EDITOREAL LETTER
The new edition of Best of Film Print 2012 is being launched at the Berlinale, in the cold-but exceptionally film-friendly-city of Berlin. This marks the beginning of another year of extraordinary film premieres, exciting discoveries of international talent, great achievements and sometimes disappointing set-backs-but most significantly it has been a year confirming a genuine and constant love for world cinema! 2012 was a special year in Georgian film history – a year marking the revival of Georgian cinema, the emergence of young talent and the clear recognition and commitment to new policies which will lead to the development of the film industry in our country. We proved this year that film is not just a flickering and fading light from our cultural past, but a sector that is reviving and promising a bright future. Following more than a decade of near-stagnation that started in the 1990s, we have worked hard over the past three years to achieve results that we can take pride in: up to 20 films were produced and shot in Georgia; up to ten projects were developed through public funding; three films received/won Eurimages support; and our film retrospective programmes travelled to more than 15 countries. We have hosted official visits by high profile international film executives from Eurimages, Berlinale FF, Semaine de la Critique Section of Cannes FF, Locarno FF, Sarajevo FF, representatives and others. The most significant achievement for 2012, however, is that Georgia has entered the wider map of the international film family. Georgian filmmakers are striving for global recognition, and our international colleagues are keen and supportive of this process. That achievement is the main focus of this edition – to deliver our new story. To tell you more about our accomplishments over the last year, tell about the international premieres of new Georgian films, show the creative visions of young Georgian filmmakers, and offer reviews of recent films and interviews with established Georgian talent. We have also captured the words and ideas of foreign professionals who have been the first to support our industry's efforts at development in 2012. You’ll meet and hear your colleagues who have already discovered Georgia as a film-friendly country! We took risks in our journey to discover talent, and we will continue to give chances to others who support the future of Georgian films. In our Best of FilmPrint 2012 you will meet some of the people who have inspired us, some who we support, and others who are creating the identity of Georgian cinema.
Photo: Maka Kukulava
Thank you for reading our first English-language magazine, Best of Film Print 2012!
Tamara Tatishvili / Director of Georgian National Film Centre Natia Kanteladze / Executive Manager of Film Print Magazine
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