USHGULI: The upcoming 6th edition of the Svaneti International Film Festival-DALI will focus on works-in-progress, pitching sessions and masterclasses, alongside screenings of new and classic Georgian films. The festival will be held in Ushguli, Georgia, Europe’s highest permanently inhabited settlement, from 20 – 27 July 2026.
This year’s edition will welcome more than 100 international and local guests, marking the highest attendance in the festival’s history.
The Jury for the Work-in-Progress Competition, composed by Khalil Benkirane, Marco Muller, Amir Naderi, and Federic Boyer, will decide on the Creative Georgia Award, while the Pitching Forum Jury, consisting of Edvinas Puksta and Alena Shumakova, will choose the winners of the Creative Georgia Award, and the 1TV Award, respectively.
The programme also includes 15 masterclasses led by internationally acclaimed filmmakers, programmers from A-list film festivals, sales agents, and distinguished Georgian film professionals, as well as open-air screenings in Ushguli (Zhibiani) of children’s animation programmes and feature films.
The festival will open with a special screening of classic Georgian short films, celebrating Georgia’s cinematic heritage: Pheola (1970) by Baadur Tsuladze, Ball and Field (1961) by Guguli Mgeladze, Serenade (1968) by Kartlos Hotivari, and The Umbrella (1966), The Wedding (1964), and The Musicians (1969) by Mikheil Kobakhidze.
The following films will have open-air screenings with the directors attending: The Runner (1984) and Waiting (1974) by acclaimed Iranian director Amir Naderi, The Children of Popodia (2024) by Georgian director Sofia Babluani, This Is Your Home by Georgian director Giorgi Ovashvili, Sand Storm (2016, Israel) by Elite Zexer, and the Georgian short animated film When the Sea Was Calm (2026) by Mamuka Tkeshelashvili, which will have its national premiere at the festival.
The festival will also present a Georgian Finished Short Films Showcase, attended by programmers from major A-list international film festivals.
The programme will also feature the documentary Facing War (Norway, Belgium) by Tommy Gulliksen, presented by representatives of NATO.
The admission to all events is free of charge.
Founded in 2021 by director Mariam Khatchvani and producer Teimuraz Chkhvimiani, the festival has established itself as one of the leading platforms dedicated to the international promotion and development of Georgian cinema. The main partners of the festival are the Ministry of Culture of Georgia, the Georgian National Film Center, Creative Georgia, and the Georgian National Tourism Administration.
Pitching Forum Projects:
Kura (Azerbaijan)
Directed by Murad Allahverdi
Produced by Afag Yusifli
Didamangisa (Turkey)
Directed by F. Serkan Acar
Produced by F. Serkan Acar, Berna Akpinar
My Lost Body (Georgia)
Written, directed and produced by Aleksandre Kvatashidze
Silent Law (Georgia)
Directed and produced by Ilia Ebitashvili, Irina Petrikei
Animals (Egypt)
Directed by Morad Mostafa
Produced by Sawsan Yusuf
The Chaos of Silence (Georgia)
Written, directed and produced by Nino Shaburishvili
If Only the Pines Could Speak (Ukraine)
Written and directed by Yelyzaveta Myshkalenko
Produced by Diana Nazaruk
Works-in-Progress:
Transformation Stories from Akbelen Forest (Turkey)
Directed by Selen Çatalyürekli
Produced by Zeyneb Gültekin
Being a Sujuk (Turkey)
Directed by Volkan Durmuş
Produced by Serpil Altın, K. Onur Karakuş
Kalunyo (Bulgaria)
Directed by Iglika Triffonova
Produced by Rossitsa Valkanova
If I See a Rainbow (China)
Directed by Zhao Hao
Produced by Yang Wang
Warm Night, Cold Beer (Kazakhstan)
Directed by Amir Amenov
Produced by Zarina Kissikova
IGI (Georgia)
Directed by Natia Nikolashvili
Produced by Vladimer Katcharava
