Tbilisi International Film Festival in Georgia: dates, meaning and how to experience it

By Mariam Lomidze, GTour desk · Fact-checked against the sources listed · Last checked 25 October 2026 · Editorial policy

What it is

The Tbilisi International Film Festival — in Georgian, Tbilisis saertashoriso kinofestivali (თბილისის საერთაშორისო კინოფესტივალი) — is not a religious feast or a folk holiday but a modern cultural institution: an annual week-long programme of screenings, premieres and industry events held in the Georgian capital. The Georgian phrase is largely borrowed vocabulary — “saertashoriso” means “international” and “kinofestivali” is a direct transliteration of “film festival” — reflecting the event’s character as a point of contact between Georgian cinema and the wider world rather than an indigenous ritual tied to the church or agricultural calendar.

The festival is attended by filmmakers, critics, distributors and the general public, and it is one of the few recurring events in the Caucasus region that brings international directors, producers and sales agents into direct conversation with Georgian audiences and the domestic film industry. It sits within a broader ecosystem of state-supported cultural programming in Georgia, alongside music, jazz and documentary festivals, and functions as a showcase both for new Georgian production and for curated international cinema otherwise rarely distributed in local theatres.

Historical background

• 1908 — the first recorded public film screening in Tbilisi takes place, beginning a Georgian engagement with cinema that predates the Soviet period.
• 1921 — the Georgian State Film Studio (later known as Qartuli Pilmi) is founded in Tbilisi, establishing an organised national film industry under Soviet administration.
• 1920s–1980s — Georgian directors such as Tengiz Abuladze, Otar Iosseliani and Sergei Parajanov (who worked extensively in Georgia and Armenia) build an internationally recognised body of Soviet-era Georgian cinema.
• Early 1990s — the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing civil conflict and economic crisis disrupt Georgian film production and distribution infrastructure.
• 2000 — the Tbilisi International Film Festival is established, reviving a regular international screening platform for Georgian audiences in the post-Soviet period.
• 2000s–2010s — the festival expands its sections, adds industry and co-production components, and becomes a recurring fixture on the Georgian cultural calendar, supported in part by state cultural institutions.
• 2020–2021 — editions are adapted to pandemic conditions, with reduced in-person programming and hybrid formats, in line with restrictions affecting cultural events across Georgia.
• 2020s — the festival consolidates a late-autumn to early-winter slot, typically late November or early December, at cinemas including the historic Amirani cinema in central Tbilisi.

Cinema arrived in Tbilisi within little more than a decade of its invention, and the city’s role as an administrative and cultural centre of the Caucasus under both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union gave it an unusually developed film infrastructure for the region — production studios, training institutions and a dedicated audience. Georgian cinema of the Soviet era, especially the work of directors associated with the “poetic” or allegorical style, earned international festival recognition even under conditions of state censorship, a legacy that gives the modern festival’s claim to “international” status real historical weight.

The founding of the Tbilisi International Film Festival in 2000 responded directly to the vacuum left by the economic and institutional collapse of the 1990s, when cinemas across the country closed and domestic production nearly ceased. Rebuilding an annual international festival gave Georgian filmmakers renewed access to foreign films, foreign juries and foreign distributors at a moment when the country’s cultural institutions more broadly were being reconstituted. Over two decades the event has grown from a modest post-Soviet revival into an internationally attended festival, reflecting Georgia’s wider re-engagement with European and global cultural networks. For current programming and history, see the festival’s own site.

Meaning and traditions

Unlike church feasts or folk holidays, the Tbilisi International Film Festival carries no fixed liturgy, food or song — its “tradition” is cinematic and civic rather than ritual. Attendees speak of going to kinoteatri (ბ-film theatre, cinema) for premieres, Q&A sessions with visiting directors, and late-evening screenings that often run past midnight during the festival’s busiest days. The event typically presents competition and non-competition sections, retrospectives of Georgian directors, and a strand dedicated to new regional and Caucasus cinema, alongside masterclasses and industry panels aimed at producers and students.

There is no single “festival meal,” but attending audiences commonly continue the evening in the cafés and wine bars around Rustaveli Avenue and the historic cinema district, a pattern that mirrors the informal sociability around most Tbilisi cultural events rather than any festival-specific custom. Georgian terms a visitor may encounter include reJisori (რეჟისორი, director), moantkevi or aktiori (მსახიობი, actor), and bileti (ბილეთი, ticket); festival staff and most publicity materials operate bilingually in Georgian and English. Because the festival is concentrated in the capital, there are no meaningful regional variants — it is, deliberately, a Tbilisi-centred event, distinguishing it from the many feast days that are marked differently from village to village across Georgia.

When it happens

The festival does not follow a fixed date formula, religious calendar or public-holiday rule; organisers set exact dates each year, generally in late November or early December, and confirm the programme and venues closer to the event. It is not a public holiday, so government offices, schools and most businesses in Tbilisi operate as normal during the festival week; only the participating cinemas and associated venues run on festival schedules, often with extended hours for premieres.

The most recently announced upcoming edition is expected to run from 1 to 8 December 2027, with dates still to be confirmed by the organisers; readers planning a visit around this period should check the official festival website close to the date, as Georgian cultural festivals routinely finalise schedules only a few months, or even weeks, in advance.

Where to experience it

Screenings are concentrated in central Tbilisi, historically anchored at the Amirani cinema, one of the city’s long-standing theatres, with additional venues added depending on the year’s programme. Evening premieres are the best opportunity to see directors and cast in person, usually followed by audience discussion; daytime slots tend to be quieter and better suited to visitors wanting a seat without reserving in advance. Tickets are generally sold per screening rather than as festival passes, and lines can form quickly for high-profile premieres, so arriving thirty minutes early is prudent. As with any Georgian cinema, mobile phones are expected to be silenced, and talking during screenings is considered inconsiderate; otherwise there is no particular dress code or church-style etiquette to observe, since the festival is a secular, public event rather than a sacred occasion.

Did you know

• Tbilisi had organised public film screenings within little more than a decade of the medium’s invention, reflecting the city’s role as a Caucasus cultural hub under the Russian Empire.
• Several Soviet-era Georgian directors, working under state censorship, nonetheless achieved international festival recognition for allegorical and poetic filmmaking styles.
• The modern Tbilisi International Film Festival was founded in 2000, directly responding to the collapse of cinema infrastructure during Georgia’s difficult post-Soviet decade.
• The festival has no fixed calendar date and no public-holiday status, distinguishing it from Georgia’s church feasts and folk celebrations, which follow set liturgical or seasonal rules.
• Amirani cinema, one of the festival’s principal venues, is among Tbilisi’s historic theatres predating the festival itself by decades.

Practical tips for visitors

Book flights and accommodation early for a December visit, since this period coincides with Georgia’s shorter, colder days and occasional snow in Tbilisi; warm layered clothing is advisable for evenings moving between venues. Tbilisi International Airport serves most international arrivals; onward travel within the city is easiest by taxi or ride-hailing app, as festival venues are centrally located and walkable from much of the historic district. Confirm exact festival dates and ticketing details on the official site close to the event, since as noted, scheduling is finalised only months or weeks ahead; outside the festival week, Amirani and other central cinemas continue normal commercial screenings, so a December visit to Tbilisi is not dependent on the festival’s precise dates to include a cinema outing.

Combine it with

A December visit built around the festival pairs naturally with a short trip into Mtskheta-Mtianeti for early-winter mountain scenery, or into Kakheti for wine-region visits during the quieter off-season months. Travellers extending their stay in the capital can also combine festival evenings with daytime exploration of Tbilisi’s historic Old Town and museums.

Questions travellers ask

Is the Tbilisi International Film Festival a public holiday?

No. It is a cultural event, not a state or religious holiday, so government offices, schools and most businesses operate normally throughout the festival week.

Do I need tickets in advance?

For major premieres, yes — popular screenings can sell out, so checking the official festival site as soon as the programme is published is recommended.

Are films shown in English or with subtitles?

International selections are typically shown in their original language with Georgian and often English subtitles; exact subtitling varies by film and is listed in the programme.

Where exactly are screenings held?

The Amirani cinema in central Tbilisi has been a principal venue historically, with additional cinemas used depending on the year’s full programme.

What is the best time of day to attend?

Evening premieres offer the chance to see directors and cast, but daytime screenings are quieter and easier for securing a seat without advance planning.

Why don’t the dates stay the same every year?

The festival is organised independently each year around late November or early December, with exact scheduling depending on venue availability and the international film calendar, so organisers confirm dates annually rather than fixing them permanently.

Is December a good time to visit Tbilisi otherwise?

December brings cold, sometimes snowy weather to Tbilisi, but the city remains fully open, and the festival adds an additional cultural draw to a season that is generally quieter and less expensive than summer.

Can visitors meet filmmakers at the festival?

Many premieres include post-screening Q&A sessions with directors or cast, and the festival’s industry strand brings additional opportunities for public panels and masterclasses, though access to these varies by year and accreditation.

Sources

• Tbilisi International Film Festival (official site)
• Georgia National Tourism Administration
• Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia
• Agenda.ge, cultural reporting
• Georgia Today, cultural reporting
• Civil.ge, news archive
• Tbilisi City Hall