The GIPA DocU Student Film Festival has come to an end. Students from the Bachelor’s programs in Audiovisual Arts and Digital Media, as well as the Master’s program in Journalism and Media Management, presented audiences with documentary, fiction, experimental, and essay films created by them.
Film screenings took place every evening from December 8 to December 12. At the closing of the festival, the winners were announced:
- The authors of the best transmedia pitch “Broadcast” Tsotne Kavelashvili, Ana Abuladze, Elene Makharoblishvili, and Soso Jachvliani received a financial prize to support the implementation of their project. In addition, the author Tsotne Kavelashvili will travel to Thomas More University (Belgium) to participate in a one-week fiction film workshop.
- The authors of the film “Tree Tales” - Tamar Odzelashvili, Nanuka Kechekmadze, Nika Okromchedlishvili, Mariam Ambroladze, and Mariam Utalishvili will travel to Utrecht (the Netherlands) to take part in a one-week documentary film campus.
- The authors of the best documentary film “Upside Down” - Marta Sherazadishvili, Natalia Shaqulashvili, and Ani Skhirtladze will also participate in a one-week documentary film campus in Utrecht (the Netherlands).
- The authors of the best experimental films - “Chiatura Is My Pride” (Anastacia Bakhturidze), “H” (by Ana Bolkvadze), and “Between Us” (by Laura Wissaert) – received cash prizes to support the further development of their projects.
- The authors of the best documentary film “Namja” - Nini Amashukeli and Demetre Tsuladze will also travel to Thomas More University (Belgium) to participate in a one-week workshop.
Special recognition was awarded to the films “Life of a Tbilisi Courtyard” (by Salome Khuskivadze and Salome Sosiashvili), “Capture the Flag” (by Gio Shushtakashvili), and “The Blooming of Inner Springs” (by Tiku Kobiashvili).
It is also noteworthy that students of GIPA’s Audiovisual Arts Program have recently received significant recognition. At the Tbilisi International Film Festival, the Golden Prometheus Award was presented to two GIPA graduates: Tiku Kobiashvili for the diploma film “The Blooming of Inner Springs” and Ketevan Vashagashvili for the film “The Nine-Month Contract”.
GIPA DocU was founded in 2012. Films created or initiated within the framework of the festival have been selected for competitive sections of leading international festivals such as Visions du Réel, DOK Leipzig, Hot Docs, the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, and others. Many GIPA DocU alumni have continued their studies in prestigious international documentary film programs and schools, including Doc Nomads, Close-Up, the London Film School, UCL, Goldsmiths, and many more.
