The first Student TV and Film Forum was opened at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) with the screening of nine student films.

The forum “Development of Visual Thinking Culture” was held with the support of the Multimedia Center of the TSU Faculty of Social and Political Sciences and the Georgian National Film Center. 

Along with Tbilisi State University, the works by students of Batumi Art Teaching University, Akaki Tsereteli Kutaisi State University and Gori State University were also presented at the forum.

Rector of Tbilisi State University, George Sharvashidze, Vice Rector Nino Okribelashvili, representatives of the Poti Municipality, professors and students attended the event.

Rector of Tbilisi State University, George Sharvashidze welcomed the forum participants and spoke about the importance of involving students from four regional universities in the project. “This is a very interesting platform for students, young people, they will meet prominent field experts, have master classes and work in a two-day intensive mode; we will jointly see the works presented by students and evaluate them,” Rector Sharvashidze said.

Manana Suradze, head of Cinematography Popularization Department at the Georgian National Film Center, hopes that the Student TV and Film Forum will become a tradition at TSU and will expand further in the future. “Over the past three years, people have had online relations only; we have become asocial; therefore, it is very useful for students to participate in this forum, to familiarize with the works of other students, to live in a dormitory, to communicate and make friends. We hope that they will continue their friendship in the future,” Manana Suradze noted.

Among other films, the winners of several international film festivals and competitions were also presented at the forum. 

“This is a picture of what is happening at the TSU Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. It is important that today the first steps are being taken in the creative life of our students, a new platform is being opened for them, where they will present their works to the audience, professionals, colleagues. It is important for us to show students what regional universities are doing; it will also be interesting to share experience and plan joint projects; we have huge plans and we believe that these plans will be implemented,” Natia Rachvelishvili, a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, said.   

The forum will last through May 24. The following field experts will take part in the work of the two-day forum and share their experience with interested students in an interactive mode:

Tamar Gabrichidze - director, producer. Her films have won numerous international awards, including one of the main prizes at the Sundance Film Festival. Her film “Sovdagari” is the first Georgian documentary to be distributed worldwide by Netflix;

Kote Jandieri - writer, screenwriter, director of the TV Film Studio of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, winner of numerous literary awards;

Sandro Gabilaia - executive producer, director, founder of Metro Production, executive producer of JWT Metro, member of the Cannes Lions Azerbaijan Jury, executive producer of films and commercials that have won numerous international festivals.