On November 8, the only A-class festival in Northern Europe will begin in Tallinn, where this year Latvia's participation is especially significant – with 14 feature-length films, three short films, a series and several upcoming film projects, Latvia will be represented in eight different PÖFF competitions and programs, including the industry section Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event.
Tallinn Film Festival Black Nights / Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival is taking place for the 28th time this year (founded in 1997), since 2014 it has been accredited as one of only 15 A-class film festivals in the world and is one of the largest film industry events in Northern Europe. In 2023, more than 88,000 moviegoers and 1600 accredited guests from 65 countries attended PÖFF.
This year, several of the Latvian film works selected for the PÖFF programmes will have their international premiere at the festival.
A fiction feature film The Exalted / Cildenie by Juris Kursietis has been selected for the festival’s main competition; after its world premiere on November 14, film will also celebrate its national premiere in Riga the very next day and will enter the repertoire of Latvian cinemas from November 15. In Tallinn, screenings are also planned on November 15 and 23.
Traditionally, most Latvian films are in the Baltic Film Competition, which is selected by international experts, while filmmakers come to meet the audience in Q&A sessions after the festival premiere. This year, out of the 14 films in the Baltic Film Competition, seven are related to Latvia - four feature films, one documentary - Maris Maskalāns' philosophical study The End / Beigas (screenings on November 17, 18 and 24), one animation film - now world-famous Flow / Straume by Gints Zilbalodis (screenings on November 16, 19 and 23), and one minority co-production, which is currently screening in Latvian cinemas - feature film Drowning Dry by Lithuanian director Laurynas Bareišas.
On 19 November, the international premiere of In the Land That Sings / Zeme, kas dzied by Māris Martinsons will take place (it will be available in Latvian cinemas from November 8), and on November 20 , the world premiere of Anna LOL by Ivars Tontegode will take place, film release in Latvia is expected in early December. Also selected for the Baltic Competition - Black Velvet / Melnais samts by Liene Linde (screening on November 21, 23 and 24) and a vampire comedy Touched by Eternity / Mūžības skartie by Mārcis Lācis, which recently won the Special Jury Prize at the Fantastic Film Festival and will be released in Latvian cinemas in late December.
The Tallinn festival also presents one Latvian film each - in the First Feature Competition, which will celebrate the world premiere of Lotus on November 20, debut feature-length film by Signe Birkova, and Rebels with a Cause, which includes impressive music film Tesa Man by Uģs Olte, known to Latvian audiences as the opening film of the recently concluded Riga IFF.
The Latvian film industry will also be well represented in the Tallinn Children's and Youth Film Programmes - two feature-length films have been selected for the Childrens Competition Programme,, where Estonian children and the competition jury will watch debut film Boom! / BUM! by Marta Selecka and Andra Doršs (also in Latvian cinemas from 3 November) and feature-length animation film Thelma’s Perfect Birthday / Telmas ideālā dzīmenīte by Reinis Kalnaelis (which will be released in Latvia during Christmas). For a slightly more mature audience, the International Youth Competition Programme, where Latvia's name appears in a co-production with the Netherlands - The Book of Everything by Ineke Houtman.
Three Latvian short films have been selected for various short film competitions. In the Shorts New Talents Competition: Live-action – short fiction My Childhood Body Confession / Mana bērnības ķermeņa atzīšanās by Emīlija Keretņikova, while in the Shorts Animation Competition from one of the strongest and most innovative Latvian animation studios Atom Art two films are included - a sand animation film by Zane Oborenko Kafka. In Love / Iemīlējies Kafka, and unusual form and rhythm game Freeride in C by Edmunds Jansons.
A special film programme Old Gold: Classic Films Come to Life highlights restored film classics, treasured phenomena of world cinema history, and will also screen Juris Podnieks' most famous film, the documentary Is It Easy to Be Young? / Vai viegli būt jaunam? (1986), which has been restored with the cooperation of the Latvian State Archive of Audiovisual Documents, the National Film Centre of Latvia the State Culture Capital Foundation and the Studio Locomotive under the Locomotive Classics brand.
From 15 November to 22 November, the Tallinn Film Festival's Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event section takes a forward-looking approach - this week focuses on emerging film projects and almost-finished films that find potential partners, distributors, festival curators on various platforms, film professionals meeting at various workshops, film market screenings and other important industry events. These days, presentations include well-known mini-series feature Mutiny / Dumpis by Andrejs Ēķis, upcoming feature Call Me Calendar / Kalendārs mani sauc by Juris Poškus, feature film project The Last Meal / Pēdējais mielasts by Elza Gauja and from the young director Kristians Riekstinš idea to make a black comedy for young people together with the producer Alise Rogulis - Everybody Needs Money / Visiem vajag naudu.
The Tallinn Film Festival's industry events section will close on November 22, with the last screenings for the public on November 24.