Georgia: Salome Demuria, a Georgian actor, has won the prestigious European Rising Star award at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. The award, presented by the European Cinema Promotion network, recognizes the most promising talents of European cinema.
Demuria was selected by a jury of international film experts for her role in Rusudan Glurjidze’s movie “Antiquarian” (The Antique), a drama about a family that inherits an old bookstore and discovers its secrets. Demuria plays the daughter of the bookstore owner, who falls in love with a mysterious customer.
The award ceremony took place on February 20, 2024, in Berlin, where Demuria was accompanied by other members of the Georgian delegation, including Koba Khubunaia, the acting director of the National Cinema Center of Georgia. They congratulated Demuria and wished her success in her future career.
Demuria was one of the 10 European actors who participated in the European Shooting Stars program, which offers them the opportunity to meet with prominent representatives of the film industry, such as producers, directors, agents, and festival programmers. The program aims to promote the diversity and richness of European cinema and to foster international collaborations.
The Berlin International Film Festival, also known as Berlinale, is one of the world’s leading film festivals, showcasing more than 400 films from various genres and countries. The festival runs from February 15 to 25, 2024, and the European Film Market (EFM), a major platform for film trade and distribution, takes place from February 15 to 21, 2024.
Georgia is well represented at the festival and the market, with a stand supported by the National Cinema Center, the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the National Wine Agency, and Georgian Airways. The stand showcases the rich heritage of Georgian cinema, presents new projects, and promotes Georgia as an attractive location for film shooting in Eastern Europe.
The Georgian delegation, composed of several directors and producers, is actively engaged in meetings with potential partners and investors, to create joint productions and develop the Georgian film industry. The delegation hopes to strengthen the international connections of Georgian film artists and to increase the visibility and recognition of Georgian cinema.
