Ana Barjadze (1998, Georgia) is a documentary filmmaker with a passion for storytelling that explores resilience and human connection. She earned her degree in Documentary Film Directing from Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgia State University and Master degree at Doc Nomads, an Erasmus Mundus joint Master’s program in Documentary. Ana’s debut feature-length documentary, Bitter Sugar, is in post-production and has received international recognition, winning the AJB DOC Industry Days Main Award for Work in Progress and the Adam Media Prize. The project has been pitched at prestigious industry platforms and featured at Cannes Docs. She has participated in leading international film workshops and training programs, including the First Cut Lab (2024), Close Up Initiative (2023), B2B Doc Platform & ESoDoc (2021), and the Jihlava Academy & CineDoc Mentoring Programme (2020). These experiences have shaped her expertise in documentary filmmaking, research, and storytelling. She’s co-founded Art House Gori; a creative hub supporting artistic collaboration.

Beyond her creative work, Ana is actively involved in the documentary film industry. She is a member of DOCA (Documentary Association Georgia) and she directed films for Georgian Public Broadcasting. Through her filmmaking and professional engagements, Ana remains dedicated to amplifying the voices of emerging filmmakers from Georgia and the South Caucasus, fostering meaningful storytelling, and contributing to the global documentary film landscape.

Ana’s residency is implemented within the framework of the ‘International Study Visit Programme’, one of the components of the Creative Compass Georgia project. This initiative offers creatives a unique opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) through international exchange and collaboration.

Creative Compass Georgia project is funded by EU and co-funded and implemented by the Goethe-Institut Georgia.