To learn some key details about the industry sidebar of the fourth Svaneti International Film Festival (15-21 July), held in northwest Georgia’s historical region, nestled in the southern Greater Caucasus mountain range, we spoke to its head of selection, Vladimir Katcharava. He is an established Georgian producer known for his work with 20 Steps Production, one of the leading firms in the region.

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Back in 2017, he gained international recognition by throwing his weight behind successful titles such as Hostages [+lee también:
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entrevista: Irakli Kvirikadze
entrevista: Rezo Gigineishvili
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entrevista: Eva Husson
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entrevista: George Sikharulidze
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While currently completing three other features and working on the pre-production of the first Georgian full-length 2D animation, Katcharava shares with us his vision of the goals of, and selection criteria for, the Svaneti-based gathering, designed to boost the local industry and help Georgian filmmakers gain more visibility globally.  

Cineuropa: This is the fourth edition of the festival with an industry focus on upcoming Georgian projects. What has the outcome been so far for the local film industry?
Vladimir Katcharava: Our idea is to invite representatives of the international film industry, especially those from festivals and international industry platforms, in order to facilitate access to those events for Georgian filmmakers. Svaneti is a magnificent place that makes it easier for international and Georgian professionals to connect. This is more difficult to achieve at larger festivals, especially for emerging filmmakers who might also face limitations on travelling abroad.

What are your overall criteria when it comes to selecting the film projects?
We strongly consider the international potential of the project and the team behind it in general, as well as the director's and producer's aspirations for development. We also look to invite not only established professionals, but also those who are at the beginning of their careers. It can be helpful to create this mixed kind of environment in order to help the newcomers gain knowledge and experience from others. 

Did you look for any specific characteristics while putting together this year’s selection?
We aimed to select projects whose auteurs do not have extensive international experience. Of the five projects chosen for this year's Pitching Forum, only one has participated in previous pitching sessions. We hope this will assist filmmakers in getting through the development stage and in finding the right direction for their work. Pitching is not only about presenting a project to a jury; it is also crucial for the auteurs to convey their message succinctly without being scattered, a common problem for many beginners in Georgia. This significantly hinders them from progressing to the next stage of development. The vast majority of the projects being presented at this edition are either in production or in post-production.

As for content, the most common topics in this year’s selection are emigration, women’s issues in today’s Georgian society, and the current ecosystem-related turmoil.

How did you actually get involved with the festival?
I have been working in the film field with the head and co-founder, Mariam Khatchvani, since 2010. As a producer, I backed both her feature Dede and her earlier short Dinola, while we continue to work as a team on her upcoming projects. The idea for the festival came from our belief in the need for a stronger industrial meeting point in Georgia, where training, the exchanging of experience and networking on an international level can take place. So, when Mariam founded the festival, the industrial side was also launched in the very first year, and I naturally stepped in. We invest all of our efforts into creating a fruitful and peaceful working environment in Svaneti, away from the chaos of the megacities. A residency programme is also planned to be launched in the near future.

What are your expectations for this upcoming edition?
We hope to encourage further international collaboration by bringing in international crews who can help Georgians grow and make our industry more competitive. This also positions us as a place where filmmakers can shoot their films with highly skilled professionals, such as those we have here in Georgia.

Furthermore, Georgian auteurs can introduce stories and viewpoints originating from their own cultural perspectives. Georgia, and especially our capital, Tbilisi, is historically rich in multicultural, artistic tradition, and therefore co-productions between Georgia and Western countries can lead to an exchange of ideas, values, cultural approaches and techniques, fostering innovation and creativity in the industry, all within the context of the unique language.