A program host and one of the faces of the ruling party’s propaganda channel, POS TV, Bacho Odisharia, has been appointed as the deputy head of the film-production department at the Georgian National Film Center. He confirmed this information with TV Formula.
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“I will get involved in the reorganization process, I will familiarize myself with how the film center operates and functions, I will learn about people’s problems and try to fix them,” says Odisharia.
A few days ago, news broke that Koba Khubunaia, head of the economic department of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, was appointed as an acting director of the Film Center, which also falls under the same Ministry, and that reorganization had begun.
According to the deputy director Nino Kukhalashvili’s statement, on June 11, the Ministry called and informed her that from July 12, the position of the deputy director would be canceled and she was being dismissed. The reorganization also affected the First Deputy Director Mako Chilashvili.
“Abolishing the positions of deputies requires making a change in the regulations of the Film Center, which, of course, was implemented by Tsulukiani. She appointed Koba Khubunia, who was appointed as the financial manager of the Film Center two days ago, as an acting director. At the same time, he holds the position of the head of the economic department of the Ministry of Culture,” wrote Nino Kukhalashvili on social media, who leads the legal department of the Film Center.
Nino Kukhalashvili also told TV Formula that the appointment of Bacho Odisharia was kept from the employees of the Film Center.
Film Center employees believe that the Ministry of Culture is trying to subjugate the hitherto independent organization and single-handedly rule the industry. “The said reorganization is perceived as a direct attempt to bring the Ministry of Film Culture under the political control and direct the leverage of the Film Center to establish unrestricted control over the industry,” is said in the widespread appeal, which is signed by directors, screenwriters, actors, cameramen, producers, and film experts.
Film Center employees are demanding that the director be appointed through competition, and not by an autonomous order of Minister Tea Tsulukiani, and before that happens, the process of reorganization should be stopped.
In March 2022, Gaga Chkheidze was laid off from the post of director of the Georgian National Film Center. Chkheidze has appealed the order of the Minister of Culture on his dismissal to the court.
After the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth separated from the Ministry of Education as a standalone agency in March 2021 and Tea Tsulukiani was appointed as the minister, reorganization and large-scale personnel changes began in the institutions under the ministry. At least 70 people were dismissed from various jobs.
