Tallinn Black Nights Sets 12-Film Baltic Competition for 30th Edition
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has set 12 films for its Baltic Film Competition at its 30th edition, running Nov. 6-22, The Hollywood Reporter reported. The strand spotlights work connected to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It was curated by Edvinas Pukšta.
Twelve films made the cut. The list includes Jaak Kilmi's Dirt In Your Face, from Estonia and Latvia, Kristiāns Riekstiņš's Kingpins, from Latvia, and Linda Olte's The Child, from Latvia and Lithuania. It also features Reinis Kalviņš's The Bog, from Latvia, Germany and Estonia, and Kristijonas Vildžiūnas's Dice-Ching-O-Mat, from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
The rest of the selection leans into co-production. Andrius Blaževičius's How to Divorce During the War arrives from Lithuania, Luxembourg, Ireland and Czechia. Martin Kuba's 3 Weeks Under the Sea is backed from Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Lithuania. Dean Radovanović's Amathia comes from Serbia and Estonia.
The line-up is completed by Laura Hyppönen's Lex Julia, from Finland, Poland, Estonia and Sweden, Theophilos Papastylianos's The Flaw, from Greece and Latvia, Rostislav Kirpičenko's Vesna, from France, Lithuania and Estonia, and Ana Urushadze's Supporting Role, from Georgia, Estonia, Türkiye, Switzerland and USA.
Five of the 12 films are directed by film-makers from outside the Baltic countries, The Hollywood Reporter reported. Almost every title shares production across borders. That spread reflects how films from this region are now financed and built.
The festival notes that the Baltic selection includes three world premieres and one international premiere, according to PÖFF. Competition screenings for the anniversary edition are scheduled for Nov. 13-19.
What makes this stand out is the mix. Local stories sit beside wider European partnerships, and first looks sit beside films already travelling. For viewers, this means one compact programme covering the three Baltic states and their close production partners.
