Georgian producer Tekla Machavariani, who is in Locarno this week for the world premiere of director Tato Kotetishvili’s “Holy Electricity,” which is part of the Swiss festival’s Filmmakers of the Present section, has announced a lineup of new feature films from her Tbilisi-based production company Nushi Film.

Among these projects is the first Georgian-Japanese co-production, a film inspired by the brutal Georgian Civil War of the early 1990s, and a movie set amongst the hip-hop generation of the 2000s in the crime-ridden streets of Tbilisi.

“When I founded the company, my main goal was to work with my friends who were inspiring me. They taught me cinema,” said Machavariani, who launched Nushi Film in 2015. “For me, the most important thing is to make Georgian films with directors with whom I grow. We start with short films and then, slowly, we go through the journey together.”

“The Dog is Barking” is the ambitious feature debut from Georgian contemporary artist Vajiko Chachkhiani, marking the first joint production between the former Soviet Republic and Japan. Prolific Japanese screenwriter Sakichi Sato — known for penning Takashi Miike’s cult classic “Ichi the Killer” — is already involved in the project, along with cinematographer Kôichi Furuya, who served as the director of photography on the Berlinale premiere “Mr. Long,” by maverick Japanese director Sabu. Japanese producer Tomo Suzuki — a collaborator of Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s — and German production company Color of May have also joined the film.

The film is described as the first installment of the “labor horror” trilogy, aiming to establish a unique style of auteur films focused on labor issues while incorporating aspects of social drama, suspense, and horror. It represents the latest step in an ongoing partnership between Chachkhiani and Machavariani, encompassing eight short films, although the producer mentioned this is the first time the artist’s work will be more narrative-driven.

The film, slated to start production in early 2025, will primarily be filmed in Georgia, with several smaller scenes shot in Japan. Machavariani stated that this partnership signifies an unconventional but ultimately natural collaboration between the two nations.

“Japanese and Georgian cultures are vastly different. However, we share a significant common ground, which is our appreciation for our traditions and how we integrate them into our lives,” she explained. “We are remarkably diverse yet remarkably similar at the same time, and we aim to blend these aspects in our film.”

Tamar Shavgulidze’s third feature, “Vika,” is the follow-up to her 2019 Toronto premiere “Comets,” also produced by Machavariani. The project reunites Nushi Film with Holland’s GoGoFilm, a co-producer on “Holy Electricity.” The story centers around the titular character, a 27-year-old basketball player who flees her war-torn hometown with her husband after an invasion. Along with other refugees, they navigate the treacherous Caucasus Mountains, a grueling journey that presents Vika with an impossible choice when her fate takes a dark and unforeseen turn.

Machavariani described “Vika” as her “labor of love” that depicts a “very dark period” in recent Georgian history, but also presents a story of hope and resilience. “It’s a deeply human story,” she said. “For me, the most significant aspect of Tamar’s films is that…you always observe that love is paramount, and how love can empower you to overcome any obstacle.”

Finally, Machavariani is developing “Milk & Honey,” a Georgian-French collaborative project from debut director Tornike Gogrichiani which is slated to begin filming in the summer of 2025. The film has received development funding from the Ciclic fund in France and has French producer Johann Chapelan attached.

Set in the early 2000s in the crime-ridden streets of Tbilisi, “Milk & Honey” follows a high school student navigating love, hip-hop, identity, family and friendship as he strives to find his place in a toxic, masculine environment. “It explores our youth, but also delves into why [our generation is] like this today — because we have endured so much,” said Machavariani. “This is a reflection on our formative years and understanding why we are where we are now.”

“Holy Electricity,” which will compete next week at the Sarajevo Film Festival following its premiere at Locarno, is the directorial debut of veteran Georgian cinematographer Tato Kotetishvili, who also served as the film's cinematographer and co-wrote the script with Irine Jordania and Nutsa Tsikaridze. The film tells the story of a pair of hapless cousins who, upon finding a suitcase full of rusty crosses in a scrapyard, decide to transform them into neon crucifixes and sell them door-to-door to the unsuspecting faithful of Tbilisi.

The film was produced by Kotetishvili and Machavariani, with co-production credits going to Ineke Smits, Ineke Kanters, Lisette Kelder, Guka Rcheulishvili, and Marisha Urushadze, representing GoGoFilm, The Film Kitchen, and Arrebato Films.

Speaking to Variety following a series of sold-out screenings in Locarno, Machavariani had nothing but praise for Kotetishvili. “He’s one of the most captivating — not only cinematographers, but also a director with a very distinct vision,” she said. “When you see the imagery, you understand it’s his work. The humor and the humanity he possesses are truly remarkable.”