With the support of the Georgian Ministry of Culture and Sport and the invitation of Khatuna Khundadze, Reinhold Messner, one of the greatest mountaineers of all time and one of the founders of the Mestia International Short Film and Mountain Film Festival, visited Georgia as a chief guest of honor at the festival.
The famous mountaineer was hosted by the First Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports of Georgia, Joseph Bagaturia. They talked about the Mestia International Festival and promoting mountaineering in Georgia. Reinhold Messner is also a director and producer of movies created on mountain themes.
In 2022, the Mestia International Short Film & Mountain Film Festival opened with his film – “No Man’s Land,” and this year, the 4th festival will be opened with Artes’s film “Nanga Parbat – The Important Mountain of My Life.” On July 25, Reinhold Messner’s masterclass will also be held at the festival.
Born in South Tyrol, Italian Reinhold Messner established the tradition of first climbing the world’s most challenging peaks alone and without oxygen in the Alps. He is the first to climb the world’s highest peak, Everest. Also, the first couple with Peter Habler reached the peak without oxygen. He is the first man to climb all 14 of the 8,000 summits in the world, some of them completely alone and without oxygen. His name is associated with conquering the highest peak of all the continents in the world. Over 30 years, he climbed 3,500 different peaks.
Later, Reinhold Messner decided to overcome deserts. He walked through Antarctica, Greenland, Takla-Makani, and Gobi deserts, reaching the North and South Poles.
Mestia Culture and Art Center and director and producer Khatuna Khundadze founded the Mestia International Short and Mountain Film Festival. The festival will be held for the fourth time this year and will host guests from July 23 to July 27.
