Panopticon () is a 2024 drama film written and directed by George Sikharulidze in his feature debut. The film explores the blurred boundary between watching and being watched, while reflecting on the uncertain direction of post-Soviet Georgian society. It highlights the tension between traditional values, like religious conservatism and nationalism and the push for modernisation and autonomy.
The film had its premiere at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it was nominated for Crystal Globe. It was selected as the Georgian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
The film is produced by Vladimer Katcharava and coproduced by Olivier Chantriaux Anamaria Antoci and Luca Cabriolu. It was supported by the Georgian National Film Center with â¬203,702 in 2021. The film score is composed by Chiara Costanza. Filming took place in Tbilisi in the summer of 2022 till the August 2022.
Panopticon had its premiere at 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on 30 June 2024, where it competed for Crystal Globe with other eleven feature films. In July 2024, it completed in the Parallels and Encounters section of 31st PaliÃÂ European Film Festival. It competed for Antigone d'Or at the Montpellier Film Festival, in October 2024.
In November 2024, it competed in Main Competition for the Golden Peacock Award at the 55th International Film Festival of India, and was screened at the 2024 Stockholm International Film Festival in Discovery section, and at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and at the International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg.
On 16 January 2025, it was screened in the East Side Stories at the Tromsø International Film Festival.
In March 2025 it participated in the and competed for the 2025 Grand Prize for Best Original Score.
On 19 March 2025, it competed in Teen Competition section of the Sofia International Film Festival.
It was released in French theaters on 24 September 2025 by The Alchemists.
On the AlloCiné, which lists 17 press reviews, the film obtained an average rating of 3.7/5.