In late November and early December, a powerhouse cultural delegation from the Philippines is bound for Georgia. Organized by the Consulate of Georgia in the Philippines (NL), under the leadership of Consul (a.h.) Thelmo Cunanan Jr., the delegation will include highly-acclaimed film director Brillante Mendoza and master painter and visual artist Pancho Piano.
Consul Cunanan, working closely with festival general director Gaga Chkeidze, formally invited Mr. Brillante to be a VIP guest of the 15th Tbilisi International Film Festival. He is the first Filipino film maker in the history of the festival and the first to officially showcase his work in the Caucasus region.
Mr. Piano, on the other hand, will exhibit his work at the Museum of Fine Arts of the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi. Like Mr. Mendoza, Mr. Piano will be the first Filipino visual artist to hold an exhibition in Georgia and the Caucasus. This was a project of Consul Cunanan, in close coordination and partnership with Dr. Davit Lordkipandize, General Director of the Georgian National Museum, and Dr. Lela Tsitsuashvili, Curator of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Consul Cunanan will lead the delegation, which will be accompanied by members of the Philippine press, who will cover the twin events.