The Georgian National Film Center has responded to statements made by director Uta Beria alleging an attempt to block the screening of his film “Tear Gas” at the Locarno International Film Festival.
The Film Center confirmed that it indeed had not granted consent for the public screening of the picture; however, it emphasized that any international film festival curates its programme independently and that it is impossible to influence this process.
According to the agency, the film “Tear Gas” was funded by the National Film Center, and the production company received 279,625 GEL (over $100,000) from the state budget for its production.
“The director of the production company 1991 Productions LLC notified the National Film Center in writing that the film would be screened in the ‘Cineasti del Presente’ section of the Locarno Festival. The production company requested the Film Center’s official position regarding the screening. Since the final version of the film ‘Tear Gas’ was never submitted to the National Film Center, it was not possible to issue permission for a public screening in accordance with established procedures.
The National Film Center notified the production company of this circumstance, along with the relevant legal grounds, on 24 July 2026. Furthermore, to avoid potential misunderstandings and/or misinterpretations, the management of the Locarno Film Festival was informed of the reasons why the Film Center, under current legislation, could not grant consent for the public screening of the film,” the National Film Center said in a statement.
The agency noted that the screening of “Tear Gas” took place on 12 August 2026, whereas the official letter had been sent to the production company as early as 24 July. According to the Film Center, this timeframe “was entirely sufficient for the production company to submit the finished film and obtain the right to a public screening in compliance with the proper legal procedures.”
Earlier, Uta Beria claimed that the National Film Center had attempted to derail the screening of his film at the Locarno Festival. According to the director, the Film Center never disbursed half of the funding won in the 2022 competition during production, with no explanation for the delay provided to this day.
“At the cost of budget cuts, personal investments, and going into debt, we still managed to finish the film. However, right before the premiere in Locarno, we received a warning letter from the Film Center: we would face a financial penalty in the event of a public screening. It later turned out that they had also sent a letter to the Locarno festival directorate demanding that the premiere be prevented. Fortunately, the festival leadership kept the film in the competition programme, and the audience was able to see it,” Beria wrote on social media.
The film “Tear Gas” tells the love story of Elene and Andro, who meet in the midst of a crowd of thousands of protesters. The director shot part of the fictional scenes directly during real protest rallies in Tbilisi.
The film was presented in the Cineasti del Presente section at Locarno and won an independent jury award. Accepting the award, Uta Beria stated that he dedicated the prize to prisoner of conscience Mate Devidze.
