Otar Iosseliani, the Paris-based Georgian director whose Brigands: Chapitre VII screens at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, has ruled out making a Georgian production, pronouncing his homeland's film industry as "dead."

Iosseliani blamed lack of available funds in post-Soviet Georgia. WhileBrigands was filmed partly in Georgia last year on a gruelling shoot with minimal equipment available locally, it was a pan-European co-production between France's Pierre Grise Productions and La Sept Cinema, Russia's Soyuzkinoservice, Italy's Bim Distribuzione and Switzerland's Carac Film.

"The money available in Georgia can maybe support a young film maker on a very low budget," he said. "But its no good for an old wolf like me."

The veteran director, whose films have screened regularly at the Rotterdam Festival, also attacked a growing commercialism in Georgian film makers and audience interest in Hollywood product.

"Across the former Soviet Union, audiences are embracing the wave of rubbish from Hollywood," he said. "Those filmmakers who have not embraced commercialism, are unemployed." Adam Minns