The anniversary edition also honoured three filmmakers and film professionals for their outstanding contribution to cinematography. Polish director and former President of the European Film Academy Agnieszka Holland, internationally recognised producer Mike Downey and Georgian director Temur Babluani received awards during the closing ceremony.
This year, BIAFF presented 10 feature-length and 20 short films in its competition programme. The festival’s main award went to Lance Hammer’s Queen at Sea (UK, USA). Levan Koguashvili received the Best Director award for Guria / გურია (Georgia, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Bulgaria), while Kakhaber Tcholadze was named Best Actor for his performance in the same film. Anna Calder-Marshall received the Best Actress award for Queen at Sea, and Giorgi Gigauri received a Special Mention for his performance in Giorgi Ovashvili’s The Moon is a Father of Mine / მთვარე მამაა ჩემი.
In the Short Film Competition, the Main Prize of the Short Film Jury went to Whispers of a Burning Scent (Somalia, Austria, Germany). Special Mentions were awarded to Mariam Khatchvani’s Inherited Silence / მემკვიდრეობითი სიჩუმე (Georgia), Dalya Keleş’s Gravity (Turkey) and Camila Sagyntkan’s What Have You Done, Zarina? (Kazakhstan).
The Georgian Film Critics’ Jury awarded the “Olgha (Lala) Tabukashvili” Prize for an outstanding acting ensemble to Levan Koguashvili’s Guria. A Special Mention went to Giorgi Ovashvili’s The Moon is a Father of Mine.
The Youth Jury selected Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana (Singapore, UK, Philippines, France) for the “Giorgi Gogiberidze” Prize, while its Special Mention went to The Moon is a Father of Mine. Ovashvili also received the “Rezo Chkheidze” Prize for Best Director for the film.
During its eight festival days, BIAFF hosted around 100 film screenings. The programme included international feature-length and short-film competitions, the Masters’ Collection, Music in Cinema and non-competition screenings. Audiences also had the opportunity to see restored films from Georgia’s cinematic heritage and Georgian animation.
Screenings were held at four venues across Batumi: the Batumi Drama Theatre, Cavea Grand Mall Cinema, Europe Square and Iveria Beach.
BIAFF is supported by the Ministry of Culture of Georgia, the Ministry of Culture of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, the Georgian National Film Center, Batumi City Hall, Georgian Film, the National Archives of Georgia and the Embassy of Italy in Georgia.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
International Feature Film Competition:
BIAFF 2026 Best Film:
Queen at Sea (UK, USA)
Directed by Lance Hammer
Best Director:
Levan Koghuashvili for Guria / გურია (Georgia, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Bulgaria)
Produced by Kino Iberica
Coproduced by Cineworx, Tarantula, ArtFest, TatoFilm/Maya Films, Staer, with participation from Saudi Arabia
Supported by the Ministry of Culture of Georgia, the Georgian National Film Center, the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Creative Georgia, the Hubert Bals Fund, the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, the Zurich Film Foundation, the Luxembourg Film Fund, the Turkish Ministry of Culture, the Bulgarian National Film Center, Sørfond, the Red Sea Fund, Eurimages
Best Actor:
Kakhaber Tcholadze in Guria (Georgia, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Bulgaria)
Directed by Levan Koghuashvili
Best Actress:
Anna Calder-Marshall in Queen at Sea (UK, USA)
Directed by Lance Hammer
Special Mention:
Giorgi Gigauri in The Moon Is a Father of Mine / მთვარე მამაა ჩემი (Georgia, Germany, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Turkey)
Directed by Giorgi Ovashvili
Produced by Wagonnet Films
Coproduced by 42 Film, Axman Production, Joli Rideau Media, Waterfront, Seven Peas Film
Supported by the Georgian National Film Center (GNFC), MDM – Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, the Czech Audiovisual Fund, Film Fund Luxembourg, the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Eurimages
International Short Film Competition:
Best Short Film:
Whispers of a Burning Scent (Somalia, Austria, Germany)
Directed by Mo Harawe
Special Mention:
Inherited Silence / მემკვიდრეობითი სიჩუმე (Georgia)
Directed by Mariam Khatchvani
Special Mention:
Gravity (Turkey)
Directed by Dalya Keleş
Special Mention:
What Have You Done, Zarina? (Kazakhstan)
Directed by Camila Sagyntkan
Georgian Film Critics’ Jury:
“Olga (Lala) Tabukashvili” Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance:
Guria (Georgia, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Bulgaria)
Directed by Levan Koguashvili
Special Mention:
The Moon Is a Father of Mine (Georgia, Luxembourg, Turkey, Czech Republic, Germany, Bulgaria)
Directed by Giorgi Ovashvili
Youth Jury:
“Giorgi Gogiberidze” Award:
Filipiñana (Singapore, UK, Philippines, France)
Directed by Rafael Manuel
Special Mention:
The Moon Is a Father of Mine (Georgia, Luxembourg, Turkey, Czech Republic, Germany, Bulgaria)
Directed by Giorgi Ovashvili
“Rezo Chkheidze” Award for Best Directing:
The Moon Is a Father of Mine (Georgia, Luxembourg, Turkey, Czech Republic, Germany, Bulgaria)
Directed by Giorgi Ovashvili
