Brand new films by well-established film makers, representing the geographical, thematic and style diversity of the cinematic art. Only world, international or European premieres. All the films are presented by directors in person.

The first films of promising young talents, representing youthful vivacity, questing ideas and unexpected viewpoints. Only world, international or European premieres. All the films are presented by directors in person.

The best Estonian films producers over the year, assessed by foreign experts.

The best of Estonian, Latvia and Lithuanian film, assessed by international experts.

Films produced in a more experimental format or carrying a more rebellious message from all over the world. Testing the boundaries of the cinematic art.

After the end of World War I hundred years ago, the political map of Europe was radically redrawn, and a number of new nation states were born from the ashes of shattering empires. Although many of the newly emerged countries were repeatedly forced to fight for their independence throughout the 20th century, and some had to come to terms with losing a fair share of their former glory, for all of them 1918 constituted a watershed, the beginning of a new era.

In order to commemorate the centenary of those turbulent events, this retrospective programme focuses on European countries the existence of which was shaped by them in one way or another, and on films that have acquired a distinctive meaning in their respective cultures – films that were at times completed in spite of unfavourable socio-political conditions.

It is no accident that many of the films in this programme were made in the 1960s. This socially feverish decade witnessed the emergence of rebellious new waves that challenged the earlier cinematic conventions and took a critical look at their contemporary times or the distressing decades of the recent past.

Few filmmakers in the history of cinema have been as influential as Ingmar Bergman, the Swedish director who in his search for meaning demonstrated that film could be something more than entertainment: it could indeed be art. Through recurring characters, environments, actors and collaborators, Bergman created his own film universe which was to typify the concept of „art house cinema”. His films carried a highly personal vision, exploring uncomfortable truths about human nature and constant themes such as humiliation, infidelity, parenting, ageing, mortality, faith and the role of the artist – all of them ever-present concerns in his own life.

Having begun his career as a theatre director and as an aspiring author, Bergman began working with film in the early 1940s and made his last film 2003. Throughout seven decades he wrote and/or directed more than 60 films, constantly being referred to, mocked and quoted. Furthermore, he maintained a successful parallel career in the theatre, directing more than 170 plays, and also wrote several books.

This year Bergman would have turned 100 years. To celebrate the centennial of Bergman’s birth PÖFF will screen two of his films, the rarely seen anti-Communist spy thriller „This Can’t Happen Here” (1950), co-starring exiled Estonian actors, and the double Oscar-nominated chamber piece „Autumn Sonata” (1978), about a mother’s visit to her estranged daughter, thereby highlighting the width of Bergman’s legacy which simply cannot be overestimated.

Newest films by grand masters of film who are important for PÖFF.

Films for a demanding audience, offering original viewpoints, controversial opinions or simply interesting aesthetic pursuits. A fresh view of the cinematic art.

It is Screen International’s mission to help both audiences and industry keep informed about the business of cinema and discover some of the greatest films out there. As such, this year’s Screen International Critics’ Choice is an exciting and vital snapshot of the work of a current generation of filmmakers who are telling the bold and provocative stories that have already taken the cinema world by storm.

There are a few established names on the list – giving you the chance to see new films from Peter Strickland, Pawel Pawlikowski, Ciro Guerra and Lee Chang-Dong – but there are also some newer voices with the likes of Ali Abbasi and Milko Lazarov defining their styles with their second features.

The films on offer in the Critics’ Choice are diverse in terms of style and content but their one unifying feature is that each filmmaker proves that filmic invention and a spark of artistic genius are still present in world cinema. Come with us on our journey as we visit those films that made a mark on us on 2018 – a mark that will most certainly stay in the years to come.

This selection of documentary films brings together very different types of films. They vary stylistically, thematically, regarding their budget and place of production. One unifying characteristic between them is that they all deal with grand topics. These include environmental issues (“Anote’s Ark”, „When Lambs Become Lions”), abuse of power (“The Trial”, „Putin’s Witnesses”), and human rights (“Island of the Hungry Ghosts”, „Bixa Travesty”, „Kailash – The Price of Free”).

However, grand topics are not only the ones that shake the world with obvious resonance – there are also the ones that deal with a crisis of the soul. As such „Garmine Street Guitars” depicts the disappearing art of handmade guitars in the era of automation, and „Greenaway Alphabet” explores the thoughts of a unique artist. Although all these topics resonate with the larger social problems of today’s society, it does not mean that we must necessarily agree with all the ideas in these films. Nevertheless, all these topics deserve to be thought about.

An A-class festival must have a midnight program! It has been an exceptional cinema year and we had more amazing films on the table than ever. Like always, however tough is the job, we have kept the program contained and sweet, so all of you longing for some midnight movies, could see all the 10 films of Midnight Shivers. And here we must say one thing – this really is the best midnight program PÖFF ever had. What a catch these films are! Sex, power, rock and roll. Dark humour, fear of something bigger than us, bad trips and nasty dreams, mistakes that have a high price – these are only few keywords.

Like always the films speak the best for themselves. It comes highly recommended to see at least half of the programme, but like we say here in Estonia – the chest of a courageous wolf is greasy (find out the meaning of this after one of the late screenings mingling in one of the many places that have partnered up with the festival!) and you really should see all of the films. For those up for funny, mad and not so mainstream movies, we have a lot to offer. From one of the most tense crime films this year („Destroyer”) to the coolest heist-film gem („The World is Yours”), dark folklore („Tumbbad”), mind bending sci-fi („Perfect”), acid-like insanity („Mandy”) or works from already established filmmakers („Climax”, „Suspiria” and „Keep An Eye Out” and „Under The Silver Lake”) we can promise you – you will be entertained!

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival’s annual sub-programme Fashion Cinema returns once again to celebrate the ever-so-fabulous fashion world by adding some much-needed spark to the cold and dark November nights.

Joining us on this trip with an international premiere is „Timeless Beauty”, a documentary diving deep into the heart of the always-controversial fashion industry and focusing on a recent trend that seeks to fight back against the imposed ideas of beauty and youth. Following with a similar theme is „Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie”, a film exploring the untold history of Barbie, an infamous fashion icon and a cultural lightning rod, while discussing beauty, stereotypes, and women’s progress in today’s society. Our society is also put under the microscope in „Generation Wealth”, a revelatory cultural documentation of wealth that tells the story of our own materialistic and image-obsessed culture. Introducing the fun and fabulous late ’70s is „Studio 54”, a feature documentary revealing the real story behind the greatest club of all time by showing us how the legendary Studio 54 once came to be and how it disappeared for good. The famous guests of Studio 54 are also mentioned in „The Price of Everything”, a stunning exposé of the role of art in today’s consumerist society. The film explores the labyrinth of contemporary art world and examines the role of artistic passion in today’s money-driven society.

Taking us on a different, a bit more rhythmical and colourful journey are „United Skates” and „Matangi/Maya/M.I.A”, the first of which focuses on the African-American roller-rink tradition which has served as the incubator for a perfect blend of skating, dancing, fashion, and music. The latter is a personal profile of the critically acclaimed artist M.I.A, chronicling her remarkable journey from refugee immigrant to a pop star and fashion icon.

And lastly, returning to Fashion Cinema for a special screening is „Celebration”, a documentary showing Yves Saint Laurent’s final two years at the legendary YSL fashion house. The film goes behind the curtain to give the viewer an uncut, raw, and at times tragic look of what was really going on in the renowned designer’s world and was, due to its scandalous content, blocked for many years. Now, 11 years after it first premiered, the documentary returns to Fashion Cinema for one more special screening.

Stories in sports and around it are emotional and engaging. There are sweet victories and bitter defeats, battles with oneself and with the limits of human capabilities, unexpected surprises and dramatic moments, and extraordinary self-surpassing efforts. Sports – it is beauty and pain, respect and disappointments, dreams and failures and, throughout it all, getting up on your feet again. Sport is human.

An athletic performance in front of an audience generally only lasts for a moment, and we never see the athlete’s journey to the achievement and the journey that follows. Even more so – we do not see what makes a person an athlete, what motivates and distinguishes him or her, what makes a boy or girl from next door an Olympic winner.

Every athlete has their own story – unique, deep and meaningful. One this is common – the ability and courage to dream without limits and consistently. It is worth learning this from athletes. If all of us had more courage to dream and to follow our dreams, the entire world would be a better and happier place.

Film allows us to open the world through sports from viewpoints which usually remain hidden from the eyes of bystanders. The sports films programme of this year’s PÖFF includes a variety of very different films which are all special and offer the audience proper spectacles, food for thought and strong emotions.

Warning: sports films may have an inspiring effect!

See you at the cinema!

A surprising fact at German Festivals and the Arthouse Box-Office this year: among the national successes many films were based on local and regional themes. Andreas Dresen made a picture about the life of an East German singer-songwriter – beloved by many in the East, barely known in the West – and had a big hit. Be it the life of blue collar workers in the province or the fight for political participation in East and West: the films are precise in their depictions of specific realities and politically ambitious (and always entertaining!). They aim at nothing less than to have a lasting effect on the present of Germany in the year 2018, a society not without divisions.

For the audiences in Tallinn this trend offers the possibility of getting to know Germany better than ever before through the big screen. Elsewhere, the new German cinema looks at societal rifts regarding the whole of Europe and the world. Whether the shifting relationship between men and women or the constant issue of migration and the marginalisation of „others” in society: Well-known masters as well as First-Time-Filmmakers have created artistic, exciting films that are thought-provoking and create the urge to make a change.

German cinema is getting ever more adventurous in form – come and be surprised!

Certain subjects emerged from the international competition programme which enabled dividing the films into five categories - Women, Men, Relationships, Places, and Animals. A noteworthy number of films came in from Poland, Belgium, and Switzerland. We can say that Polish animation today is being dominated by young and talented female directors (Marta Pajek, Paulina Ziolkowska, and others), whose films have already gained extensive approval from many different festivals. Polish film has maintained its distinctive deep content, but has also, in addition, developed a certain playfulness which makes them more plausible to the audience.

Belgium’s animation’s strength is its technical realization and storytelling skill.

A Northern reticent narrative carries a significant tension and unpredictable developments.

Switzerland, however, surprises with the amount of absurdity which leads to the fact of it being the birthplace of one of the 20th century’s peculiar art movements - dadaism. Maybe Zurich is a sort of creativity volcano that erupts once in a hundred years and covers whole Europe with its ashes of absurdity. Similarly, many surreal ideas stand out from the films of our Finno-Ugrian relatives Hungarians.

In their well-known quality, “good old” animation countries such as Canada, France, and Great Britain, are of course also represented. The array of problems discussed in these movies is wide and hardly determinable - it varies from routine cigarette-buying to a romantic drama about a man whose head is a plane turbine. There’s more where that all comes from, but let us not lay all the cards on the table at once.

This year's competition will take audiences on a trip across the globe taking in such exotic location as Peru, Costa Rica and Indonesia. While the world continues to undergo tumultuous times, many of the films here focus on tales of individuals as they try to understand themselves and their place in an increasingly complicated society. The important topics of the times – amongst them sexual identity, immigration and violence – all loom large as filmmakers across the world continue to reflect upon society and show that, even in a time when people seem divided, we have much more in common than we think.

The face of the animation and nature of the narrative is often determined by technology that is used in the process. In the selection of student films the tendency to use traditional techniques - drawing, dolls, cut out animates - was noticeable. Turning back to “tangible” materials may perhaps be a sign that the makers are getting tired of the virtual era. Could it be because humans wish to recreate adequate contact with oneself and the surrounding world? On the other hand this phenomenon could also be interpreted as the survival of the medium of telling stories through time.

This year's competition will take audiences on a trip across the globe taking in such exotic location as Peru, Costa Rica and Indonesia. While the world continues to undergo tumultuous times, many of the films here focus on tales of individuals as they try to understand themselves and their place in an increasingly complicated society. The important topics of the times – amongst them sexual identity, immigration and violence – all loom large as filmmakers across the world continue to reflect upon society and show that, even in a time when people seem divided, we have much more in common than we think.

It is perhaps appropriate that, in the year in which Estonia and its Baltic neighbours celebrate their 100th birthday, the National Programme has increased to three cassettes. Indicative of a resurgence of short filmmaking in Estonia, the programme offers a wildly diverse selection of animation, documentary and fiction films. Many films deal with specific aspects of Estonian society as the country continues to assimilate the past as it forges its future. But there are also plenty of films that deal with universal themes of love, loss and life. Estonia may have a small population but the richness and diversity of the films and filmmakers is large.

From the funniest oddball comedies to provocative shorts about sex, this programme further explores the impact and thematic possibilities of the short film medium. Whether it’s a showcase of marginalised voices, a marathon of freak films in the odd hours of the night or a celebration of the very worst of filmmaking, rest assured we won’t hold back.

Forget Netflix and join us for a night-cinema-and-chill at the only screening of its kind, where short films are shown from late night to early morning. In a programme that fuels and recharges, you will find Vitamin Pill comedies, newest music videos, short horror stories and a lot of madness. Lights out and slippers on!

Real life is boring. That’s why cinema exists. Who needs the drudgery of everyday life when we can be whisked away to another world, far away from our mundane existence? But real life is actually more exciting than we can ever imagine.

DOC@Shorts takes us to worlds far from home, yet the problems and joys of their everyday reality are still far from alien. And don´t let the form of storytelling fool you when the animated docs tear a hole in the space-time reality - you are looking straight into our cyborg future reality.

Whenever we hear the word Panorama we tend to think – oh, those are the films that didn’t make it to the competition. We think of something negative – Brexit, global warming, Harvey Weinstein... But little do we know that under that modest name lie the biggest award winning short films and animations including the European Film Academy awards nominees, fresh talents of the Visegrad countries and several other mind opening screenings.

We are also celebrating the many European countries who are turning 100 this year and that includes Estonia. We invite our fellow jubilarians from the Baltic states to join us around the birthday cake. Additionally, into one birthday of a hundred there fits two of 50. Thus, we are excited to celebrate the 50th birthday of the famous full length animation Yellow Submarine by showing it here in Estonia for the second time ever.

Who of us parents haven't left their kids every now and then in the arms of the world’s most consistent babysitter – the TV-set? It seems that only then, when our children are basking in the fluorescent glow of the screen, when their eyes are fixed and their mouths agape - only then can we ever get a moments peace. But sooner or later (at least some of us) will start to feel a sense of guilt – this “babysitter” may be free but they aren't kind or affectionate, and they care not a whit about our child’s well-being. In order to relieve this guilt we suggest you take your child by the hand and venture together towards the cinema. Tricky Toons will offer joy and excitement (and most of all food for thought) for people of all ages.