BIAFF 2016 Closing Ceremony and Awards

took place BIAFF Film festival closing ceremony took place on 25 September, at Batumi State Musical Center.  International Jury awarded prizes in three-competition section – International Feature Films, Doc Films and Short Films section.

BIAFF international competition section’s Jury consisting of five members Dito Tsintsadze, Georgia (head of Jury), Mahtab Keramati (Iran), Liza Antonova (Russia), Iryna Gordiichuk (Ukraine), Gulnara Abikieva, (Kazakhstan) awarded following prizes:

• Grand Prix – “Zoology” by Ivan I.Tverdovskiy (Russia / France/ Germany, 2016) 
• Best Film Director  - “Godless”, by Ralitza Petrova  (Bulgaria/Denmark/France, 2016) 
• Best Actress –  Natalia Pavlenkova in film “Zoology”, by Ivan I.Tverdovskiy ( (Russia / France/ Germany, 2016) 
• Best Actor – Farhad Aslani in film “Daughter” by Reza Mirkarimi (Iran, 2016) 
• Special mention to:

• RAUF (by Soner Caner/Baris Kaya, Turkey, 2016) – for bringing strong social message to audience, from the viewpoint of child about peace and love.
• UNITED STATES OF LOVE (Tomasz Wasilewski, Poland/Sweden, 2016) – for brilliant camera work of Oleg Mutu (DoP), which creates special cinematic atmosphere in film

BIAFF 2016 Documentary Films international competition section’s Jury consisting of five members Marina Razbeshkina, Russia (Head of Jury), Nargiz Baghirzade  (Azerbaijan), Oles Yanchuk (Ukraine), Elhum Shakerifar (UK), Beso Odisharia (Georgia), awarded following prizes:

• The Best Doc film -  The Cinema Travellers, Shirley Abraham/Amit Madheshiya, India, 96 min.
• Special Mention -  Rodnye (Close Relations), Vitaly Manksi, Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, 2016; 112 min.

BIAFF 2016 – Short Film international competition section’s Jury consisting of   Zaza Khalvashi, Georgia (head of Jury), David Muradian (Armenia), Julia Sinkevych (Ukraine), Diliara Tasbulatova, (Russia), Zura Sturua (Georgia)

• The Best Short film -   Lethe, Dea Kulumbegashvili, Georgia, 2016; 15 min.
• Jury Special Mention - When You Hear the Bells, Chabname Zariab, France/Tunisia, 2015  and  Land of the Lost, Hawraz Mohammed, Iraq, 2016  

Within BIAFF film festival’s short film competitoin section there was awarded following additioanl prizes:

-       Prize of Batumi Art University was given to  - “Lost Village”, by Giorgi Todria, Georgia/Spain, 2016

-       Prize of International Animation Film Festival TOFUZI was given to – “Guest”, by Nino Shaburishvili, Georgia/France, 2016-

BIAFF Life time Achievement awards for contribuitone to World cinema was granted to:

• Vadim Abdrashitov (Russia)
• Berdia INtskirveli (Georgia

Prize for contribution to BIAFF festival development -  Andrzej Slowicki

At BIAFF industry platform “Alternative Wave” in which participated 9 Georgian film projects, the prize for best film project (Cinema Equipment Rental Services)  was awarded to:

-       “Inga” by Giorgi Gogichaishvili, Script – Zaza Koshkadze/Meri Bekauri/David Abramishvili,  Producer – Gega Khmaladze

BIAFF 2016 closing film was “Miles Ahead” by Don Cheadle, USA, 2016.  

Festival Sponsors – Ministry of Culture of Georgia,  Georgian National Film Center, Divan Suites Batumi, “Askaneli Brothers”

Festival Supporters – British Council, Polish Audio-Visual Fund, Cinema APOLLO, Alphabet Tower, “Terassa Askaneli”, Hotel Rcheuli, Hotel Batumi Plaza, Hotel Admiral, Cinema “Rustaveli”, Tourism Department of Ajara AR, festival “Tbilisi Open Air”, HQ propaganda, Tour Company “Wonderland”

Festival Media Partners – Radio Fortuna/Fortuna+, Adjara TV, Newspaper “Georgia Today”, FILMPRINT, Publicity Group (www.publicity.ge), www.newswire.ge, Film New Europe (www.filmneweurope.com), Newspaper BATUMELEBI, www.netgazeti.ge

Our contact info – marketing@biaff.org , Tel: 599-482181