The Mestia International Short and Mountain Film Festival (Mestiaff) in Svaneti serves many goals, but it has a big emphasis on raising awareness about mountain films. Originally founded in 2021, this year the festival took place from July 23 to July 27.
The film genre’s focal point is to tell stories about mountains and the battle between humans and nature. The festival’s Head of International Relations Sali Chokheli notes that Georgia is home to various mountains, including the famous Caucasus Range, making it an ideal spot to screen films of this genre. By holding Mestiaff in Svaneti, attendees get to explore the region’s uniqueness and discover the mountains firsthand.
“Svaneti is full of folklore, pristine nature, proud and hospitable people. Every year for five days the festival provides its spectators, special guests, and jury members with mind-blowing and spectacular mountain films, in the mountain region which has always served as an attraction for filmmakers,” Chokheli tells GEORGIA TODAY. “Gathering these filmmakers in this small region serves the same purpose – to use every possible chance to promote mountain films.”
According to Chokheli, mountains have always prominently featured in films throughout history, yet people usually connect them with German and Austrian cinema, especially from the 1920s and 30s. In the last two decades, she says, this genre has grown to reflect mountains in more countries, which is why they felt the need to promote what Georgia has to offer.
She tells us that the Svanetian region used to be hard to reach, but today is not, and so having the festival here serves to put it on the international map.
“Svaneti has an ancient unwritten language and breathtaking mountains, making the area even more special and attractive. It’s something that people look forward to throughout the year,” she says.
Mestiaff runs for five days at a time and features juries and journalists from all around the world. It is the first festival of its kind in Georgia, and one of the few short-film festivals in the country. The Founder and Director of Mestiaff is Khatuna Khundadze and the co-founder is the Mestia Art and Culture Center.
Each year, Chokheli says they invite jury members to judge the films in the festival, people who have a history in the film industry with the utmost experience. This year’s jury included Salome Demuria (Georgia), Peter Rommel (Germany), Tinatin Kajrishvili (Georgia), Dan Burlac (Romania), and Luc Hardy (France).
There are also five filmmakers chosen every year from different countries that have participated in world-class festivals such as Berlinale, Cannes, Venice and Toronto.
“The reason we invite journalists of different nationalities is to show that film journalists work for the enchantment and impact of cinema, sharing narratives that resonate, and actively shaping the evolving story of the film industry.”
In addition to the journalists, each year a guest of honor is chosen for recognition. This year’s was Reinhold Andreas Messner, an Italian climber, explorer, author, and filmmaker who has completed all fourteen eight-thousand-meter peaks on Earth. This includes spots in Antarctica, Greenland, and the deserts of Tibet, Gobi, and Takla Makan. Chokheli told GEORGIA TODAY that he is considered by many to be the greatest mountaineer of all time.
The first day of the event started with a film directed by Messner titled ‘Nanga Parbat: Mein Schlüsselberg.’ It’s a documentary that tells the story of Messner and his son’s trip to Nanga Parbat, explaining in detail their journey and Messner’s near-death experience. The mountaineer has been doing expeditions for several years, and as stated on his website, views himself as “a middleman for nature.”
“I am interested in dialogue, shared narratives, and the cultural heritage of alpinism,” writes Messner. “I assume the role of mediator between the general public and the mountains. The loner becomes the medium.”
The festival is split into two parts, one with mountain-related films including documentaries and feature films, and the other half showing short films about any topic or genre to add more variety. This is then further broken down into four sections: international short films, international feature-length mountain films, retrospective screenings of Georgian short films, and a special section.
Each day there was a showing of films from around the world including Australia, China, Peru, Ecuador, Estonia, Belgium, Slovenia, Georgia, and more. On the fourth day of the festival, Award-Winning International Journalist and Director of the Board of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Barbara Gasser, had a masterclass and meet-and-greet with attendees.
Chokheli told us that though the festival promotes mountain filmmaking, it also aims to develop cultural exchange and cinematography in the country. She said the festival assists in creating a mutual understanding that advances cooperation and partnership between Georgian and foreign filmmakers. Chokheli said that she hopes Mestiaff will one day be on the same level as other A-class festivals.
The motto of this year’s event was ‘MESTIA: Where the Legends Meet’. The festival is dedicated to Mikheil Khergiani, who was a Georgian mountaineer and seven-time national champion known by the name ‘Tiger of the Cliffs’. In 1963, he was named ‘Honored Master of Sport’ of the USSR for his accomplishments.
The winners and categories of the 2024 festival were:
Best Short Film: ‘Frost and the Little Schoolboy’ / Georgia.
Best Mountain Film: ‘Oreste’s Hut’ / Italy.
Grand Prix: ‘Allegory of the Cave’ / Argentina.
Eco Prize: ‘Through Rocks and Clouds’ / Peru.
Jury Prize: ‘Refuge’ / Romania.
Special Mention: ‘Tradition’ / Turkey.
By Shelbi R. Ankiewicz
