Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival Unveils Bold Competition Line-Up and International Jury

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) reveals its 2025 Official Selection line-up with 17 films, including 16 world premieres
TALLINN, ESTONIA ( October 10, 2025 ) -

The 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has unveiled the line-up and international jury for its 2025 Official Selection Competition, presenting 17 feature films, including 16 world premieres and one international premiere.

Strong Global Presence

This year’s selection follows an impressive number of submissions: 1,900 for the main programme, 433 for Just Film, and over 5,600 for Shorts. Films were submitted from more than 100 countries, with around 80 nations represented in the festival’s final programme. In total, PÖFF, Just Film, and Shorts will showcase 110 world premieres and 30 international premieres.

Many of this year’s entries came from Spanish-speaking countries, South America, Asia, Central Asia, and Europe, while submissions from the Middle East and Africa were fewer.

A Reflection of Our Times

Festival Director and Head Curator Tiina Lokk described this year’s competition as a reflection of the world’s anxieties and resilience:

“It’s difficult to pinpoint a single common thread this year, but once again, the selection holds up a mirror to our world. Everything that worries and pains us is there — wars, the environmental crisis, political arrogance, migration, women’s rights, and, above all, the fragile ties of family life,” said Lokk.

She noted strong submissions from Asia, Latin America, and Spain, the only country with two films in competition:

“With Catalan Films in Focus, we were pleased to include emerging Catalan female talent Júlia de Paz Solvas with “The Good Daughter,” as well as “The Dashed Lines” — a warm and unexpected story about divorce by Galician director Anxos Fazàns.”

The 2025 International Jury

The Official Selection Competition jury will be chaired by acclaimed Macedonian filmmaker Teona Strugar Mitevska, whose award-winning films “God Exists,” “Her Name Is Petrunya” and “The Happiest Man in the World” have premiered at Berlin, Venice, and Toronto.

Joining her on the jury are:

  • Debra McGuire (USA) – Emmy-nominated fashion and costume designer (“Friends,” “Phil Spector,” “The Morning Show”).
  • Nomuunzul Turmunkh (Mongolia) – Producer and screenwriter (“Silent City Driver,” “The Sales Girl”), board member of the Mongolian National Film Council and NETPAC.
  • Roberto Schaefer, ASC/AIC (USA) – Cinematographer (“Finding Neverland,” “Quantum of Solace”), recipient of the Golden Frog Award.
  • Ingo Fliess (Germany) – Producer (“The Teachers’ Lounge”), professor at the University of Television and Film Munich.

    • Awards and Dates

    The Grand Prix for Best Film in the Official Selection Competition will receive a €20,000 grant from the City of Tallinn.

    The 29th edition of PÖFF will take place 7–23 November 2025, while the industry platform Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event runs 14–21 November 2025.

    Official Selection Competition Titles</strong

  • “18 Holes to Paradise” (Portugal, Italy, Argentina), dir. João Nuno Pinto
  • “Duality” (Iran), dir. Abbas Nezamdoost
  • “Hungarian Wedding” (Hungary), dir. Csaba Káel
  • “LifeLike” (Turkey, Greece, Romania), dir. Ali Vatansever
  • “Mira” (Morocco), dir. Nour Eddine Lakhmari
  • “No Comment” (Norway), dir. Petter Næss
  • “Sisa” (Philippines), dir. Jun Robles Lana
  • “The Dashed Lines” (Spain), dir. Anxos Fazáns
  • “The Frog and the Water” (Germany), dir. Thomas Stuber
  • “The Good Daughter” (Spain), dir. Júlia de Paz Solvas
  • “The Imaginary Dog and the Lying Cat” (Japan), dir. Yukihiro Morigaki
  • “The Moon is a Father of Mine” (Luxembourg, Turkey, Georgia, Germany, Czechia, Bulgaria), dir. George Ovashvili
  • “The Muralist” (Mongolia), dir. Sengedorj Janchivdorj
  • “The Stories” (Austria, France, Belgium, Egypt, Sweden), dir. Abu Bakr Shawky
  • “Think of England” (United Kingdom), dir. Richard Hawkins
  • “Veins” (Canada), dir. Raymond St-Jean
  • “Versalles” (Mexico), dir. Andrés Clariond

    • About Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
    The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Pimedate Ööde filmifestival, PÖFF) first took place in 1997. Since 2014, PÖFF is one of the 15 A-list film festivals accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) alongside the Cannes, Karlovy Vary, San Sebastian, Locarno, Venice, Berlin, Cairo, Mar de Plata, Goa, Tokyo and other film festivals. The accreditation is renewed every year.

    The aim of the festival is to present a comprehensive selection of world cinema from the last two years to a local and international audience, offering fresh film production with high artistic value.

    Today, the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival with Industry @ Tallinn & Baltic Event and with the two sub-festivals, Just Film and PÖFF Shorts, has grown into one of the biggest film festivals in Northern Europe and the busiest regional industry platforms. The festival is an important meeting point for a rapidly growing number of industry professionals from around the globe.