Producer   Anna Biani

Producer, Script Writer   Beso Giorgobiani

Music Producer   John Keshelava

Animator, stage director   Archil Kukhianidze

Consultant, production manager   Malkhaz Kukhianidze

anna_biani

Producer

Anna Biani

www.flyingturtlefilms.com

Anna “Luca” Biani is a genderfluid filmmaker, writer, mixed-media artist, actor from Tbilisi, Georgia Republic, based in Los Angeles, CA, and goes by they/them pronouns. Biani began their acting career at the age of 6, appearing in a number of commercials, as well as a documentary. At the age of 14 Biani landed their first big role as a lead actor in the 2006 short film called “If This Day Never Happened”, directed by their sister Khatuna Giorgobiani.

In 2008 Anna received an award for scholastic achievement and creative writing, bestowed upon them by none other than the president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. Biani’s writings also caught the attention of Shekhar Kapur (the director of the Academy-Award nominee Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett) and Neil Gaiman (the author of The Sandman, American Gods). Their encouragement pushed Biani to hone in on their versatile talents. Since 2000 Biani has been developing manuscripts for novels, short stories, poems, which are scheduled to publish in the next following years.

In 2008 Biani was cast as the leading role in the historical feature film “Cinka Panna”, where they portrayed the famous 18th century Hungarian Romani violinist. The film won a Golden Palm Award at the 2009 Mexico International Film Festival. Since then, Biani has acted in theater plays, improv comedy performances, and a series of films including “Freaky Deaky” (alongside Christian Slater), “Windsor Drive” (costarring Samaire Armstrong), and “Sacred Blood” (with Bai Ling and Michael Madsen).

In 2017, Biani has extended their talents, adding directing to their ever-growing repertoire. Their directorial debut “G-4” is a short film that presents incredible SFX make up, as well as dance performances choreographed by famed choreographer Brian Friedman (So You Think You Can Dance, producer/creative director of America’s Got Talent, and The X Factor). The film has been selected at the festival Dances With Films, and picked up for a worldwide distribution by shorts.tv.

Biani is currently working on releasing their novels, and developing an animation feature “Argonauts” with their film genius father Besarion Giorgobiani. In addition to writing, filmmaking, Biani has been creating mixed media artworks, and working on developing their fashion line. Furthermore, Biani enjoys playing drums, bass guitar, piano, and might surprise us with an album at some point.

beso_giorgobiani

Producer, Script Writer

Beso Giorgobiani

Besarion Giorgobiani was born in Georgia, City of Kutaisi on March 18, 1954. In 1978 he graduated Tbilisi State Medical University and after that, he was working as a doctor therapist for 10 years. While being a student and medical activities he was studying the sciences on the human body (anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, etc.), as well as the basics of philosophy and religion, by which the human mind grows (philosophy, psychology, pathopsychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, various religious and mystical studies).

During studying at the university he became interested in arts and started writing poems, creating statues and learned to play the guitar. In 1985 he continued studying arts at Shota Rustaveli Theatre University, the Faculty of Film Director. In 1989 he received the award for the “best director” at Kyiv International Film Festival for his debut short-length films “Somnambulist”; and “Accidentally Seen Face”.

After that success, Besarion Giorgobiani was invited to work at a film studio in Odesa to shoot a two-series feature film “Double”. The film was nominated in the competition for short-length movies at Cannes International Festival 1991.

After returning to Georgia he shot a full-length documentary film “Catastrophe”, the full-length feature film “Duru”, feature TV series “27 Drakons”, puppet animation TV show “Adults Tale”, managed the group of directors at Theatre and Film State University, wrote the scripts for more than ten full-length films, among them he wrote the three scripts “Bloody Poem”, “Business Trip to the Caucasus” and “Lilit” together with American co-writers (Katrin Kortez, John Ellis and Ana Biani). He works as a producer with his foreigner partners on the documentary and feature films: “If This Day Never Happened” (USA), “Premiere” (Sweden) “Misha Vs Moscow” (USA) and G4 (USA).

At this moment he is working with an American producer and screenplay author Anna Bian on a full-length feature animation film project “Argonauts”. The beginning stage of the project development was financed by a small amount by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia.

beso_giorgobiani

Music Producer

John Keshelava

Date of Birth:  July 8, 1965;   Education: In 1990 he graduated from Tbilisi Technical University, the Faculty of communication and the specialty of Radio Engineer;

archil_kukhianidze

Animator, Stage Director

Archil Kukhianidze

Date of birth: – April 7, 1988. Education: 2003-2007 – Iakob Nikoladze Art College, faculty of Painting; 2007-Apolon Kutateladze Tbilisi State Academy of Art, faculty of Fine Arts;

Working Experience: 2009-2020 “Animation Development Fund” – director, animator, screenwriter, designer, editor, graphic artist, arranger, teacher. 2012-2021 Studio “Television”, Animator From 2017 – „Studia BAO“ – Founder, Director.

Films:  2010 Animated Films ”Why Does a Turtle Have a Cracked Shell” – Art director.   2011 Animated Films ”Casus”- Author.   2011 Animated Films ”White Flower and White Butterfly” – Artist, animator, computer graphics and editing.   2012 Animated Films “A Little Donkey”- Author.   2012 Animated Films “Buknacho”- Author.   2015 Animated Films “Gvantsi” – Author.   2015 Animated video on Labor Rights – Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Georgia – Author, Animator.   2016 Animated series „Frog talk“ – Director.   2016 Animated series „Nothing Is New under the Sky“ – Director.   2016 Funded by USAID and created within the project “Together in the XXI Century” – 6 Animated Films : Animation 1; Animation 2; Animation 3; Animation 4; Animation 5; Animation 6; – Director.   2016 Project of USAID “Convention for the rights of the children“ : Animation 1; Animation 2: Animator, Art Director.   2017 “A Bag Full of Truth”, proverbs of the peoples of the world in animation. (12 short animated films) – Project Manager, Director, Animator.   2017 Animated educational clip “The sun and the sky” – Director, Animator.   2020 Animated Films “The Father”(thriller) – Author, Director, Animator.   2020 „Animated video about Covid-19 ” – CARE International in the Caucasus – Author, Director, Animator.   2021 Animated Film Series – Rights of Employees”– (Friedrich-EbertStiftung, Georgia): Animation 1; Animation 2; Animation 3; Animation 4; Author, Director, Animator.   2021 Advertising animated video “Askaneli”- Animator.

malkhaz_kukhianidze

Consultant, production manager

Malkhaz Kukhianidze

Date of birth: September 15, 1962. Education: 1981-1985 Shota Rustaveli Institute of Theatre. Faculty of Theatre and Cinema. 1986-1991 Shota Rustaveli Institute of Theatre. Faculty of Animation.

Working Experience: 1979-1996 Films Studio “Georgia Films” – main actor in 7 feature films. 1992-1994 Advertising Studio “Dio” – creative director. 1994-2010 Georgian Independent Filmmakers Association – Chairman. 2002-2020 “Georgian Films”, “SDF Films”, Sio Films”, Mifasi Film” – Director of animated and documentary films.

Other projects: 1995-1996 Fund :World Vision: The project “Vano ang Niko” book publishing. 1997-1998 Fund “Eurasia”, Trainings for filmmakers – Head of the project. 2000-2001 Fund “Eurasia”, Georgian Film Commission – Head of the project  2002-2003 Fund “Eurasia”, Caucasian Film Commission – Head of the project. 2003-2004 Caucasian Films Development Fund “Focal-Avanti”, trainings for filmmakers –   Participant in group of Direction of Documentary Films (Monetary prize for best documentary film in group – “The Children of War”)

Animated films: “Berdikha”, 1988 – Director’s Assistant; “Puppy”, 1989 – Director’s Assistant; “History of Georgia”, 1990 – Animator; “Dog and Crow”, 1991 – Scriptwriter and Director of Film; “Didi”, 2005 – Director of Film; “Why Turtle’s Shell is Cracked”, 2009 – Director of Film (Award – Best Georgian Animated Film at International Festival of Animated Films TOFUZI 2010, Batumi, Georgia; Nomination as Best Animated Film in 50^th International Film Festival for Children and Youth ZLIN 2010/ Zlin, Czech Republic)

Documentary films: “Zone”, 1988 – Director’s Assistant; “Soros Fund in Georgia”, 1998 – Producer and Director of Film; “Amcor in Georgia”, 1998 – Producer and Director of Film; “BAF”, 2001 – Producer and Director of Film; “Children of War”, 2003-2004 – Director of Film.