Inaugural Kutaisi Short Film Festival delayed to 2021 for coronavirus safety

The maiden edition of Kutaisi International Short Film Festival, the latest cinema event launched in Georgia to bring celebration of the media and art form to audiences beyond capital Tbilisi, has been delayed to next year with the resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic in mind.

Organisers announced on Wednesday the festival would not go ahead for the planned dates of November 3-7 due to the "worsening epidemiological situation in the country and throughout the world".

The rise of confirmed cases, virus hotspots and deaths both in Georgia and across the world with the fall flu season has meant the festival team feeling the need to make the decision to set May 3-7 as the new dates for the festival's first edition.

Works from between 2018-2020 are being accepted by festival team as submissions, with juries of the festival having four awards to hand out to eventual winners. These include Best Film and Most Outstanding Director prizes for the main programme, with the award for shorts and a special prize from a film critics jury.

The festival is founded with the aim of decentralising the scene of cinema festivals in Georgia, which is mostly concentrated around capital Tbilisi. Organisers see the event as an opportunity to see the western hub city of Kutaisi regain "cinematic position in the industry" with the festival.