Kutaisi International Short Film Festival

About

Kutaisi International Short Film Festival aims to bring cinema back to Kutaisi, reviving cultural life in the region and establishing an annual celebration of cinema. Focused on short films, the festival aims to discover and showcase new talents and voices in the film industry. It also seeks to underscore the importance and value of short films, to reignite public interest in this art form.

Scheduled for October 4-10, the upcoming edition will feature various events, including lectures, masterclasses, and workshops, providing educational opportunities and skill development within the film community. In addition, the festival includes side events such as concerts and outdoor screenings, creating a dynamic and immersive experience for both attendees and the entire city of Kutaisi.

By leveraging Kutaisi's rich historical and cultural background, the festival adds a unique dimension to its offerings. Its commitment to bringing cinema back to the city underscores its importance in revitalizing cultural life and promoting artistic expression.

Awards

In the Main International Competition The Kutaisi International Short Film Festival will recognize excellence in three categories:

Best Film,
Best Director
Best Cinematographer.

Winners in each category will be honoured with the prestigious Golden Dinosaur prizes.

Independent Film Critics' Jury:
An independent film critics' jury will choose their favourite short film from the festival and award the winner with a prize, named after Mikheil Kobakhidze.

Rules

By submitting your film, you agree that the Kutaisi International Short Film Festival may use excerpts of your film (including trailer/teaser and film poster) for promotional purposes.

To submit a film, you must have created the project yourself, own the rights, or have obtained permission from the rights holder to submit the film.

PLEASE READ THE RULES BELOW THOROUGHLY BEFORE SUBMITTING:

1. Georgian Premiere Status (for Georgian Films Only)
Georgian films must have Georgian premiere status. Films must not have been screened at any Georgian film festivals or have had any other form of public screening in Georgia prior to the festival.

2. All entries must be fully completed films. Works-in-progress will not be accepted.

3. All entries must include English subtitles.

4. No animation films are accepted.

5. All entries must have been completed after July 1, 2025.

6. You must own or have secured all rights for any material submitted to the festival.

7. The running time for both Short Fiction and Short Documentary films must be between 10 and 35 minutes.

8. Selected filmmakers must be prepared to provide the following materials upon request:
- High-quality stills from the film
- Screening copy in DCP or ProRes format
- For ProRes: please provide the correct colour gamma as graded
- For DCP: please provide detailed sound level information for screening (including mix format and audio specifications)
- H264 clean file (without subtitles or burned-in graphics) for promotional purposes
- Separate English subtitle file in .srt format

9. Selected films will be announced on August 15, and submitters will be notified accordingly.

Kutaisi International Short Film Festival Awards will review films in their entirety. All submitted films are viewed and evaluated by members of the Selection Committee - a professional group of film critics and filmmakers. Films are scored accordingly.

Please note that the submission fee does not guarantee selection. The fee is non-refundable if the film is not selected.

As the festival is fully volunteer-based and non-commercial, we do not pay screening fees.

Premiere Requirements

National premiere required.