Konstantin Esadze
Director of Photography  

Konstantin (Mindia) Esadze was born into the family of the famous film director Rezo Esadze. By first profession, he is a philologist. Then he graduated from the Shota Rustaveli Theater and Georgia State Film University, the workshop of the famous cinematographer Levan Paatashvili and at the same time completed the higher directing courses of his father, Rezo Esadze. 2003-2008 Konstantin (Mindia) Esadze worked as chief cameraman at one of the main television channels in Georgia, TV Imedi. Working on television gives him enormous practice, the ability to quickly make decisions and be mobilized for any task. There is a huge specific experience in filming various sports competitions and games. Later he synthesized his experience with filmmaking. All his films differ from each other in character and shooting style; He always takes into account the director’s mood and philosophy, also can quickly adapt and find a way out of any situation.

Konstantin made films with famous Georgian film directors such as Aleko Tsabadze, Levan Tutberidze, Zaza Urushadze, Kakha Kikabidze. He also made films with young directors, Mariam Khachvani, Anna Urushadze, Nick Sarkisov, Rusudan Chkonia, Tina Barkalaya. All these films won at various festivals such as Locarno, Warsaw, Sarajevo, London, Karlovy Vary, Asia Pacific Screen Award, Chicago, etc. Films, “Keep Smiling” by Rusudan Chkonia and “President” by well known Iranian  film director  Mohsen Makhmalbaf, opened the Venice Film Festival. Special mention should be made of his work on the film “Breathe Freely” with the famous film director Sergey Bodrov, and also his work with film director Giga Agladze, on the film “Another Me”, where the world famous David Lynch was the producer.

Together with producer and his partner Vladimir Kacharava, he owns the “Caucasian Film Service” studio, which is one of the famous film production studios not only in Georgia, but also in the Caucasus as a whole. With their own film equipment and team, they develop and promote their own projects and co-productions.

Personal DP Awards:

2010 International Film Festival “Golden Eye” (Georgia) – Special Prize for the best work on the film “Precinct” (director Ilgar Safat, Azerbaijan);

2010 Truskavets International Film Festival “Golden Pectoral” (Ukraine) – Prize for the best work on the film “Precinct”;

2012 Bombay International Film Festival (India) – Prize for the best work with Lucca Coasin on the short film “9X9”, Director Radmila Gordich (Italy);

2014 International Film Festival “Sesili” (Georgia) – Prize for the best work on the film “Dinola”, director Mariam Khachvani;

2015 Bueue International Film Festival (Spain) – Prize for the best work on the film “Dinola”;

2015 Samava International Film Festival (Iraq) – Prize for the best work on the film “Dinola”;

2015 35th International Film Festival for Directors of Photography “Manaki Brothers” (Macedonia) – The Prize “Small Golden Camera 300” for the best work on the film “Dinola”

2017 17^th International debut film festival in Russia – The Price of Russian Guild of Cinematographers for the best work on the film “Krasny” by Nick Sarkisov.

2017 Gijon film festival – Best Cinematography on the film “Scary Mother” by Anna Urushadze;

2017 Nominee, Asia Pacific Screen Award – Achievement In Cinematography “Scary Mother”;

2018 Beijing IFF – Best Cinematography for “Dede”.

2019 Warsaw IFF – Best Feature Film (As a Producer).

2020 Madrid IFF – Nominee, Best Cinematography for “Shindisi”

Education:

1989-94 Tbilisi State university, Faculty of Georgian philology

1994-98 Tbilisi State Institute of Theatre and Film – Faculty of Film and TV Cameraman

1994-1995  Munich Film and Television High School

1999-2001 Tbilisi State Institute Of Theatre and Film – Faculty of Higher Courses of the Directing

Work Experience:

2003-2008 TV IMEDI – Cameraman, Steadycam Cameraman

2008-up today – Caucasian Film Service, Partner, Director, Cinematographer