Tbilisi Photo Festival

What Tbilisi Photo Festival does

Tbilisi Photo Festival is a Georgian non-profit cultural organization founded in 2010 that operates the first and longest-running international photography festival in the South Caucasus. Co-founded by French photographer Lionel Charrier (Photo Editor in chief at Libération) and Georgian photo-curator Nestan Nijaradze, it was established with founding partnership from Les Rencontres d'Arles and is headquartered at Stamba Hotel in Tbilisi. The festival's core product is an annual multi-venue program of exhibitions, panel discussions, screenings, and the signature Night of Photography open-air event, supplemented by year-round modules including a 2-5 week residency program for photographers and curators, masterclasses with internationally renowned practitioners, production grants for female photographers, and an editorial blog in Georgian and English.

The organization's business model is that of a grant- and sponsorship-funded cultural non-profit. Events and exhibitions are free to the public; revenue is not commercially generated from attendees. Funding flows from international cultural grants (notably a three-year Prince Claus Fund Partnership Network Grant from 2020-2023 and UNDP/Government of Sweden support for the I_Residency program), corporate sponsors (Adjara Group as headline sponsor and Stamba Hotel venue provider), institutional partnerships (Les Rencontres d'Arles, Magnum Photos, Institut Français, Noor Agency), and travel/logistics partners (Atlas Global airline, Rooms Hotel). Programs have featured 300+ photographers in a single edition and attracted 7,000+ visitors annually to Night of Photography, with participants drawn from 10+ countries alongside a regional emphasis on South Caucasian photography.

The festival operates as a small organization of 8 employees executing a single large annual edition plus satellite programs. Geographic focus is the South Caucasus, with Tbilisi positioned as the 'Capital of Photography of the Caucasus.' Distribution is physical-first across venues including Stamba Hotel, TPMM, Fabrika, Writers' House Georgia, and outdoor Old Tbilisi streets for Night of Photography, with digital reach via the festival blog and social media. There is no proprietary technology stack, AI capability, or app-based product; the competitive positioning rests entirely on curatorial reputation, partnership network, and venue infrastructure.

Name

Tbilisi Photo Festival

Legal name

Tbilisi Photo Festival

Website

https://tbilisiphotofestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tbilisi Photo Festival is a Georgian non-profit operating the South Caucasus's first annual international photography festival, founded in 2010 with Les Rencontres d'Arles partnership, serving photographers, curators, and the general public through exhibitions, residencies, masterclasses, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photography Festival / Cultural Arts Events

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG), Photography & Photo Production (BPAFAIAF)

Keywords

• Photography festival
• Photo exhibitions
• Artist residency programs
• Photography masterclasses
• Cultural arts events

Headquarters

HQ city

Tbilisi

HQ country

Georgia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Operations: The organization operates as a cultural non-profit festival, running annual events, exhibitions, masterclasses, and residency programs. Revenue appears to come from a combination of sponsorships, partnerships with cultural institutions, grants from international funds (such as Prince Claus Fund), and venue partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tbilisi Photo Festival is a cultural non-profit organization that runs an annual international photography festival in Tbilisi, Georgia. Its programming comprises exhibitions, open-air screenings, panel discussions, artist residency programs, masterclasses, and grant programs for female photographers, all delivered through free public events and curated programming supported by sponsorships and grants.

Product overview

Tbilisi Photo Festival is a cultural organization operating a single primary product — an annual international photography festival — augmented by several related programs and modules. The core offering is the festival itself (exhibitions, screenings, panel discussions), supported by complementary programs including the Residency Program for photographers and curators, Masterclasses led by international photography professionals, the Night of Photography open-air screening event, Grant Programs for female photographers, and a Blog for news and editorial content. The organization positions itself as the premier photography festival in the South Caucasus region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tbilisi Photo Festival Annual Event Annual international photography festival held in Tbilisi, Georgia, featuring exhibitions, screenings, panel discussions, and photography-related events across multiple venues in the city. Targeted at photographers, curators, photography enthusiasts, and the general public.
• Residency Program 2-5 week artist residency program in Tbilisi for photographers and photography curators, including bursary support, travel funding, accommodation, and production support. Targeted at emerging and established photographers and curators seeking regional exposure.
• Masterclasses

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 annual visitors to Night of Photography alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Les Rencontres d'ArlescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Founding partner and supporter of Tbilisi Photo Festival. The prestigious Arles Photo Festival in France provided partnership backing and credibility at inception, helping establish the festival's international standing.
• Tbilisi Photography and Multimedia Museum (TPMM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue partner for festival events and exhibitions. Located at Stamba Hotel, the museum serves as the main exhibition space and hosts festival programs including Night of Photography and masterclasses.
• Adjara GroupmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of Tbilisi Photo Festival, contributing to festival funding and venue access through Stamba Hotel ownership.
• Maggi CarpetsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean creative platform supporting artistic residencies and cultural projects. Partner organization supporting festival activities and artist residencies.
• Rooms HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported the first residency program by providing accommodation for resident photographer Antoine d'Agata in 2016.
• Magnum PhotosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with world-renowned photography agency for workshops, exhibitions, and sponsorship of professional practice workshops for Georgian photographers.
• Institut FrançaisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench cultural institute partnering for multimedia and web documentary workshops with French video artist Christian Barani.
• Atlas GlobalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAirline partner providing 30% discount on air tickets for masterclass participants flying from European cities to Tbilisi.
• Stamba HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue for festival exhibitions, masterclasses, and Night of Photography events. Owned by Adjara Group, serves as festival headquarters.
• Noor AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational photography agency whose photographers' work has been featured in festival exhibitions and events, including Sound of Noor and workshops.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Les Rencontres d'Arles: The flagship international photography festival in Arles, France and the founding institutional partner of Tbilisi Photo Festival. It is the global benchmark for the format Tbilisi operates, with a substantially larger budget, multi-venue footprint, and 50+ year heritage.

Emerging players

• Lagos Photo Festival: Annual photography festival in Lagos, Nigeria featuring exhibitions, workshops, and residencies focused on African and international photographers. Comparable as an emerging-market photography festival building a regional hub and international programming.

Direct peers

• Visa pour l'Image: Annual photojournalism and documentary photography festival in Perpignan, France. Comparable to Tbilisi Photo Festival in its use of a single host city, multi-venue exhibition model, and emphasis on documentary/contemporary photography.
• Photoville: NYC-based outdoor photography festival featuring container exhibitions and open-air screenings in public spaces. Comparable to Tbilisi's Night of Photography open-air model and free public programming approach.
• Helsinki Photo Festival: Annual photography festival in Helsinki, Finland combining exhibitions, open calls, and educational events across multiple venues. Comparable as a single-city, multi-venue international photo festival with a strong emerging-photographer focus.
• FORMAT International Photography Festival: Biennial photography festival in Derby, UK featuring exhibitions, talks, and portfolio reviews. Comparable in its mid-sized festival format, mix of emerging and established photographers, and educational programming.
• PhotoEspaña: Major international photography festival held annually in Madrid, featuring exhibitions, masterclasses, screenings, and residencies across multiple venues. Closely comparable in programming mix and audience-development model, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Foto Wien: Biennial city-wide photography festival in Vienna featuring exhibitions across museums and galleries. Comparable to Tbilisi's model of using multiple venues across one city for a coordinated annual or biennial festival.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tbilisi-photo-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tbilisi Photo Festival