Australian short to screen in London
The Australian production Via Gori, written and directed by George Barbakadze, has been selected to screen at the London International Film Festival next month.
The film, about the 2008 war between Russian and Georgia over the province of South Ossetia, was produced by Sydney-based company illuminar, but shot in Georgia in 2009.
Post-production took place in Melbourne and Sydney.
“In Australia we are aiming to hit all major cities/festivals so the film gets a wide festival viewership before we aim for a television deal,” producer Lazaro Hernandez told Encore. “Internationally we are also aiming for major festivals and cities, though since it’s an expensive proposition to enter festivals – we have to be careful and judicious. We hope that as the word on the film spreads, we will get some festivals to contact us based on the quality of the film, its subject matter, and its strong positioning at major festivals around the world. We hope its inclusion in the London International Film Festival will help us market the film to a wide festival audience.
“We are currently in negotiations for a global distribution deal with a major international company, that would take effect after the film’s festival lifecycle, This would include DVD sales, internet distribution/sales, and television broadcast. This deal would be non-exclusive, giving our company the flexibility to arrange local deals within each country/market on our own to complement the work of the distribution company,” said Hernandez.
Via Gori premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in July, and it will also screen at the Canberra Short Film Festival on October 1.
