the American company Worldview Entertainment and French La petite reine and France 3) was shot under the radar in Georgia starting at the end of August 2013. The project has the Georgian company Sarke as local partner and it stars Bérénice Bejo and Annette Bening. Jacky in the Kingdom of Women/ Jacky au royaume des filles by Riad Sattouf is a French production starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Michel Hazanavicius and Emmanuelle Devos. The film is produced by Les Films des Tournelles with Mirza Davitaia and his Georgian company Georgian International Films providing services. The film was shot in Georgia during 26 days in fall 2012, Davitaia told FNE.
DISTRIBUTION
Eight Georgian features and 60 foreign films were distributed domestically in 2012. The number of European productions in Georgian cinemas is scarce. The leading distributors are the Russian company Inter Film and W.D.S.S.P.R (USA).
EXHIBITION AND BOX OFFICE
The box office was 1,964,930 EUR/ 4,647,525 GEL in 2012. Admissions were 648,979. Box office hits in 2012 were the Georgian family film Naughty Kids: Operation New Year by Zurab Menteshashvili (produced by Mentesh Production), which was also the top domestic film in 2012, the Russian-Georgian coproduction Love with Accent, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn - Part 2, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.
The top domestic films in 2012 were: Naughty Kids Operation New Year, Kacebis Kino, Salt White by Keti Machavariani (produced by Jaga Grip) and Will There Be a Theatre up There? (produced by Studio Stuko and Studio N&N).
FILM INSTITUTIONS
The Georgian National Film Centre handles cinema strategy and allots the state funding. GNFC gave out 1,228,540 EUR/2,905,790 GEL in 2010, 706,905 EUR/1,672,000 GEL in 2011, and 1,047,800 EUR/2,478,301 GEL in 2012. Funding increased to 1,297,210 EUR/3,068,207 GEL in 2013.
The autonomous region of Adjara also started supporting film production and allotted 36,360 EUR/86,000 GEL in 2013.
Contact
Georgia National Film Centre
4 Zviad Gamsakhurdia Named Right Bank
Tbilisi 0105, Georgia
Phone: (+995 322) 2 999 200
Fax: (+995 322) 2 999 102
(www.gnfc.ge)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
TV
The Public Broadcasting Company– First Channel and the private channels Broadcasting Company Rustavi 2, and TV Imedi are producing TV series. Public Broadcasting – First Channel is also producing documentaries. TV channels do not fund independent film production as a rule, but it depends on individual case, sources from GNFC told FNE.
(Source: Georgian National Film Center
Report by: Iulia Blaga)
