Batumi International Art-House Film Festival

About

The mission of BIAFF is to be an international event designed to enhance cultural exchange, understanding, and collaboration through the screening of new art house-house and non-commercial films from Georgia and abroad. The event provides an opportunity for well known film makers, producers and film critics to meet and share their expertise and works with other people in their respective fields and gives  local cinema lovers and other individuals a better understanding of the industry and it’s people through retrospectives. BIAFF is also focused on providing a quality educational opportunity for those people interested in film and cinematography.  

Festival Program consists of following sections:

• Feature competition,
• Doc Competition,
• Shorts Competition,
• Meet the Jury, 
• Retrospective screening,
• Silk Road Countries Films,
• Georgian Cinema.

Awards

International Feature Competition:

• Grand Prix
• Best Film director
• Best actor
• Best actress
• Jury Special prize

International Doc Competition:

• Best Documentary film
• Jury Special prize

Young film makers competition:

• Best film
• Best film director
• Jury special prize

Festival administration has also the following additional awards:

• Lifetime achievement award in cinematography (Georgian cinematography),
• Lifetime achievement award in cinematography (Foreign cinematography),
• Special prize of festival directorate.

Rules

• The films completed maximum within 2 years prior to film festival.
• The competition program gives preference to International or Caucasus premiers.
• The films, which didn’t have public screening in Georgia, may participate in the Festival Program (except retrospective screening and Georgian Films Program). 

In Short film competition participate 25 films, which should fit the following requirements:

• Length of film up to 35 minutes,
• Age of film maker up to 35 years,
• Genre short feature, doc, animation, experimental,
• Format of screenings DCP, Blue-ray, DVD.

There are 2 options of the submission:

• Fill out the online entry form, provide preview online (for ex: send us Vimeo, Youtube link from which we can download film from online) or send (Blue-ray, DVD etc.) by mail.
• Submit to BIAFF via FilmFestivalLife.

Expenses occurred by transportation of the films for competition shall be under the responsibility of the Directorate of Batumi International Art-House Film Festival. The Directorate of Batumi Batumi International Art-House Festival is responsible for insuring and safe storage of the films copies.

The Directorate of Batumi International Art-House Film Festival shall take responsibility to cover transportation and accommodation expenses for one representative of the film in competition section of the Festival.

Premiere Requirements

National premiere required.

Jury and Organizers

Manager — Zviad Eliziani