The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, also known as PÖFF, is marking its 30th anniversary with Triin Tramberg taking over as artistic director while founder Tiina Lokk transitions to a strategic advisory role. Tramberg, who has been involved with the festival for more than 15 years in various capacities, has previously shaped the festival’s international standing through her work with the First Feature Films Competition, Discovery Campus, and the Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event’s Script Pool program.
The festival runs Nov. 6-22 with a substantial program drawn from nearly 2,000 submissions. A total of 489 films from 87 countries will screen across the main festival, Just Film for children and youth, and the PÖFF Shorts sub-festival. The program includes 230 feature films for the main festival and sub-festival, of which 71 are world premieres. Thirteen Oscar contenders for international feature film are included in the lineup, and the selection represents a significant geographic diversity with productions primarily from Europe and Latin America.
A Baltic cinema focus features close to 40 films, shorts, and classics from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, positioning the region as emerging filmmaking territory. Latvia’s “Ulya” opens the festival, while Estonia’s “No Me Without You” competes for the €20,000 Grand Prix. Additionally, the festival provides a special spotlight on Spain’s Basque region, continuing a practice begun the previous year with a Catalan focus.
Trambergy articulated her vision for the festival as remaining “bold, unpredictable yet accessible” during challenging global times. More than 2,000 international guests from over 50 countries are anticipated, including prominent figures such as Tim Blake Nelson, Griffin Dunne, Ray Panthaki, Trine Dyrholm, and Goldshifteh Farahani. Tramberg emphasized that the festival’s status as an FIAPF-accredited competitive festival has made it a recognized launching pad for filmmakers and producers seeking international exposure.
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