Tallinn's 30th Black Nights festival keeps Ukraine on the programme

Nine features make up the Standing With Ukraine showcase at this year's Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, known locally as PÖFF. The showcase returns for the festival's 30th anniversary edition, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The strand is one of the festival's clearest statements of support. PÖFF has shown solidarity with Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, and it has done so every year since. Its programme has included Ukrainian films, works-in-progress and panels on Ukraine.

The headline title is Slava: Shooting With Music, which has its world premiere at the festival. Directed by Jacqui Morris and David Morris, the documentary follows Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, lead singer of the band Okean Elzy. It screens in the festival's Special Screenings section, where films sit outside the main competitions.

Ukraine-themed work also runs through the industry side of the festival. Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event is the strand where filmmakers pitch projects and meet funders and buyers. Its head, Marge Liiske, has overseen Ukrainian projects there before. The Hollywood Reporter reported that the 2025 edition included five projects from Ukraine, two of them in its co-production market, where producers in different countries look for partners.

The festival's leadership is also changing hands. Tiina Lokk is the founder and chief executive, and Triin Tramberg has been named the new artistic director, the person who shapes the film selection.

For Ukrainian nationals, the 2026 edition offers complimentary accreditation, a pass that gives access to the festival. The festival describes this as a gesture of solidarity and support, according to its industry rules page.

The anniversary is also being marked beyond the cinemas. An Estonian postage stamp is being issued to celebrate the jubilee, and a tram decorated for the occasion is running through Tallinn, according to the festival's website. On its opening day, the festival shows 32 films across Tallinn and Tartu. In Tartu, its festival centre is made up of two cinemas, the Elektriteater and the Apollo Kino Tasku.

For audiences, the practical point is simple. The Ukraine strand is one of the festival's standing parts, not a one-off. For film-makers, it is one more place where projects find partners, and for the festival, a 30th year that keeps its earlier commitments in place.