In 1990 Theo graduated from TSU art history and theory faculty. In 1997 she defended Candidate Thesis on "Mythological-Metaphorical World of Sergo Parajanov".

During 1998-2014 she was Associate Professor at Shota Rustaveli Theater and Film University and from 2014 till present at Ilia State University.

Since 1990 she worked in various print media. In 2006-2010 she was leading the program “Good Evening”, “Babylon” at Public Broadcasting I Radio. During 2007-2014 she was editor of RED ZONE program (joint project of Radio Liberty and Public Broadcaster).

Theo is Interested in the study of gender aspects in cinema.

Film journalist, cultural researcher. Graduated from Tbilisi State University, faculty of social and political sciences (BA) and Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (MA). In 2013-2015 she studied at Ilia State University- faculty of Arts and Sciences, department of cultural researches ( PHD ).

Since 2009 she has worked for magazines like: “Liberali”, “Tskheli Shokoladi ”, “ Amarta”,  “Transition Online”. In 2012-2013 she was a co-host of radio program “Art-House” at radio : Tskheli Shokoladi”. In 2014 she worked for Tbilisi International Film Festival, in a film selecting and programming department. Currently she collaborates with “Indigo magazine” and international online platform Atinati.com. Mostly covering film ( articles reviews, multimedia projects)

Lela Ochiauri – Film critic, PHD in Arts, full-time professor of Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgian State University, Arts Editor of “Rezonansi” Newspaper, Chief Editor of “Galaktioni” Newspaper. In 1974 graduated from Tbilisi State Art Academy. In 1981-1982 made internship in Moscow Film History and Theory Institute.

Lela Ochiauri is a successful author and co-author of various books -   The Sculpture and Art of Gogi Ochiauri, Nova Sciaence Publishers, Inc. New York, 2011;  The  articles and publications about modern culture.

She has been awarded with number of professional prizes, amongst them are: Georgian Film Union Award “Nostalgia” for outstanding work in 1986, “Kavkasioni” Newspaper Best Publication Prize for her work - “Mama Roma” (1991), Adjarian Regional Theatrical Union Prize (2007) etc. 

Lana Ghoghoberidze  was born in Tbilisi in 1928. She is a Georgian film director, translator, writer and diplomat. Lana graduated from Tbilisi State University, Faculty of Philology, in 1950. In 1958- faculty of film directing at The Union Institute of Cinematography (VGIK). From 1958 she worked as a film director at a film studio “Georgian Film”.  Between 1983-1988 she supervised film directing workshop at the Tbilisi State University of Theatre and Film. Her films were screened at several film festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Tokio, Sanremo and Geneva. In the years 1999-2004 Lana Ghoghoberidze was an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Council of Europe. She is the author of a number of books, has published few collections of poetry translation.

Gogi Gvakharia was born in 1957 in Tbilisi. Art critic, film critic. Full professor at Ilia State University, journalist of  “Radio Freedom” since 1995. Author of the books "Tearful Glasses", "Mikheil Kalatozishvili", "Censorship in Cinema", "Le cinema georgien". (Paris. Center Georges Pompidou, "Sergei Paradjanov" ("Le cinema Armenian". Paris "Center Georges Pompidou,). Author and presenter of the TV programs" Psycho "," Red Zone "," Reflections ". He was a jury member at Oberhausen, Nion, Wiesbaden Festivals.

Nino Mkheidze is Film critic, Doctor of Fine Arts, Associate Professor. From 1993 to 2010 she was engaged in scientific and pedagogical activities at the University of Theater and Cinema. In 2007-2010 she was a Chairman of the Representative Council of the University.

From 2010 to present, Nino Mkheidze is a research associate professor at the Art Research Institute of Ilia State University, Head of the Film Studies Program. She worked as an invited teacher during 2016-2018 at New Caucasus Film School. In 2016-2018 – she was a jury member and one of the founders (together with Georgian Film Center) of competition project  “Write in Georgian”. Since 2020, Director of Kutaisi International Short Film Festival.

Nino Mkheidze is the author of the following textbooks - "Georgian Film Directors" - Part I - II, Shota Rustaveli Theater and Film University Press, 2006-2007; "The 12 Best Georgian Movies of All Time (in Georgian-English)", 2012 (Co-author and editor); Book-Album – “DoP Giorgi Beridze, 2018” (Co-author).

Keti Machavariani was born in 1973. In 1995 she graduated from the Faculty of Arts of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, and in the same year she was enrolled to the postgraduate program of Shota Rustaveli State University in Tbilisi, majoring in Film Studies. In 2002 she graduated from the Film Directing Faculty of the same university. Keti Machavariani was on internship program  at RAI TV in 2005-2006 with support  from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2010 she participated at the film training program MAIA WORKSHOPS (Italy).

After shooting several short films, the premiere of Keti  Machavariani's feature film "White as Salt" took place at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in 2011. The film has participated in many film festival programs and won several prizes. In 2016, Keti was commissioned by the Public Broadcaster to shoot a short film “Georgia 1992” - based on the story by Aka Morchiladze. In 2020, Keti completed the work on the documentary film "Mziuri" (author of the idea Tsisana Khundadze), which was premiered at Canadian doc film festival “HOT DOCS”, where it received Jury Special Mention.

Keti Machavariani is actively involved in pedagogical activity and has been working as a film and TV producer for many  years.

Biography

Vakhtang Kuntsev-Gabashvili, assoc. Prof. at the University of Georgia, founder of the Studio “Akrobat”.His diploma work “The morning romance” at the first time was presented for Student Oscar in Los Angeles. This film has 3 main prizes and 11 awards on international film festivals. He was study in Munich film high school (Prof. Wim Wenders). Vakhtang twice has DAAD scholarship.

Since 1997 he is a technical coordinator of the Film fest Munich. He is an author of 7 full length documentary’s. His Documentary film “Life is Be” in 2016 has won a main prize “Best Georgian Documentary” (“Tbilisi International Film Festival “Prometheus”). His last film “Transparent world” has won 6 Grand-Prix and it was the opening film of the 3 International Film festivals.

From 2003-2012 – he was a Teacher at five Georgian University’s, specialization “cinema sound and music”. Since 2012 – PhD, Doctor of Arts.

Evgeniya Ostanina  Graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy and Cultural Studies of Rostov University. Participated in the projects "Term", Lenta.doc, "This is ME", Channel One, editor and director of the documentary web-project "Reality". “White Mama” is her full-length directorial debut. Her latest doc film is “Rastorhuev”, film about documentary filmmaker Alexander Rastorguev was killed in the Central African Republic in 20218.  

SŁOWICKI ANDRZEJ was born on 27 January 1945 in Rejowiec, Poland. He has been an outstanding creator of cinema culture for 57 years and the president of legendary Film Society KWANT in Warsaw for many years. He developed KWANT into the most important centre of cinema culture in Eastern Europe. Słowicki organized many festivals and film seminars with participation of outstanding people of cinema, culture and politics [Michelangelo Antonioni, Julio Cortazar, Roman Polański, Andrzej Wajda, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Sydney Lumet, Fernando Arrabal, Ettore Scola, Claude Lelouch, Miklós Jancsó, István Szabó, Nikita Michalkov, Andrej Konchalovsky, e.t.c.], both in Poland and abroad. An editor and author of books. Laureate of many awards (Sergo Parajanov Award – Pomegranate 2006, International Fund Tbilisi and Parajanov “for great contribution to preserving the memory and popularization of the Great Master’s oeuvre”). Programmer of the Batumi International Art House Film Festival in Batumi / Georgia since the first festival. He was a member of jury at festivals (I Batumi International Film Festival, Lubuskie Lato Filmowe in Łagów / Poland, Film Festival of the Polish National Film, Television and Theater School in Łódz, Film Society KWANT in Warsaw / Poland)..

Shota Gujabidze was born in 1972 (Batumi, Georiga).  He graduated film directing faculty of Batumi Art Institute in 2002.  Shota made several dozen documentaries, mostly based on facts unknown to the public. He is the author of the projects (series of doc films)  – “One Hundred Years Later”, “House in Batumi” and others, which were broadcasted on AJARA TV (regional public broadcaster). He has shot also several short films since his students years. Shota was winner of TBC Bank project 20/12, under which he shoot the short film. One of the recent short films was shoot under the project “Batumi Wave” – group project of 10 Batumi based film makers which was focusing around BATUMI CITY thematic, and it was premiered at BIAFF Batumi Film Festival in 2016. 

Since 1994 Shota is working at Ajara TV, and since 2012 he is teaching film directing at Batumi Art University. He is co-founder of organization “BATOMI” which is working on topics related to cultural heritage protection. 

Shota is winner of several photo competitions as photographer, author of more than 50 articles about history and cultural heritage of Batumi city, author of book “Batomi” which was nominated on “SABA” awards in section of “best essay and documental prose”.

Kote Chlaidze was born in 1973 in Tbilisi. In 1995 he graduated from Shota Rustaveli Theater Institute in the field of film management and in 1998 he completed a 2-year Film directing course (Alexander Rekhviashvili Studio). He has made several short films and documentaries. Since 2005, Kote  works on  various positions at the National Center for Cinematography.

Dato Janelidze (1958, Tbilisi, Georgia) studied at Georgian Institute of Theatre and Cinema. He worked for many years at the film studio 'Georgia Film'. Later on he has been working for Georgian television and teaching at Georgian Institute of Theatre and Cinema. His films have been shown  and got awards at various festivals, including grand prix at three international festival.

Dato is member of Georgian Film Union, European Film Academy etc. He is founder, director, artistic director of various festivals (“We are coming”, Sesisli”, “Amirani”).   He has been member of Jury at many international film festivals – Baku, Yerevan, Tbiliis, Porto, Lodz, BIAFF (Batumi) etc.