Tbilisi International Film Festival was first held in 2000 within a larger art festival framework, Gift which had numerous supporters and sponsors. Consequently, the festival at that time had interesting and diverse program. In 2002 the festival faced closure threat and a circle of friends and co-thinkers (Gaga Chkheidze, Nino Anjaparidze, Lasha Bakradze, Davit Bukhrikidze, Besik Danelia, Guga Kotetishvili, Gaga Lomidze and Giorgi Kajrishvili) decided to set up the Cinema Art Center, Prometheus to maintain it and run other projects too. In 2002 the Cinema Art Center, Prometheus organized the festival with its scarce financial resources.