Supporting Role
| Supporting Role | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Georgian | მეორეხარისხოვანი როლი |
| Directed by | Ana Urushadze |
| Screenplay by | Ana Urushadze |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Rein Kotov |
| Edited by | Levan Uchaneishvili |
| Music by | Sten Sheripov |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 139 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages |
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Supporting Role (Georgian: მეორეხარისხოვანი როლი) is a 2026 drama film written, and directed by Ana Urushadze. A co-production between Georgia, Estonia, and Turkey, the film follows a retired Georgian film star, used to playing heroic leads, embarks on a cathartic odyssey after being offered a supporting role of an unpleasant elderly man.[1][2]
The film had its world premiere at the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam in Tiger Competition on 3 February 2026,[3] where it won Special Jury and FIPRESCI Awards.[4]
It will hold its International premiere at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival in August 2026, screening in the Competition Programme – Feature Film, and competing for the Heart of Sarajevo award.[5]
Synopsis
[edit]Niaz Ninua was once a famous actor, but his career faded after he left films 15 years ago. When he finally tries to come back, he realizes the industry has moved on without him. He goes to an audition for a small part in a young woman's first film. The experience hurts his ego, and he walks out annoyed, calling the role pretentious and insisting that the old, unattractive character has nothing to do with him. But later, as he thinks about the meeting, he starts to feel strangely drawn to the very role he rejected. What first seemed beneath him begins to show unexpected depth.
Cast
[edit]- Dato Bakhtadze as Niaz
- Nata Murvanidze
- Elene Maisuradze
- Irakli Kvirikadze
- Zurab Sturua
- Eka Demetradze
- Sandro Samkharadze
- Nino Kasradze
- Davit Dvalishvili
- Lasha Mebuke
- Murman Jinoria
Production
[edit]The film was in post-production in September 2024.[6]
Release
[edit]Supporting Role had its world premiere at the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam on 3 February 2026, in Tiger competition section.[7][8] Subsequently, in mid April it competed for Tiantan Award at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival, where it won Tiantan Best Music Award.[9]
It will have its International Premiere at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, where it competes for Heart of Sarajevo award in the Competition Programme - Feature Film in August 2026.[10]
Reception
[edit]Vladan Petkovic of Cineuropa reviewing the film at IFFR's Tiger Competition, praised it as a richly textured existential drama, highlighting Ana Urushadze's assured direction and Dato Bakhtadze's performance as the film's greatest strength. Petkovic observed that Urushadze and Bakhtadze together created a work of "striking richness," blending surrealism with everyday reality while developing a distinctive rhythm that rewards repeat viewings. Petkovic described the film as filled with quirky, dreamlike episodes, yet praised the director's "rock-solid" vision and confident filmmaking. He further highlighted Rein Kotov's sepia-toned cinematography and Sten Sheripov's playful jazz-influenced score for reinforcing the film's tragicomic atmosphere. Although he acknowledged that the narrative "may prove elusive for some audiences," he concluded that its exploration of identity and self-perception remains widely relatable, calling it "a rare film that's equally open to interpretation yet very direct in its message."[11]
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Film Festival Rotterdam | 8 February 2026 | Special Jury Awards | Supporting Role | Won | [12] |
| FIPRESCI Award | Won | ||||
| Beijing International Film Festival | 25 April 2026 | Tiantan Best Music | Won | [13] | |
| Sarajevo Film Festival | 21 August 2026 | Heart of Sarajevo | Pending | [14] | |
References
[edit]- ↑ Urushadze, Ana (3 February 2026). "Supporting Role". Cineuropa. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ "Supporting Role". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Katz, David (16 December 2025). "IFFR unveils its eclectic 2026 competition line-ups". Cineuropa. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Abbatescianni, Davide (9 February 2026). "Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar's Variations on a Theme and Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's Master take the top honours at IFFR". Cineuropa. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Lodderhose, Diana (23 July 2026). "Sarajevo Film Festival Unveils Full Competition Lineup". Deadline. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Kudláč, Martin (17 September 2024). "Ana Urushadze in post-production with her sophomore feature, Supporting Role". Cineuropa. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Goerg Szalai (16 December 2025). "Rotterdam Film Fest IFFR Sets Competition Lineup, Opening and Closing Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Tim Dams (16 December 2025). "Rotterdam unveils 2026 Tiger and Big Screen competition lineups". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Xu Fan; Zhang Shuoqi (26 April 2026). "'Dragonfly' soars as biggest winner at 16th Beijing film festival". China Daily. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Ellie Calnan (23 July 2026). "Sarajevo Film Festival unveils competition programmes with five world premieres". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Petkovic, Vladan (6 February 2026). "Review: Supporting Role". Cineuropa. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ "Awards & Competitions". International Film Festival Rotterdam. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Xu Fan; Zhang Shuoqi (27 April 2026). "Dragonfly soars with three top honors as Beijing film fest ends". China Daily. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ "32nd Sarajevo Film Festival: 51 films in competition for the Heart of Sarajevo awards". Sarajevo Film Festival. 23 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.