The Alternative Wave industry platform of the Batumi International Arthouse Film Festival (15-22 September) has selected eight low-budget feature-film projects: six from Georgia, and one each from Turkey and Ukraine.

The selected participants will have the opportunity to develop projects in the fields of script development, financing strategy, co-production strategies, and festival, distribution and marketing strategy, under the tutelage of local and international professionals. They include Greek screenwriter Nicos Panayotopoulos, British consultant Paul Tyler, Istanbul Film Festival's Meetings on the Bridge head Gülin Üstün and pitching trainer Ayşegül Ekmekçioğlu, as well as two guest experts: US PR agent Tatiana Detlofson and Georgian-French director Géla Babluani.

The projects will also vie for three awards: post-production services worth €10,000 from Wroclaw-based CeTA Studio, participation in Meetings on the Bridge, and entry to the Berlinale, with travel, accommodation and accreditation expenses covered.

The event will be moderated by Georgian filmmakers Tinatin Kajrishvili and Lasha Khalvashi.

Alternative Wave is supported by the Georgian National Film Center, the Ministry of Culture of Ajara, the British Council and CeTA Studio.

Here is the full list of Alternative Wave projects:

Aquarium (Georgia)
Director, producer: Tornike Bziava 

Tamada (Georgia)
Director: Temur Tsiklauri
Producer: Irakli Bagaturia 

The Burden (Georgia)
Director, producer: Ana Iosava
Writers: Ana Iosava, Otar Katamadze

You Look Like Your Father (Georgia)
Director: Levan Lomjaria
Producer: Vako Kirkitadze

Rust-orange Sky (Georgia)
Director, producer: Shalva Shengeli
Writers: Shalva Shengeli, Alexander Kurkhuli

Family Drama with the Happy End (Georgia)
Director, producer: Irina Gachechiladze

Seraphyma (Ukraine)
Director: Marisia Nikituk
Producer: Igor Savichenko 

Affection of the Heart
Director: Soner Caner
Producer: Bilal Bağci