Tallinn Black Nights festival has added a sixth competition strand, Doc@Poff for documentaries.
This new section will showcase up to 15 feature documentaries handpicked by the Doc@Poff programming team.
The programme will be led by Marianna Kaat, Estonian documentary director, producer and associate professor at the Baltic Film and Media School of Tallinn University.
“Although feature documentaries have always been welcome in our sub-programmes, the number of submissions has significantly increased in recent years,” explained Poff festival director Tiina Lokk.
She added: “Baltic documentaries are on the high rise to international status. Our international competition programme would be an...
This new section will showcase up to 15 feature documentaries handpicked by the Doc@Poff programming team.
The programme will be led by Marianna Kaat, Estonian documentary director, producer and associate professor at the Baltic Film and Media School of Tallinn University.
“Although feature documentaries have always been welcome in our sub-programmes, the number of submissions has significantly increased in recent years,” explained Poff festival director Tiina Lokk.
She added: “Baltic documentaries are on the high rise to international status. Our international competition programme would be an...
- 6/4/2024
- ScreenDaily
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute Tallinn Black Nights Festival has announced it is adding a sixth competition programme, Doc@PÖFF, to it's 28th edition taking place in this November.
It will showcase up to 15 feature documentaries handpicked by the new Doc@PÖFF programming team. The team is led by Estonian documentary director, producer and associate professor at the Baltic Film & Media School of Tallinn University, Marianna Kaat. The other three programmers are: self-shooting producer/director Mike Arnott, who has also worked on documentaries for BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, Discovery, ITV, National Geographic, PBS and Showtime; long-time PÖFF programmer Edvinas Pukšta; and the head of Youth and Children's Film Festival Just Film, Mikk Granström.
PÖFF festival director, Tiina Lokk, said: "There has been a long-standing demand on the international scene for a PÖFF documentary competition programme. Although feature documentaries have always been welcome in our sub-programmes,...
It will showcase up to 15 feature documentaries handpicked by the new Doc@PÖFF programming team. The team is led by Estonian documentary director, producer and associate professor at the Baltic Film & Media School of Tallinn University, Marianna Kaat. The other three programmers are: self-shooting producer/director Mike Arnott, who has also worked on documentaries for BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, Discovery, ITV, National Geographic, PBS and Showtime; long-time PÖFF programmer Edvinas Pukšta; and the head of Youth and Children's Film Festival Just Film, Mikk Granström.
PÖFF festival director, Tiina Lokk, said: "There has been a long-standing demand on the international scene for a PÖFF documentary competition programme. Although feature documentaries have always been welcome in our sub-programmes,...
- 6/4/2024
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
European Orgs Could Step Up Ukrainian Biz Support as Filmmakers and Supporters Point to Funding Gaps
European film agencies, festivals and organizations could do more to support Ukrainian filmmakers, the head of Germany’s state film promotion body, German Films, says.
Simone Baumann, managing director of German Films — which supports the promotion of national filmmakers at festivals and events worldwide — says there is a lot of talk at festival panels and industry gatherings of supporting Ukrainians, but little financial backing.
“Festivals, especially the Berlinale, are trying to help by giving the Ukrainians a discount on the European Film Market booth, but there are not many other organisations that are helping them pay their way,” Baumann says.
“It could be better. In Cannes last year, it was the Estonians and German Films that supported the Ukrainian pavilion. Poland has also been helping — many Ukrainian (and Belarusian) filmmaker have got asylum there, and they are trying to help with projects too.”
One example of good practice, she says,...
Simone Baumann, managing director of German Films — which supports the promotion of national filmmakers at festivals and events worldwide — says there is a lot of talk at festival panels and industry gatherings of supporting Ukrainians, but little financial backing.
“Festivals, especially the Berlinale, are trying to help by giving the Ukrainians a discount on the European Film Market booth, but there are not many other organisations that are helping them pay their way,” Baumann says.
“It could be better. In Cannes last year, it was the Estonians and German Films that supported the Ukrainian pavilion. Poland has also been helping — many Ukrainian (and Belarusian) filmmaker have got asylum there, and they are trying to help with projects too.”
One example of good practice, she says,...
- 2/19/2024
- by Nick Holdsworth
- Variety Film + TV
They claim the Flemish cultural sector will now suffer without De Schutter’s expertise and international contacts.
Over 150 leading figures from the European and international industry have signed an open letter in support of Christian De Schutter, former managing director of Flanders Image, whose sudden removal from his role was announced in a short email sent by Koen Van Bockstal, CEO of Flanders Audiovisual Fund (Vaf), on December 20.
“We’re all flummoxed by the situation and as his longtime colleagues we think we deserve some sort of explanation. We know that many people in Belgium, including your leading filmmakers, are also confused and angered,...
Over 150 leading figures from the European and international industry have signed an open letter in support of Christian De Schutter, former managing director of Flanders Image, whose sudden removal from his role was announced in a short email sent by Koen Van Bockstal, CEO of Flanders Audiovisual Fund (Vaf), on December 20.
“We’re all flummoxed by the situation and as his longtime colleagues we think we deserve some sort of explanation. We know that many people in Belgium, including your leading filmmakers, are also confused and angered,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Projects ‘The Elf’, ‘Truth Or Consquences’; festival film ‘Falling Into Place’ all receive plaudits.
International industry attendees have praised the European Genre Forum as a highlight of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff), which closed its 27th edition on Sunday, November 19.
The Forum is a pan-European development event organised with Imagine Fantastic Film Festival in the Netherlands and Fantastic Zagreb Film Festival, that closes its three-lab structure with a marketing and packaging lab in Tallinn.
As head of Montreal-based distributor Attraction Distribution, Xiaojuan Zhou travelled further than most to Estonia, finding the trip worthwhile. “The quality of the pitches was...
International industry attendees have praised the European Genre Forum as a highlight of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff), which closed its 27th edition on Sunday, November 19.
The Forum is a pan-European development event organised with Imagine Fantastic Film Festival in the Netherlands and Fantastic Zagreb Film Festival, that closes its three-lab structure with a marketing and packaging lab in Tallinn.
As head of Montreal-based distributor Attraction Distribution, Xiaojuan Zhou travelled further than most to Estonia, finding the trip worthwhile. “The quality of the pitches was...
- 11/20/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Italian writer-director Emma Dante’s “Misericordia” has won the top prize at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. Adapted from her own play, her third feature tells the story of a young man (Simone Zambelli) with learning difficulties, cared for by a group of sex workers on an island, protecting him from the cruelty of his abusive father. It’s a raw portrait of a marginalized group of people, mixing natural beauty of the locations with the grime of everyday existence.
Zambelli also took the award for best actor, for his role as the man-child at the center of the drama. The best actress prize was shared by Lubna Azabal, who plays a teacher in Jawad Rhalib’s “Amal,” and Kim Higelin, who stars in the controversial French drama “Consent,” directed by Vanessa Filho, as a teenager having an affair with a manipulative and exploitative 50-year-old writer.
The...
Zambelli also took the award for best actor, for his role as the man-child at the center of the drama. The best actress prize was shared by Lubna Azabal, who plays a teacher in Jawad Rhalib’s “Amal,” and Kim Higelin, who stars in the controversial French drama “Consent,” directed by Vanessa Filho, as a teenager having an affair with a manipulative and exploitative 50-year-old writer.
The...
- 11/18/2023
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
Kit Vincent’s debut ‘Red Herring’ also won best UK feature
US actor Michael Pitt was among the winners at the UK’s 31st Raindance Film Festival (October 25-November 4).
Pitt won best performance for his portrayal of a once-renowned boxer on a path to redemption in Jack Huston’s directorial debut Day Of The Fight. The UK drama premiered in Venice’s Horizons Extra strand earlier in September.
Best UK feature was won by Kit Vincent’s debut Red Herring, a documentary about his diagnosis with a terminal brain tumour. It is also one of the five films nominated for the Bifa Raindance Maverick award.
US actor Michael Pitt was among the winners at the UK’s 31st Raindance Film Festival (October 25-November 4).
Pitt won best performance for his portrayal of a once-renowned boxer on a path to redemption in Jack Huston’s directorial debut Day Of The Fight. The UK drama premiered in Venice’s Horizons Extra strand earlier in September.
Best UK feature was won by Kit Vincent’s debut Red Herring, a documentary about his diagnosis with a terminal brain tumour. It is also one of the five films nominated for the Bifa Raindance Maverick award.
- 11/6/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Kit Vincent’s debut ‘Red Herring’ also won best UK feature
US actor Michael Pitt was among the winners at the UK’s 31st Raindance Film Festival (October 25 – November 4).
Pitt won best performance for his portrayal of a once-renowned boxer on a path to redemption in Jack Hutson’s directorial debut Day Of The Fight. The UK drama premiered at Venice Horizons Extra earlier this year.
Best UK feature was won by Kit Vincent’s debut Red Herring, a documentary surrounding his diagnosis of a terminal brain tumour. It is also one of the five films nominated for the Bifa Raindance Maverick award.
US actor Michael Pitt was among the winners at the UK’s 31st Raindance Film Festival (October 25 – November 4).
Pitt won best performance for his portrayal of a once-renowned boxer on a path to redemption in Jack Hutson’s directorial debut Day Of The Fight. The UK drama premiered at Venice Horizons Extra earlier this year.
Best UK feature was won by Kit Vincent’s debut Red Herring, a documentary surrounding his diagnosis of a terminal brain tumour. It is also one of the five films nominated for the Bifa Raindance Maverick award.
- 11/6/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
As the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia, prepares for its 27th edition, Variety spoke with artistic director Tiina Lokk about its ambitions and coming highlights.
“If you see the festival like a big building, then all the walls are in and the building is ready, but some rooms are not furnished yet,” Lokk says, before adding philosophically. “I don’t believe that festivals can ever be completely ready. Because at the moment when I say, ‘Yes, now everything is ready,’ I’ve become like a stone and festivals, like show business in general, have to be always in the moment, changing.”
Tallinn boasts an impressive program this year featuring 117 world and international premieres. The opening film “The Guardians of the Formula,” directed by Dragan Bjelogrlić, is a co-production featuring a number of countries which are part of the “Focus” program, highlighting work from Serbia and South East Europe countries,...
“If you see the festival like a big building, then all the walls are in and the building is ready, but some rooms are not furnished yet,” Lokk says, before adding philosophically. “I don’t believe that festivals can ever be completely ready. Because at the moment when I say, ‘Yes, now everything is ready,’ I’ve become like a stone and festivals, like show business in general, have to be always in the moment, changing.”
Tallinn boasts an impressive program this year featuring 117 world and international premieres. The opening film “The Guardians of the Formula,” directed by Dragan Bjelogrlić, is a co-production featuring a number of countries which are part of the “Focus” program, highlighting work from Serbia and South East Europe countries,...
- 11/1/2023
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
Nurturing young talent and promoting film education is the name of the game at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. The festival will feature a range of events specifically aimed at education promoting both film literacy in schools and vocational training in front of and behind the camera.
The Just Film Industry Days is a new initiative bringing the youth and children’s film festival into conversation with the industry. It has been a long time coming, according to Marge Liiske, head of Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event: “It’s something that has been cooking for several years. We have more and more films being submitted by young filmmakers and also guests that are coming. It felt right to organize a discussion platform and forum for not only filmmakers, film festival programmers, or sales and distribution people, but also for teachers and the children themselves.”
Festival artistic director Tiina Lokk,...
The Just Film Industry Days is a new initiative bringing the youth and children’s film festival into conversation with the industry. It has been a long time coming, according to Marge Liiske, head of Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event: “It’s something that has been cooking for several years. We have more and more films being submitted by young filmmakers and also guests that are coming. It felt right to organize a discussion platform and forum for not only filmmakers, film festival programmers, or sales and distribution people, but also for teachers and the children themselves.”
Festival artistic director Tiina Lokk,...
- 11/1/2023
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
Estonian producers and companies are looking to reproduce the success of the breakout drama “Traitor” with two new series set for release in 2024.
Financed by Estonian streaming company Elisa and featuring local talent both in front of and behind the camera, “Traitor” was the first domestically produced TV show to have international legs.
“Traitor” tells the story of the biggest spy scandal in Estonian history, when an Estonian defense official was recruited by the Russians in 2004 as the country was set to become the latest member of NATO. Running over two seasons from 2019, the show has been a hit domestically and was distributed internationally by GoQuest Media and will reach U.S. viewers via the Spanish-language streaming platform FlixLatino.
“The best compliment I received at Mipcom in Cannes this year was from an international producer who said they still feel sad they didn’t get ‘Traitor’ back then,” Toomas Ili,...
Financed by Estonian streaming company Elisa and featuring local talent both in front of and behind the camera, “Traitor” was the first domestically produced TV show to have international legs.
“Traitor” tells the story of the biggest spy scandal in Estonian history, when an Estonian defense official was recruited by the Russians in 2004 as the country was set to become the latest member of NATO. Running over two seasons from 2019, the show has been a hit domestically and was distributed internationally by GoQuest Media and will reach U.S. viewers via the Spanish-language streaming platform FlixLatino.
“The best compliment I received at Mipcom in Cannes this year was from an international producer who said they still feel sad they didn’t get ‘Traitor’ back then,” Toomas Ili,...
- 11/1/2023
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
Papamichael is known for working as a cinematographer on films including ‘Sideways’ and ‘Nebraska’.
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) has selected 15 films for the second year of its Critics’ Picks competitive section, including the world premiere of Light Falls from acclaimed cinematographer Phedon Papamichael.
Greek filmmaker Papamichael’s film is a thriller about a young couple vacationing on a Greek island, who suffer an accident when exploring an abandoned hotel.
Scroll down for the full list of Poff Critics’ Picks
The film is a Georgian-Albanian-Greek-German co-production, with dialogue in English, Albanian, Georgian and Greek. It is Papamichael’s first...
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) has selected 15 films for the second year of its Critics’ Picks competitive section, including the world premiere of Light Falls from acclaimed cinematographer Phedon Papamichael.
Greek filmmaker Papamichael’s film is a thriller about a young couple vacationing on a Greek island, who suffer an accident when exploring an abandoned hotel.
Scroll down for the full list of Poff Critics’ Picks
The film is a Georgian-Albanian-Greek-German co-production, with dialogue in English, Albanian, Georgian and Greek. It is Papamichael’s first...
- 10/17/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Familiar by Călin Peter Netzer Photo: Courtesy of Tallinn Film Festival Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has revealed the full line-up of its official selection, adding 16 films to the four announced last month.
It takes the total of world premieres in the section, incuding Boaz Yakin's Once Again (for the very first time) and Golden Bear winner (for Child's Pose) Călin Peter Netzer's Familiar.
Yakin's film sees "a legendary street dancer and a young spoken word poet reflect on their lives and past relationship, through dreams, dance battles, rap battles and memories", while Netzer's tale about a Romanian film director "who decides to make a film about his family's emigration to Germany in the Eighties".
The newly added titles also include five international premieres and features Paula Ortiz's Teresa, an adapatation of the stage play La Lengua en Pedazos by Juan Mayorga.
Festival director and head of programme,...
It takes the total of world premieres in the section, incuding Boaz Yakin's Once Again (for the very first time) and Golden Bear winner (for Child's Pose) Călin Peter Netzer's Familiar.
Yakin's film sees "a legendary street dancer and a young spoken word poet reflect on their lives and past relationship, through dreams, dance battles, rap battles and memories", while Netzer's tale about a Romanian film director "who decides to make a film about his family's emigration to Germany in the Eighties".
The newly added titles also include five international premieres and features Paula Ortiz's Teresa, an adapatation of the stage play La Lengua en Pedazos by Juan Mayorga.
Festival director and head of programme,...
- 10/15/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Tallinn Black Nights, one of the biggest film festivals in Northern Europe, has revealed the full lineup of its Official Selection Competition, with films by Emma Dante, Călin Peter Netzer, Gust Van den Berghe and Rezo Gigineishvili in the running. There are seven international premieres and 13 world premieres.
The festival’s 27th edition runs Nov. 3-19, while the festival’s industry platform, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, will run from Nov. 13-17.
The Grand Prix for the Best Film, with a 20,000 Euros cash prize, will be bestowed by Tallinn City Council.
Festival director Tiina Lokk said: “This year’s diverse program has remarkably high artistic value with sharp social perspective. Each film tackles contemporary and relevant issues with a stimulating, fresh angle. At the same time, our Official Selection aims to connect high-quality narrative films with auteur cinema. Hence, new artistic approaches and cinema languages have always caught our attention.”
Official Selection Competition
“Amal,...
The festival’s 27th edition runs Nov. 3-19, while the festival’s industry platform, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, will run from Nov. 13-17.
The Grand Prix for the Best Film, with a 20,000 Euros cash prize, will be bestowed by Tallinn City Council.
Festival director Tiina Lokk said: “This year’s diverse program has remarkably high artistic value with sharp social perspective. Each film tackles contemporary and relevant issues with a stimulating, fresh angle. At the same time, our Official Selection aims to connect high-quality narrative films with auteur cinema. Hence, new artistic approaches and cinema languages have always caught our attention.”
Official Selection Competition
“Amal,...
- 10/13/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
New titles include Boaz Yakin’s US feature ‘Once Again (for the very first time)’.
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) has completed the lineup of its official selection competition, adding a further 16 films to the four announced last month.
Of the 16 new titles, 11 are world premieres, with the other five arriving as international premieres.
Scroll down for the full official selection competition
The world premieres include Boaz Yakin’s US film Once Again (for the very first time), which blends surrealism, drama, rap, dance and music as a dancer and poet reflect on their lives and past relationship. Yakin...
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) has completed the lineup of its official selection competition, adding a further 16 films to the four announced last month.
Of the 16 new titles, 11 are world premieres, with the other five arriving as international premieres.
Scroll down for the full official selection competition
The world premieres include Boaz Yakin’s US film Once Again (for the very first time), which blends surrealism, drama, rap, dance and music as a dancer and poet reflect on their lives and past relationship. Yakin...
- 10/13/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
If there’s anything to be learned from the massive, industry-shaping disruptions of recent years — from the unprecedented challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic to the lingering fallout from the war in Ukraine — it’s that “the role of the big festivals in the industry ecosystem is crucial,” according to Tiina Lokk, director of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
“When festivals were canceled or changed their dates due to Covid, the cycle of film releases went down the drain, which had a direct impact on cinemas and the whole business model,” Lokk tells Variety. While streaming platforms and Zoom meetings offered a “temporary remedy,” she adds, “it was not a real substitute for live interaction, contacts in a business climate.”
Last year, the Estonian fest drew a record 2,000 industry guests, highlighting the way such events continue to play a crucial part in bringing people together. As Tallinn prepares to host its 27th edition,...
“When festivals were canceled or changed their dates due to Covid, the cycle of film releases went down the drain, which had a direct impact on cinemas and the whole business model,” Lokk tells Variety. While streaming platforms and Zoom meetings offered a “temporary remedy,” she adds, “it was not a real substitute for live interaction, contacts in a business climate.”
Last year, the Estonian fest drew a record 2,000 industry guests, highlighting the way such events continue to play a crucial part in bringing people together. As Tallinn prepares to host its 27th edition,...
- 5/20/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Dda Spotlight awards for Sarah Polley, Ali Abbasi.
Finisterra, a series about the Nazi presence in Portugal during World War II, has won the ‘most promising project’ prize at the TV Beats co-financing market at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
The series receives a €3,000 prize, and was selected by a jury consisting of Morgane Bruna from Wild Bunch TV, Richard Pommerat from N9ne Studio and Joachim Friedman from the Internationale Filmschule Koln.
The jury noted a “visually strong and artistically challenging series” that “tells a universal, yet poetic story about the oppression of women, the abuse of power, and...
Finisterra, a series about the Nazi presence in Portugal during World War II, has won the ‘most promising project’ prize at the TV Beats co-financing market at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
The series receives a €3,000 prize, and was selected by a jury consisting of Morgane Bruna from Wild Bunch TV, Richard Pommerat from N9ne Studio and Joachim Friedman from the Internationale Filmschule Koln.
The jury noted a “visually strong and artistically challenging series” that “tells a universal, yet poetic story about the oppression of women, the abuse of power, and...
- 11/23/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Egle Vertelytė’s culinary comedy won the Screen International Best Pitch Award at the 2020 Baltic Event co-production market.
Lithuanian director Egle Vertelytė’s culinary comedy Tasty, which won the Screen International Best Pitch Award at Tallinn’s Baltic Event co-production market in 2020, has wrapped production after a 25-day shoot in Vilnius.
The screenplay by Vertelytė and Irena Kunevicuite centres on two women chefs from a small canteen in Kaunas whose close friendship is put to the test when they enter into a televised cooking competition and a new love interest threatens to tear them apart.
Tasty stars Agnieska Ravdo whose...
Lithuanian director Egle Vertelytė’s culinary comedy Tasty, which won the Screen International Best Pitch Award at Tallinn’s Baltic Event co-production market in 2020, has wrapped production after a 25-day shoot in Vilnius.
The screenplay by Vertelytė and Irena Kunevicuite centres on two women chefs from a small canteen in Kaunas whose close friendship is put to the test when they enter into a televised cooking competition and a new love interest threatens to tear them apart.
Tasty stars Agnieska Ravdo whose...
- 11/22/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Real-life moments from Twiggy’s career will be recreated using virtual production, with Twiggy playing herself.
UK actor and filmmaker Sadie Frost’s feature documentary Twiggy has commenced production in London, with Studio Soho – part of the Film Soho group – set to release the title theatrically in the UK and Ireland in 2023, and Studio Soho also repping international sales.
Twiggy takes a comprehensive look at the life story of UK model and cultural icon Twiggy, real name Lesley Lawson, whose career kickstarted in the 1960s. It features interviews with Twiggy and her husband Leigh Lawson, as well as commentary from Erin O’Connor,...
UK actor and filmmaker Sadie Frost’s feature documentary Twiggy has commenced production in London, with Studio Soho – part of the Film Soho group – set to release the title theatrically in the UK and Ireland in 2023, and Studio Soho also repping international sales.
Twiggy takes a comprehensive look at the life story of UK model and cultural icon Twiggy, real name Lesley Lawson, whose career kickstarted in the 1960s. It features interviews with Twiggy and her husband Leigh Lawson, as well as commentary from Erin O’Connor,...
- 11/14/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Other winners included ‘Return To Seoul’, ‘Farha’ and ‘All That Breathes’
Kamila Andini’s Before, Now And Then (Nana) won the best film award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) which took place on the Gold Coast, Australia today (November 11).
It is the first film directed by a woman to win the award and the first Indonesian film to do so.
Set against Indonesia’s turbulent post-independence years in the 1960s, Happy Salma stars as a woman still reeling from the past as she tries to move on with her life. The film premiered in competition at the Berlinale...
Kamila Andini’s Before, Now And Then (Nana) won the best film award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) which took place on the Gold Coast, Australia today (November 11).
It is the first film directed by a woman to win the award and the first Indonesian film to do so.
Set against Indonesia’s turbulent post-independence years in the 1960s, Happy Salma stars as a woman still reeling from the past as she tries to move on with her life. The film premiered in competition at the Berlinale...
- 11/11/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
New section has 16 features, of which 10 are world premieres.
The world premiere of Carol Morley’s Typist Artist Pirate King is among the 16 features programmed in Critics’ Picks, the new competitive section of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
The section will host 10 world and three international premieres, with three further films screening out of competition including a gala screening of Estonian co-production Call Of God.
Scroll down for the full list of titles
Speaking about how Poff is trying to innovate with the section, festival director Tiina Lokk said: “The Critics’ Picks competition programme solves a challenge our programme team...
The world premiere of Carol Morley’s Typist Artist Pirate King is among the 16 features programmed in Critics’ Picks, the new competitive section of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
The section will host 10 world and three international premieres, with three further films screening out of competition including a gala screening of Estonian co-production Call Of God.
Scroll down for the full list of titles
Speaking about how Poff is trying to innovate with the section, festival director Tiina Lokk said: “The Critics’ Picks competition programme solves a challenge our programme team...
- 10/27/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The section will showcase up to 10 films selected by the festival’s programming team.
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) is adding a ‘Critics’ Picks’ competition strand for its 2022 edition, which runs November 11-27.
The section will showcase up to 10 films selected by the festival’s programming team that are “powerful and artistically-outstanding works which might otherwise be overlooked in PÖFF’s broader programme,” according to the festival.
The strand’s programming team is headed by curator, journalist and author Nikolaj Nikitin, who is head of Sofa School of Film Advancement.
“The Critics’ Picks competition solves a challenge our programming...
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) is adding a ‘Critics’ Picks’ competition strand for its 2022 edition, which runs November 11-27.
The section will showcase up to 10 films selected by the festival’s programming team that are “powerful and artistically-outstanding works which might otherwise be overlooked in PÖFF’s broader programme,” according to the festival.
The strand’s programming team is headed by curator, journalist and author Nikolaj Nikitin, who is head of Sofa School of Film Advancement.
“The Critics’ Picks competition solves a challenge our programming...
- 8/2/2022
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Estonia received a splashy introduction to the limelight in 2019, when it played host to Christopher Nolan’s time-bending sci-fi drama “Tenet.” The biggest production to shoot in the Baltic nation to date, Warner Bros.’ 200 million blockbuster landed Estonia squarely on the map for international film and television productions.
Though the coronavirus pandemic arrived not long after principal photography wrapped, the industry hasn’t skipped a beat since, with both domestic and international production — drawn by a cash rebate of up to 30 —continuing apace. This year, says Estonian Film Institute CEO Edith Sepp, there are no signs of slowing down.
“The Estonian cash rebate has been booming more than ever in the first half of this year,” she says. “In the whole of 2021, we had seven projects using the cash rebate scheme, but by January this year, we already had eight projects lined up for the rebate and the year had barely started.
Though the coronavirus pandemic arrived not long after principal photography wrapped, the industry hasn’t skipped a beat since, with both domestic and international production — drawn by a cash rebate of up to 30 —continuing apace. This year, says Estonian Film Institute CEO Edith Sepp, there are no signs of slowing down.
“The Estonian cash rebate has been booming more than ever in the first half of this year,” she says. “In the whole of 2021, we had seven projects using the cash rebate scheme, but by January this year, we already had eight projects lined up for the rebate and the year had barely started.
- 5/21/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
In the days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, organizers of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival quickly shifted gears to offer whatever support they could. Festival director Tiina Lokk says the urgency of the moment was not lost on her or her fellow Estonians, who share a border with Russia and only won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
“The war in Ukraine has been felt very deeply here,” Lokk tells Variety. “Estonians know the price of freedom and we see that Ukrainians are now fighting a war for us all. It’s a very personal issue among the many members of the [Tallinn Black Nights] team who have been involved directly with humanitarian efforts.”
The festival announced in early March that for its annual pix-in-post showcase, Tallinn Black Nights Goes to Cannes, it would showcase five Ukrainian feature films that will be pitched to potential partners, sales agents and...
“The war in Ukraine has been felt very deeply here,” Lokk tells Variety. “Estonians know the price of freedom and we see that Ukrainians are now fighting a war for us all. It’s a very personal issue among the many members of the [Tallinn Black Nights] team who have been involved directly with humanitarian efforts.”
The festival announced in early March that for its annual pix-in-post showcase, Tallinn Black Nights Goes to Cannes, it would showcase five Ukrainian feature films that will be pitched to potential partners, sales agents and...
- 5/20/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is already recognized as one of the most influential industry showcases in the Baltic and Nordic regions. But the organizing team of the festival, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, are keen to point out that the popular event isn’t just a one-off affair. “What our year-round efforts bring is opportunities to cater to more diverse audiences and to ensure cinema audiences grow in the future,” says the festival’s director Tiina Lokk.
Along with its anchor event, which takes place this year from Nov. 11-27, the Tallinn team hosts the Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, held in the seaside town of Haapsalu, as well as the PÖFF Love Film Festival, held in the historic town of Tartu (pictured), “bringing in new audiences geographically, but also through offering more audience-friendly lineups of horror/fantasy and love-focused films,” says Lokk.
No less...
Along with its anchor event, which takes place this year from Nov. 11-27, the Tallinn team hosts the Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, held in the seaside town of Haapsalu, as well as the PÖFF Love Film Festival, held in the historic town of Tartu (pictured), “bringing in new audiences geographically, but also through offering more audience-friendly lineups of horror/fantasy and love-focused films,” says Lokk.
No less...
- 5/19/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Festival organisers paid tribute to Ukrainian filmmakers at the awards ceremony.
Bartosz Blaschke’s Sonata has been named best film at Sofia International Film Festival, which is staging its first full in-person edition since the start of the pandemic.
The Polish filmmaker’s debut feature picked up the Sofia City of Film Grand Prix as well as the audience award at a ceremony in the Bulgarian capital on Saturday (March 19). The drama is based on the true story of musician Grzegorz Plonka, who was initially diagnosed as autistic before it is discovered he had acute hearing loss.
The feature received...
Bartosz Blaschke’s Sonata has been named best film at Sofia International Film Festival, which is staging its first full in-person edition since the start of the pandemic.
The Polish filmmaker’s debut feature picked up the Sofia City of Film Grand Prix as well as the audience award at a ceremony in the Bulgarian capital on Saturday (March 19). The drama is based on the true story of musician Grzegorz Plonka, who was initially diagnosed as autistic before it is discovered he had acute hearing loss.
The feature received...
- 3/21/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
PÖFF will bring five Ukrainian titles in the Goes to Cannes showcase at the Marché du Film.
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) will showcase five Ukrainian projects to sales agents, distributors and programmers at the Cannes market (May 17-25).
For the second year, PÖFF and the Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event will take part in the Goes to Cannes showcase, this time focusing exclusively on Ukrainian films in post-production. The aim is to help films where production has been interrupted by war find their way to the international market.
PÖFF are currently inviting submissions for projects which...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) will showcase five Ukrainian projects to sales agents, distributors and programmers at the Cannes market (May 17-25).
For the second year, PÖFF and the Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event will take part in the Goes to Cannes showcase, this time focusing exclusively on Ukrainian films in post-production. The aim is to help films where production has been interrupted by war find their way to the international market.
PÖFF are currently inviting submissions for projects which...
- 3/9/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
‘Pleasure’ director Ninja Thyberg and Black Nights festival director Tiina Lokk also discussed training and Discovery Campus initiative.
The boom in streaming and TV series is creating fresh career paths for rising filmmaking talent, according to Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormakur.
Watch the session above
Speaking during the latest ScreenDaily Talk, the acclaimed writer/director said: “It’s a very different world because TV is more creative than it used to be. It’s more open to different storytelling… and all this is changing greatly for the talent.”
Kormakur, whose credits include action features 2 Guns, Everest and Adrift, is also behind...
The boom in streaming and TV series is creating fresh career paths for rising filmmaking talent, according to Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormakur.
Watch the session above
Speaking during the latest ScreenDaily Talk, the acclaimed writer/director said: “It’s a very different world because TV is more creative than it used to be. It’s more open to different storytelling… and all this is changing greatly for the talent.”
Kormakur, whose credits include action features 2 Guns, Everest and Adrift, is also behind...
- 11/29/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Filmmakers praise one-on-one attention, programmer presence.
The disruption of events over the past two years might have been the reset Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) needed for its 25th edition.
“Over these past two weird years, we’ve realized that anything is possible if we put in the work,” said Poff festival director Tiina Lokk. ”I would never have imagined that PÖFF would have a web cinema or that we would equip our guests with personal air purifiers around their necks.”
To overcome the challenges posed by Covid, the festival provided all industry guests with a Covid-19 antibody nose...
The disruption of events over the past two years might have been the reset Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) needed for its 25th edition.
“Over these past two weird years, we’ve realized that anything is possible if we put in the work,” said Poff festival director Tiina Lokk. ”I would never have imagined that PÖFF would have a web cinema or that we would equip our guests with personal air purifiers around their necks.”
To overcome the challenges posed by Covid, the festival provided all industry guests with a Covid-19 antibody nose...
- 11/29/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
When, 25 years ago, Tiina Lokk launched the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, it was, to borrow a metaphor from the festival’s lone wolf logo, a howl in the dark.
The year was 1997. Just six years earlier, Estonia — a tiny nation whose 1.3 million people would fit comfortably inside Dallas, Texas — had voted to split from the now-defunct Soviet Union to once again become an independent nation. The Russian army had pulled out, Estonia had become a member of the United Nations, and the country had begun radical reforms that would tear up the statist economy ...
The year was 1997. Just six years earlier, Estonia — a tiny nation whose 1.3 million people would fit comfortably inside Dallas, Texas — had voted to split from the now-defunct Soviet Union to once again become an independent nation. The Russian army had pulled out, Estonia had become a member of the United Nations, and the country had begun radical reforms that would tear up the statist economy ...
When, 25 years ago, Tiina Lokk launched the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, it was, to borrow a metaphor from the festival’s lone wolf logo, a howl in the dark.
The year was 1997. Just six years earlier, Estonia — a tiny nation whose 1.3 million people would fit comfortably inside Dallas, Texas — had voted to split from the now-defunct Soviet Union to once again become an independent nation. The Russian army had pulled out, Estonia had become a member of the United Nations, and the country had begun radical reforms that would tear up the statist economy ...
The year was 1997. Just six years earlier, Estonia — a tiny nation whose 1.3 million people would fit comfortably inside Dallas, Texas — had voted to split from the now-defunct Soviet Union to once again become an independent nation. The Russian army had pulled out, Estonia had become a member of the United Nations, and the country had begun radical reforms that would tear up the statist economy ...
If the pandemic year has proven anything about the global film community, it’s been the industry’s ability to adapt on the fly—even in the face of an unprecedented crisis for an industry that considers travel and face-to-face networking as essential to its basic function as post-production and P&a.
But as industry professionals around the globe dust off their passports and get their noses swabbed, the busy summer season ahead is a reminder that festival premieres and in-person industry events still offer a time-tested way to maintain old relationships and discover new talents.
Nowhere is that more evident than on a continent whose open borders have helped make such communal cultural events a hallowed institution. “Film festivals are still an important tool for the evaluation and promotion of European—including Baltic and Latvian—films and author-driven films,” says Dita Rietuma, director of Latvia’s National Film Center.
But as industry professionals around the globe dust off their passports and get their noses swabbed, the busy summer season ahead is a reminder that festival premieres and in-person industry events still offer a time-tested way to maintain old relationships and discover new talents.
Nowhere is that more evident than on a continent whose open borders have helped make such communal cultural events a hallowed institution. “Film festivals are still an important tool for the evaluation and promotion of European—including Baltic and Latvian—films and author-driven films,” says Dita Rietuma, director of Latvia’s National Film Center.
- 6/29/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
For three small nations tucked away in a far corner of Northeastern Europe, wedged between the sprawling tundra of Scandinavia to the north and the lumbering bear of Russia in the east, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have long realized their strength in numbers: In 1989, amid mass protests calling for independence from the Soviet Union, up to two million people joined hands in a human chain stretching from Tallinn to Vilnius. Less than two years later, the three independent Baltic states were born.
While Baltic filmmakers might not have quite the same robust presence in Cannes this year, joint efforts by Latvia’s National Film Center, the Estonian Film Institute, and the Lithuanian Film Institute are a sign that the three countries are committed to bolstering their ties as they work to collectively strengthen their growing industries.
“In a lesser form, the cooperation between the Baltic film industries has always been there,...
While Baltic filmmakers might not have quite the same robust presence in Cannes this year, joint efforts by Latvia’s National Film Center, the Estonian Film Institute, and the Lithuanian Film Institute are a sign that the three countries are committed to bolstering their ties as they work to collectively strengthen their growing industries.
“In a lesser form, the cooperation between the Baltic film industries has always been there,...
- 6/29/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Tallinn Black Nights Festival Unveils Selection for Cannes Market’s Pix-in-Post Showcase (Exclusive)
The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival will be heading to the Croisette for the first time to take part in the annual Goes to Cannes event, the Cannes Film Market’s pix-in-post industry showcase. Variety can reveal the five films that are slated to take part.
“We’re very excited to bring our wolf pack to Cannes and the Marché du Film this summer,” said Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival director Tiina Lokk. “Our whole team is delighted that such a talented selection of international filmmakers have chosen to join our showcase and join our pack, with projects from as far afield as Georgia and Belgium, alongside films from our own backyard. We can’t wait to let them out into the wild.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Baltic festival, and the 20th anniversary of its industry strand, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event. Lokk said the festival’s...
“We’re very excited to bring our wolf pack to Cannes and the Marché du Film this summer,” said Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival director Tiina Lokk. “Our whole team is delighted that such a talented selection of international filmmakers have chosen to join our showcase and join our pack, with projects from as far afield as Georgia and Belgium, alongside films from our own backyard. We can’t wait to let them out into the wild.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Baltic festival, and the 20th anniversary of its industry strand, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event. Lokk said the festival’s...
- 5/28/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The festival is underway in Estonia with 80 international guests in town.
When the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia opened last Thursday November 12, festival director Tiina Lokk stood in front of a socially-distanced, fully masked audience at the Coca-Cola Plaza cinema before a gala screening of Oskar Roehler’s Rainer Werner Fassbinder biopic Enfant Terrible.
Images were streamed around the world to accredited guests. For as has become commonplace in 2020, the festival is taking place as a hybrid event this year, with around 80 international guests, down from 1,500 last year.
But on opening night, Lokk admits she was unnerved; after...
When the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia opened last Thursday November 12, festival director Tiina Lokk stood in front of a socially-distanced, fully masked audience at the Coca-Cola Plaza cinema before a gala screening of Oskar Roehler’s Rainer Werner Fassbinder biopic Enfant Terrible.
Images were streamed around the world to accredited guests. For as has become commonplace in 2020, the festival is taking place as a hybrid event this year, with around 80 international guests, down from 1,500 last year.
But on opening night, Lokk admits she was unnerved; after...
- 11/20/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Directors from the Berlinale, IFFR and Tallinn Black Nights discussed the future of film festivals.
The Berlinale is to reduce the number of films across its official selection for its February 2021 edition as a result of restrictions on cinemas during the pandemic.
Speaking on a panel of European winter festival directors during the latest ScreenDaily Talks, Berlin International Film Festival executive director Mariette Rissenbeek revealed submissions of features for were up 5% on last year but that Covid-19 safety rules would impact the number of titles they would select.
The full ScreenDaily Talks session is available to watch above.
“Cinemas are...
The Berlinale is to reduce the number of films across its official selection for its February 2021 edition as a result of restrictions on cinemas during the pandemic.
Speaking on a panel of European winter festival directors during the latest ScreenDaily Talks, Berlin International Film Festival executive director Mariette Rissenbeek revealed submissions of features for were up 5% on last year but that Covid-19 safety rules would impact the number of titles they would select.
The full ScreenDaily Talks session is available to watch above.
“Cinemas are...
- 11/19/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
The Cannes and Tallinn Black Nights film festivals have expressed solidarity with feature debutant Nora Martirosyan’s “Should the Wind Drop” after political pressure to stop festival screenings.
The film is set and shot on location in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly in its capital Stepanakert and the nearby airport. The region saw a bloody war erupt between Azerbaijan and Armenia from 1988-1994 and hostilities erupted again in September before a ceasefire was agreed upon last week.
Grégoire Colin plays a Frenchman who arrives at the airport to conduct an audit to deem it fit for use, or not.
The film received a Cannes 2020 label and had its physical premiere in Paris in September, as part of the Cannes Acid screenings, around the same time that hostilities resumed in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Since then, Variety understands that the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan has issued letters opposing festival screenings.
The film is set and shot on location in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly in its capital Stepanakert and the nearby airport. The region saw a bloody war erupt between Azerbaijan and Armenia from 1988-1994 and hostilities erupted again in September before a ceasefire was agreed upon last week.
Grégoire Colin plays a Frenchman who arrives at the airport to conduct an audit to deem it fit for use, or not.
The film received a Cannes 2020 label and had its physical premiere in Paris in September, as part of the Cannes Acid screenings, around the same time that hostilities resumed in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Since then, Variety understands that the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan has issued letters opposing festival screenings.
- 11/18/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The latest in our ScreenDaily Talks live series will take place on November 18 at 2pm UK time (3pm Cet/4pm Eet).
The latest in our ScreenDaily Talks live Q&a series will take place on Wednesday November 18 at 2pm UK time (3pm Cet/4pm Eet) and will reveal how the directors of the Tallinn Black Nights, Berlin and Rotterdam film festivals are planning their festivals in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Click here to register
As countries across Europe continue to tackle second spikes in cases of the virus, the directors of the three European winter festivals will share...
The latest in our ScreenDaily Talks live Q&a series will take place on Wednesday November 18 at 2pm UK time (3pm Cet/4pm Eet) and will reveal how the directors of the Tallinn Black Nights, Berlin and Rotterdam film festivals are planning their festivals in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Click here to register
As countries across Europe continue to tackle second spikes in cases of the virus, the directors of the three European winter festivals will share...
- 11/11/2020
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
When the first coronavirus lockdown went into effect in Estonia this spring, the organizers of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival—the leading cinema event in the Baltics, which unspools Nov. 13-29 with a hybrid edition—knew they had ample time to prepare for when and how the curtain would rise this fall. For festival director Tiina Lokk, there was never any doubt that a physical event should go on, even as she realized that “this virus will shift paradigms,” the Black Nights topper tells Variety.
The explosive spread of coronavirus across the globe has been impossible to predict, and Lokk says planning this year’s festival was like “solving a math equation with endless unknown variables on the one hand, and like sitting on a time-bomb on the other.” But as the festival’s industry arm, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, shifted to a digital edition, and a VOD platform...
The explosive spread of coronavirus across the globe has been impossible to predict, and Lokk says planning this year’s festival was like “solving a math equation with endless unknown variables on the one hand, and like sitting on a time-bomb on the other.” But as the festival’s industry arm, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, shifted to a digital edition, and a VOD platform...
- 11/10/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Line-up includes six world premieres, international debut of István Szabó’s ‘Final Report’.
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
- 9/23/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Line-up includes six world premieres, international debut of István Szabó’s ‘Final Report’.
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
- 9/23/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Line-up includes six world premieres, international debut of István Szabó’s ‘Final Report’.
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
- 9/23/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Estonian festival hoping to hold physical screenings in November but preparing to host a hybrid event.
The industry activities of Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival are to move completely online this year, due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event were due to run November 23 to 27, which has been drawing an increasing number of delegates in recent years and recorded more than 600 guests in 2019.
But following the first signs of a possible resurgence of coronavirus in Estonia, the festival and industry heads have decided to shift the professional platforms online. Preparations to hold a physical version of the festival,...
The industry activities of Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival are to move completely online this year, due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event were due to run November 23 to 27, which has been drawing an increasing number of delegates in recent years and recorded more than 600 guests in 2019.
But following the first signs of a possible resurgence of coronavirus in Estonia, the festival and industry heads have decided to shift the professional platforms online. Preparations to hold a physical version of the festival,...
- 8/14/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, the Tallinn Black Nights film festival’s industry strand, is going completely online due to likely travel restrictions caused by the resurgence of Covid-19.
Travel around the world is in a state of flux in several countries, with varying quarantine requirements. While there have been no new cases in Estonia in the last 24 hours, there has been a resurgence of coronavirus cases in neighbouring Baltic countries, prompting caution from the Health Board of Estonia.
Global film industry representatives will still be able to apply for access to all events, project pitches and films regardless of their geographical location. The platform for virtual screenings is Shift72.
“Following the discussions with Estonia’s health officials, it seems more than likely that there will be another outbreak in one form or another and that foreign travel will either be blocked or with restrictions,” said Marge Liiske, head of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event.
Travel around the world is in a state of flux in several countries, with varying quarantine requirements. While there have been no new cases in Estonia in the last 24 hours, there has been a resurgence of coronavirus cases in neighbouring Baltic countries, prompting caution from the Health Board of Estonia.
Global film industry representatives will still be able to apply for access to all events, project pitches and films regardless of their geographical location. The platform for virtual screenings is Shift72.
“Following the discussions with Estonia’s health officials, it seems more than likely that there will be another outbreak in one form or another and that foreign travel will either be blocked or with restrictions,” said Marge Liiske, head of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event.
- 8/14/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Jörn Donner, the prolific Finnish producer and director whose credits included Ingmar Bergman’s Oscar-winning Fanny And Alexander, has died at the age of 86.
Reports in local news were followed today by a statement released by the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, the biggest film event in the region, mourning his passing.
“A legend has left us,” said Tiina Lokk, director of Black Nights. “Donner’s work has not only influenced Nordic film but also life outside the screen – as a writer, a sharp-minded social critic, a politician and a diplomat.”
Donner passed away yesterday (January 30) after a long fight with illness, according to the festival, which presented him with a lifetime achievement award back in 2017.
As a producer, Donner made more than 60 films, including Bergman’s 1982 drama Fanny And Alexander, which won four Academy Awards including Best Foreign Language Film in 1984.
As a director, his credits included the 1963 movie A Sunday In September,...
Reports in local news were followed today by a statement released by the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, the biggest film event in the region, mourning his passing.
“A legend has left us,” said Tiina Lokk, director of Black Nights. “Donner’s work has not only influenced Nordic film but also life outside the screen – as a writer, a sharp-minded social critic, a politician and a diplomat.”
Donner passed away yesterday (January 30) after a long fight with illness, according to the festival, which presented him with a lifetime achievement award back in 2017.
As a producer, Donner made more than 60 films, including Bergman’s 1982 drama Fanny And Alexander, which won four Academy Awards including Best Foreign Language Film in 1984.
As a director, his credits included the 1963 movie A Sunday In September,...
- 1/31/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Includes the world premiere of ‘Isaac’ from Lithuanian director Jurgis Matulevičius.
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 15-Dec 1) has finalized its First Feature Competition, adding 10 films to the eight previously announced titles.
Scroll down for full list
These include the world premiere of Isaac, from Lithuanian director Jurgis Matulevičius, which centres on a political activist who is haunted by the guilt of killing a Jew in the Lietukis garage massacre of 1941. The cast includes Severija Janušauskaitė, from Russian comedy Star and German TV drama Babylon Berlin. Producers are Lithuania’s Film Jam and Poland‘s Takfilm.
It’s...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 15-Dec 1) has finalized its First Feature Competition, adding 10 films to the eight previously announced titles.
Scroll down for full list
These include the world premiere of Isaac, from Lithuanian director Jurgis Matulevičius, which centres on a political activist who is haunted by the guilt of killing a Jew in the Lietukis garage massacre of 1941. The cast includes Severija Janušauskaitė, from Russian comedy Star and German TV drama Babylon Berlin. Producers are Lithuania’s Film Jam and Poland‘s Takfilm.
It’s...
- 10/17/2019
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Black Nights has announced the first eight films due to compete in the First Feature Competition programme, all scheduled to have their world premieres in Estonia. The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has unveiled the first eight titles in its First Feature Competition, all scheduled to have their world premieres at the Estonian gathering. “It is a great honour and an even greater responsibility to host the world premiere of an artist’s debut, thus extra-special consideration is always given by the team to the selection of these films. Is this the right movie for us? But even more importantly, are we the right festival for this film?” PÖFF director and programme director Tiina Lokk told Cineuropa. “Having said that, we are over the moon to be sharing 2019’s First Feature selection, which, for us, is an exciting combination of countries and topics, artistically rewarding and challenging...
Documentaries Telenovela Greyscale in Color and Resisting Landscapes were also awarded at the work-in-progress section that this year was dedicated to Serbian cinema. Celts, directed by Milica Tomović, has emerged as the big winner at the ninth edition of First Look, one of Locarno Pro’s best-established initiatives. Running for three days (9-11 August), this year, First Look showcased six films from Serbia that are currently in post-production and were presented by their producers and directors to sales agents, programmers and industry professionals. Supported by the Film Center Serbia, the project was managed by Markus Duffner. The awards were announced on Sunday afternoon by the international jury, comprising the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival’s artistic director Tiina Lokk, the Torino Film Festival’s artistic director, Emanuela Martini, and Berlinale’s programmer, Lorenzo Esposito. The jury awarded the debut feature film Celts — by writer-director Milica Tomović, produced by the filmmaker and by Vladimir.
Nicolas Cage, accompanied by Australian actress and producer Nikki Whelan, trod the red carpet on Saturday night as part of the opening festivities at the third edition of the International Film Festival and Awards.
Set as a talent ambassador, Cage held small group seminars earlier on Saturday. On Sunday he will hold a masterclass.
His presence helped compensate for a couple of high-profile mainland Chinese talent absentees, presumably summoned North for the Huabiao Awards taking place in China the same evening.
The breezy opening event included a specially composed song and dance routine, a whirl of clips from films that will unspool over the coming week, and an elaborate ticket-slotting set-piece.
International guests in attendance included director of Copenhagen Pix Film Festival Jacob Neiiendam; director of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival Tiina Lokk; director of Sydney Film Festival, Nashen Moodley; artistic director of Chicago International Film Festival, Mimi Plauche; director of Busan International Film Festival,...
Set as a talent ambassador, Cage held small group seminars earlier on Saturday. On Sunday he will hold a masterclass.
His presence helped compensate for a couple of high-profile mainland Chinese talent absentees, presumably summoned North for the Huabiao Awards taking place in China the same evening.
The breezy opening event included a specially composed song and dance routine, a whirl of clips from films that will unspool over the coming week, and an elaborate ticket-slotting set-piece.
International guests in attendance included director of Copenhagen Pix Film Festival Jacob Neiiendam; director of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival Tiina Lokk; director of Sydney Film Festival, Nashen Moodley; artistic director of Chicago International Film Festival, Mimi Plauche; director of Busan International Film Festival,...
- 12/9/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Audiences in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia don’t typically watch films from their neighbouring countries.
While the film industries in the Baltic states maintain close ties and regularly co-produce, on the distribution side, audiences simply don’t watch their neighbours’ movies.
That was the topic of an industry panel at the 2018 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in the Estonian capital.
As the panellists explained, this indifference to their neighbours’ cinema culture could have an adverse effect on the development of their industries.
One idea currently being floated is for the Baltic states to join the Nordisk Film and TV Fund...
While the film industries in the Baltic states maintain close ties and regularly co-produce, on the distribution side, audiences simply don’t watch their neighbours’ movies.
That was the topic of an industry panel at the 2018 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in the Estonian capital.
As the panellists explained, this indifference to their neighbours’ cinema culture could have an adverse effect on the development of their industries.
One idea currently being floated is for the Baltic states to join the Nordisk Film and TV Fund...
- 12/1/2018
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
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