The Third Tbilisi International Archival Film Festival, hosted by the National Archive of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, will showcase the film programs of institutions from 13 countries.

The festival, themed Cinema – the Chronicler of History, will feature films preserved by film archive organizations from the USA, Czech Republic, Malta, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Croatia, Poland, Estonia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Peru, and Moldova.

The festival is scheduled to take place from September 17-20, 2024, at the cinema hall of the National Archive of Georgia. It will open with the screening of Giorgi Shengelia’s film Alaverdoba (1962), a pre-censored version of which was recently added to the National Archive. This film is preserved in its original form on a film tape kept by the director’s family.

The festival will close with The First Swallow by Nana Mchedlidze (1975), presented by the National Film Center of Georgia. This screening honours the 100th anniversary of actor Dodo Abashidze.

A new feature of this year’s festival will be a panel discussion where representatives from various film institutions will discuss the significance of film archives, challenges in the field, and the role of cinema in cultural heritage, national identity, and social context.

Tbilisi International Archival Film Festival was established by the National Archive of Georgia in 2022.