# April (2024 film)

April (Georgian: აპრილი, romanized: ap'rili) is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Déa Kulumbegashvili. It stars Ia Sukhitashvili, Kakha Kintsurashvili and Merab Ninidze.
The film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize.

## Premise

Nina, an obstetrician in rural Georgia who aids patients seeking abortions despite legal prohibition, must defend her values and actions when she is accused of negligence and subject to investigation.

## Cast

* Ia Sukhitashvili as Nina
* Kakha Kintsurashvili as David
* Merab Ninidze as the chief physician

## Production

Following the success of her first feature film Beginning, Kulumbegashvili was awarded a 2022 Baumi Script Development Award to begin work on her next feature, then titled Historia, about a Georgian obstetrician who provides illegal abortions. That December, Cineuropa reported that filming would commence the following March with financial support from Arte France Cinéma. It was shot by Georgian cinematographer Arseni Khachaturan, who also shot Beginning, on 35mm film.

## Release

April was acquired for international sales by Goodfellas, then known as Wild Bunch International. By December 2022, the project was slated for a 2024 release date, though Screen Daily reported in May 2023 that the film was expected to premiere at that year's Cannes Film Festival.
In July 2024, April was announced as a main competition entry at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. It has been selected for the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 under the World Cinema section.

## Reception
### Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 24 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 88 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

### Accolades

| Award | Ceremony date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Venice International Film Festival | 7 September 2024 | Golden Lion | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Nominated | |
| Venice International Film Festival | 7 September 2024 | Special Jury Prize | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Won | |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 28 September 2024 | Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award | April | Won | |
| BFI London Film Festival | 20 October 2024 | Best Film | April | Nominated | |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 30 November 2024 | Best Film | April | Won | [16] [17] |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 30 November 2024 | Best Director | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Nominated | [16] [17] |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 30 November 2024 | Best Screenplay | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Nominated | [16] [17] |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 30 November 2024 | Best Performance | Ia Sukhitashvili | Won | [16] [17] |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 30 November 2024 | Best Cinematography | Arseni Khachaturan | Nominated | [16] [17] |
| TOKYO FILMeX | 30 November 2024 | Grand Prize | April | Won | |
| European Film Awards | 7 December 2024 | European University Film Award | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Nominated | |
| Singapore International Film Festival | 8 December 2024 | Best Screenplay | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Won | |