A local politician and and chairman of an agricultural commission is suing journalist Ilia Martkoplishvili for degrading his honor. Gela Tetrauli requests 10,000 GEL as a compensation for moral damage. Tetrauli claims the journalist erroneously blamed him for misuse of budget funds.” Martkopishvili claim the official’s accusations are unjustified.
Friday, 14th May: EPIC Short Films presents… Georgian Film Night
English PEN, Index on Censorship are proud to present EPIC SHORT FILMSat the Free Word Centre, these events explore censorship and freedom of expression in independent filmmaking.
To launch the series, we are holding a Georgian Film Night, screening for the first time in UK, five short films made by professional and citizen journalists, telling intimate and personal stories about daily life, conflict and dreams in Georgia.
The films are produced by Eyewitness Studios, part of a new media initiative the Go Group Media, set up by Margharita Akhvlediani who aims to get real life stories into Georgian TV programming that is otherwise unrepresentative, swamped by propaganda and imported viewing.
Margarita Akhvlediani, director of Go Group will lead a Q&A session after the films.
For the second part of the evening Tabuni, a London based ensemble singing Georgian folk songs and chants, lead by Tamta Turmanidze, will perform a short programme of songs, accompanied by wine and kachapuri (traditional Georgian cheese bread).
Entrance is FREE though there will be a charge for wine and kachapuri.
For more information on this event and other future EPIC Short Film nights, please visit the official website.
To book your place at the forthcoming Georgian Film Night, please email [email protected] or call 020 7324 2570
Index on Censorship’s associate editor Rohan Jayasekera has just come back from Gori, Georgia — birthplace of Josef Stalin. He didn’t buy the t-shirt though.
Dutch news cameraman Stan Storimans was killed by Russian bombing in the city of Gori, central Georgia on 12 August. Another Georgian journalist, and his driver, were killed by Russian shells in Gori’s main square in the same offensive, bringing the total number of journalists killed in the six-day conflict to four. Georgian journalists Grigol Chikhladze and Alexander Klimchuk were shot dead on Sunday by pro-independence fighters in Tskhinvali, capital of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports at least 9 journalists have been wounded since hostilities commenced.
