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Golden Eye Festival www.gtc.org.uk www.gtc.org.uk Golden Eye Festival John Henshall reports back from a trip to the Georgian capital Tbilisi where he was pleased to represent the Guild at the Second Golden Eye International Festival of Cameramen It is fair to say that without Republic of Georgia to create a cameramen, television would still be festival devoted to recognising the called… well, radio. unique eye – the Golden Eye – of Cameramen are the eyes of some of the best cameramen in the everyone who watches television, the world in 2009. craftsmen who create and capture the In its second year, the Golden Eye pictures which convey the emotions International Festival of Cameramen The Golden Eye International Festival of The sixth century Jvari Monastery high on the cliffs Cameramen is an inspired event which deserves to go from strength to strength which make television pictures the invited the Guild of Television most compelling form of photography Cameramen to send a representative in the world. to the festival in Tbilisi, Georgia. Our The festival’s venue, the modern ‘Muza’ Merab Berdzenishvili International Culture Center And yet cameramen are not very chairman, Graeme McAlpine, being good at telling the world what a busy working on the Commonwealth The international jury was made for the organising company, Indent, great job they do. They are shy about Games in India, asked me if I would up of six people: Otar Luitanishvili to finance their studies while at boasting about their work. They represent the Guild. (Chairman), a film director and university. Another young Indent have never said very much about professor at Shota Rustaveli University employee, Giorgi Karselashvili, worked their contribution, perhaps because Not just a jolly! of Theatre and Cinema in Georgia; as technical manager. historically the crew system in the Of course I was keen to go. Two or Marja Sonneveld, a camera operator, Indent is the major Georgian major broadcast organisations ensured three days ligging in a country I had documentary maker and former supplier of broadcast systems, that no individual stood out. Apart never been to, on the cusp of Europe professor of Visual Arts at the Dutch representing companies such as from the GTC Awards, there has and Asia, sounded very exciting. But Film and TV Academy (NFTVA) in Canon, Fujinon, Harris, JVC, Panasonic, been very little recognition for the it was not to be like that at all. I was outstanding work of the television needed for two weeks, to be spent cameraman. in a darkened room viewing over The awards presentation ceremony It is perhaps surprising therefore 70 entries. No fast forwarding at was a vibrant event... I could hardly that it took the former Soviet these awards: every entry was to be viewed in its entirety. Intensive work. believe the media interest, counting no GTC Tbilisi style - the But the jury members were to be Georgian Trade Center looked after, with hotel, meals and less than ten camera units from transport all provided. various television stations I was met at Tbilisi airport, in the middle of the night, by the Festival Traditional Georgian balconied house in old Tbilisi Director, Zurab Khutsishvili, and Amsterdam, Netherlands; Arsen Sony, Telex and Vitec, all of which taken direct to the festival’s venue Arakelyan, a film director from support the festival and gave well- and small hotel, the modern Merab Armenia; Elkhan Djaparov, a film attended open presentations in the Berdzenishvili International Culture director from Azerbaijan; Georgi days preceding the awards event itself. Center (www.art-muza.ge). We started ‘Kakha’ Kakhabrishvili, a television The Golden Eye of the judging later that same day. director and rector at the Television Truly international and Radio Institute in Georgia and Festival entries came from Armenia, The jury at work myself, John Henshall, as co-vice Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, chairman of the GTC. Croatia, Estonia, Germany, India, the The daily viewing and judging Netherlands, Pakistan, Russia, Spain, Georgia - celebrating was organised by four outstanding Ukraine and the USA. Sadly, there young Georgians: Levan Katsadze, were no entries from the UK, perhaps the project manager of IFIT because little has been known here (International Foundation about this festival. No matter how the art and craft for Innovative Technologies); long the running time, each was communications manager Elene viewed in its entirety. The entries Kokreidze and festival press secretary ranged from short commercials and Guantsa Barabadze. All of them student films to long drama and of the cameraman speak superb English and are brilliant documentary productions. Thankfully, organisers. They are all students of the standard was generally extremely Photographs ©2010 John Henshall international law who also work high, so the jury was never bored. 60 Spring 2011 ZERB Spring 2011 ZERB 61 Golden Eye Festival www.gtc.org.uk www.gtc.org.uk Golden Eye Festival Some of the many crews covering the event Escher-like criss-crossing camera units from various television right hand arranged in the form of a staircases in old Tbilisi stations. Because of the unique triangle as we passed a church. On Georgian script I can’t say which Sunday, many marriages were being companies I was interviewed by – blessed in candlelight in the historic apart from one radio reporter who churches – a wonderful sight. identified herself as being from the In old Tbilisi the apartments BBC Russian Service. and houses with protruding upper It will not be long before this small balconies have Escher-like criss- former Soviet country is ‘discovered’ crossing external staircases and by the package tourist trade. I have gas pipes. Hopefully they will be never received such a warm welcome preserved. anywhere as that from my Georgian The Golden Eye International hosts. It seems incredible that one Festival of Cameramen is an inspired of the world’s greatest tyrants, event which deserves to go from Joseph Stalin, was born here. Some strength to strength. Hopefully there Peter Brugman of the Netherlands, winner for ‘Best Original Shot’, is interviewed for of the world’s earliest wine was will be some UK winners at next year’s television as he treads the first grapes of the 2010 vintage in Tbilisi made in Georgia and they have not festival. Of course, that’s entirely up Grand Prize winner Mkrtich Malkhasyan lost the taste for it, often producing to you. Cameramen are not very good at telling delicious homemade vintages for Fact File incredible dinners presided over by the Contact GTC co-vice chairman the world what a great job they do... they traditional ‘Tamada’ or toastmaster. John Henshall on: We did earn one day off during are shy about boasting about their work [email protected] the two weeks, when we were taken Details and a full list of the sightseeing around Tbilisi. Georgia Voting was done in secret, the decided to shoot a documentary about Golden Eye Festival 2010 is magical with some of the world’s results being collated by our team her village and her dream. winners can be found at: earliest Christian churches, dating of organisers. When it came to the By an amazing coincidence, just www.goldeneye.ge from the sixth century. It was one of shortlist of winners I was amazed as we are feeling sympathy for the the first countries to be converted to to discover that the jury, brought hapless inhabitants of Glod, Sacha Christianity and most of the people together from so many nations, had Baron Cohen and his Twentieth are still devoutly Christian. One of been in complete accord. The only Century Fox crew turn up and lampoon the shots I wish I’d dared capture aspect the jury found difficult was the unwitting non-English speaking was that of 20 people sitting at the understanding the chosen categories, residents as idiots and sexual deviants Zurab Gegenava (director of ‘Indent’), Zurab Khutsishvili (festival director), back of a bus, all crossing themselves such as ‘Best Angle’, ‘Best Portrait’ and for the movie Borat. When the Georgi Jajanidze (festival coordinator), Elene Kokhreidze (communication three times with three fingers of their manager), Levan Katsadze (International Fund of Innovative Technologies) Traditional Georgian dress worn by wedding party ‘Best Sketch’, and we recommended villagers realise what has happened, revising the categories for 2011. a big-talking American lawyer arrives to talk them into a lawsuit against Winning camerawork Twentieth Century Fox. The winner of the ‘Best Original Shot’ This is a masterpiece of Why join the GTC? was Peter Brugman of the Netherlands, documentary photography, evolving for his haunting photography on seamlessly into a completely different GTC membership will give you: Winter Silence – much of it shot in story as the drama unfolds, never available moonlight in the Swiss Alps. missing an important line or any of the The ‘Best Movie Cameraman Work’ action and beautifully portraying the • career development opportunities: workshops and training days by accredited trainers award went to Georgian cameraman counterpoint of humour and pathos. In Giorgi Beridze for Three Houses, a fact I found it funnier than the Borat • member level access to the GTC website www.gtc.org.uk story of the meeting of the wife and feature film itself. mistress of a Georgian general in the The Grand Prize was won by • free online CV and showreel listing on www.gtc.org.uk Red Army, after he had died in the Mkrtich Malkhasyan from Armenia • two issues of the highly regarded magazine Zerb arms of the mistress in her apartment. for his outstanding photography Set in post-war Soviet Georgia, the on the drama/documentary Nora, • four issues a year of the informative members’ newsletter GTC In Focus production was photographed in directed by the BAFTA award-winning beautiful rich monochrome.

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