PÖFF unveils line-up and jury for 2024 Official Selection Competition

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) reveals the full selection and the jury for the Official Selection Competition 2024. The flagship of the PÖFF programme comprises 18 titles, of which 11 are world premieres and 7 are international premieres. The jury is chaired by acclaimed German director Christoph Hochhäusler.

The Official Selection Competition has been run in its present form since the festival received it’s ‘A-category’ status from FIAPF in 2014. Ever since, the Official Selection Competition has been curated without geographic restrictions, whereas the main focus has always been on artistic quality and strong auteur cinema. 

"As always, there are all kinds of genres our Official Selection Competition. At the same time, we don't select films solely on the basis of genre, as the genre is rather a tool of expressing a message," says the festival director and the curator of the Official Selection Competition, Tiina Lokk. 

The Official Selection Competition 2024 has 18 titles from 23 countries. "In the Official Selection, we are not trying to highlight a certain theme or a particular region, we are free in our choices. This year's trends and topics include themes of old age, the end of life and euthanasia, perhaps due to the influence of COVID. On the other hand, bullying in schools and children's rights are topical issues too," Lokk shares her thoughts. 

As a festival director, Lokk wants society and festival audiences to think along with the filmmakers. "Being a film theorist myself, and coming from a generation of great audiovisually-minded directors, I am very happy to find submitted films, in which the plot develops not only through causal narrative, but through images and symbols. However, the competition also includes dramas with a linear storyline that are psychologically complex. For me, they are both appetizing, and the Official Selection has them both," she proudly says. 


OFFICIAL SELECTION COMPETITION 2024

Buzzheart | International Premiere
Greek director Dennis Iliadis (Hardcore 2005; The Last House On The Left, 2009) takes viewers to 1990s Athens, a city where he grew up. 19-year-old Argyris finds himself unexpectedly dating Mary, a beautiful girl seemingly out of his league. When she invites him to her parents’ secluded country home, the weekend quickly spirals into something far darker.  Aided by powerfully sinister performances, atmospheric cinematography and a suspensefully eerie score, Buzzheart carefully balances thriller, horror, and dark comedy to craft a slow-burning, tense exploration of love, manipulation, and control.  

Can I Get A Witness | International premiere
In a not-too-distant future where humanity has solved its greatest crises, there remains one unsettling rule: to preserve the planet, every person must end their life at 50, with teenage artists tasked with the difficult assignment of documenting humanity’s ultimate sacrifice. On her first day as an official witness, Kiah (Keira Jang), along with her co-worker Daniel (Joel Oulette), must navigate the emotional complexities of these duties, all while her mother Ellie (Sandra Oh) prepares for her own mandated departure. The director, Ann Marie Fleming, is an award-winning visual artist, writer, director, animator and cross-platform media maker who has worked in a variety of genres (animation, experimental, documentary and drama).

Deaf Lovers | World premiere
A young woman and a young man meet in Istanbul. They both lack the money to live in the foreign city and they are both deaf. They connect, spend time together and do what young people always do – party carelessly and seek intimacy. They feel they are in love. But all is not quite as it seems. She’s from Ukraine, he’s from Russia, and there’s a war going on somewhere back home. Deaf Lovers is the fourth feature film by the award-winning Russian-born filmmaker Boris Guts. His latest film Minsk premiered at PÖFF 2022 Baltic Film Competition and was a successful festival hit around the world. 
 
Empire Of The Rabbits | World premiere
Musa (11), lives with his father Beko in a single-story mud-brick house. The father makes his living by running errands in rabbit-hound races, and is told by the manager of a private education center that if he can get a medical report for his son, he can get a disability pension from the government. Musa has to take lessons from Nergis (11) about how to move and behave like a disabled child. Although Musa is afraid of being a disabled forever, he begins his education in the rehabilitation center, where he finds out that Nergis also pretends to be disabled. The author, Seyfettin Tokmak, has a PhD on Symbolic and Cinematographic Utilisation of Children in Cinema. His previous film Broken Mussels (2012) premiered at Sarajevo Film Festival.  

Girl America | International premiere
Viktor Tauš's film is about a girl raised in an orphanage in Czechoslovakia under communism. How to overcome fears, insecurity and loneliness? To do this, the girl creates another self to talk to and argue with. And, of course, the dream of America where everything is beautiful and good. Where her father lives and waits for her. A girl and her foster family. There’s plenty of everything, but it doesn’t feel right. Emma’s trials don’t end there. Again and again, she must find the strength to hope, the stamina to live.

Out Of Control | World premiere
Anne Le Ny's psychological drama tells a story about Julien and Marie, who have enjoyed 15 years of seemingly stable marriage until Anaëlle, Julien’s childhood flame, returns. Her sudden presence awakens old insecurities in Marie, who begins to doubt Julien’s devotion and question her self-worth. Amid this emotional storm, Marie is drawn to Thomas, a charismatic stranger who offers her the validation she craves. The film boasts an impressive cast, including renowned talents such as Vanessa Paradis, Omar Sy, José Garcia and Elodie Bouchez. 
 
Pink Lady | World premiere
Lazer and Bati have three children. They live in an ultra-Orthodox Judaist community where family values are highly esteemed and talking about sex is a taboo. Everyday life for the happy family changes when Lazer falls victim to blackmail. Nir Bergman’s film immediately captures your attention. It is undoubtedly a high-quality work of narrative cinema in all its characteristic aspects, from the screenplay to post-production. Bergman has won several awards for his films including the Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Film Festival for Broken Wings (2002) and Intimate Grammar (2010). 

Pyre | World premiere
In the Himalayan Mountain range, a rural village loses its inhabitants to the city’s allure while an elderly couple, Padam Singh and Tulsi, live in desolate isolation. Their days are filled with routine and occasional humour as they mask their loneliness. Their son’s absence gnaws at them, and when a letter arrives promising his return, it reignites their hearts with joy and anticipation. This film powerfully explores the pain of abandonment, the endurance of hope, and the heartache of unfulfilled promises. The film is directed and produced by awarded Indian filmmaker Vinod Kapr who got a National Award for his film, Can't Take This Shit Anymore (2015).


Seed Of The Desert | World premiere
The film is the work of Sebastián Parra R., a Colombian filmmaker whose narratives featuring non-professional actors explore Latin American situations set within arid and anachronistic worlds. In a deserted land, Chelina and Caviche face a difficult decision when in fear of a violent father they decide to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. To fund the abortion, they become gasoline smugglers and embark on a challenging journey. An appealing cocktail between a coming-of-age and a rusty and ramshackle steampunk tale, Seed of the Desert emerges as a hardy road movie along the Guajira Peninsula. Will love overcome all these difficulties?

Silent City Driver | World premiere
In a city rife with corruption and scandals, surrounded by indifference, the solitary and enigmatic Myagmar lives in isolation after enduring 14 brutal years in prison. Scarred both physically and emotionally, his only companions are the stray dogs he has rescued over time. With its haunting narrative and mesmerising visuals, the film leverages Mongolia’s striking urban landscapes and skyscapes to tell a raw, powerful story of lives on the edge, weaving existential reflections on life and death with an utterly unique cinematic style. The author of the film is Sengedorj Janchivdorj, who has established himself as one of the most interesting talents of Mongolian film industry. His previous feature film, The Sales Girl (2021), was successful around the world, including PÖFF's summer open air festival Tartuffe where it scooped the Audience Award. 

Some Nights I Feel Like Walking | World premiere
A rich boy runs away from home to a big city where he knows no one. There he meets other youths who have come to Manila in search of happiness. To provide for themselves they offer sexual services to horny old men. When one of them dies, they decide to fulfil his last wish – to go home. The journey begins. Some Nights I Feel Like Walking is the second feature film by Petersen Vargas, a Philipphino filmmaker. His first feature 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten (2016) premiered at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival, where it won three awards, including Best Picture. 
 
The Loop | World premiere
A young man is suffering from brutal bullying at school, before he takes the fatal step that sets off a rather unpredictable sequence of events in this startlingly honest film d’auteur. It is a cruel world where physical beatings and verbal abuse seem to be the socially accepted norm of everyday life.  But when one of the boys being beaten is threatened with the worst, one of the bullies realises it’s time to take a new perspective on life. Despite the film’s bleak undertones, however, its authors seek to instil a sense of hope for a more promising future. After a romantic debut She's From Another Planet, The Loop is the second feature film by Sang Beom KOO, a renowned short film maker and a PhD candidate in film production at Dongguk University in South Korea.

The Exalted  | World premiere
When world-renowned German organist Anna uncovers her Latvian husband's involvement in a sprawling corruption scandal, her meticulously curated life alongside their prosperous family starts to unravel. The deepening contrast in their perspectives on corruption, shaped by their Western and Eastern backgrounds, intensifies, jeopardizing the core of Anna and Andris' relationship. Will she be able to live with this new image of her husband? The Exalted is Latvian director's, Juris Kursietis's third feature film. Olegs, the director's second film, had its world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival's Quinzaine des réalisateurs section and was shortlisted for the 2019 European Film Academy Awards.


The Mousetrap | World premiere
Anton is alone in a bunker on the front line when the entrance is hit and the bunker collapses. The soldier is trapped. All the initial optimistic efforts to escape the situation are hopeless. Attempts to establish radio communication with the outside world do not succeed. Fortunately, there is water, food, batteries, but it is becoming increasingly clear that... Then a companion comes from somewhere, a rat. Is this little creature the last living soul to witness the end of Anton? The director,  Serhii Kastornykh, is a filmmaker and a serviceman in Ukraine. He filmed The Mouse Trap entirely during his short vacation between military service. 


PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED TITLES

Reading Lolita in Tehran | International premiere
Eran Riklis' (The Syrian Bride, 2004; Lemon tree, 2008) newest drama is set to a post-revolution Iran and tells a story about a teacher who secretly gathers six of her most committed female students to read forbidden western classics. Unaccustomed to being asked to speak their minds, they soon removed their veils, their stories intertwining with the novels they read: just like the heroines of Nabokov, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James or Jane Austen, the women in Nafisi’s living room dare to dream, hope and love as we experience the complexity of the lives of individuals facing political, moral and personal siege. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a remarkable exploration of women's resilience in revolutionary Iran.The film is based on a best-selling autobiographical book by Iranian-American author Azar Nafisi.
 

The Boy With Pink Pants | International premiere
Andrea Spezzacatena had just turned 15 when he decided to take his own life. The sunny boy had excellent grades in school and a good relationship with his parents. His act was therefore totally unexpected and remained without explanation until his mother, after his death, went into his Facebook profile and reconstructed the hell her son was going through between cyberbullying and bullying at school. The film, narrated by Andrea's voice from beyond, tells us how the boy came to think he had no other way out, and is a powerful warning about the danger of those words and gestures that, on the surface, may seem harmless to us. The director, Margherita Ferri, focuses on coming-of-age/rite-of-passage stories about diverse characters in search of their identity and their place in the world. She also works as a director for Netflix and Amazon Italy.
 

100 Liters Of Gold | International premiere
Two middle-aged sisters, Taina and Pirkko, are famous sahti-makers from Sysmä, Finland. Sahti is a strong beer made today the same way as 500 years ago. The third sister, Päivi, is getting married, and she asks her sisters if they can make 100 liters of sahti for the wedding. Unfortunately, it’s too good not to drink it. The sisters wake up in a horrible hungover and realize they have drunk it all. They have 24 hours to find 100 liters of good sahti, or they will lose all the respect. Teemu Nikki's first feature film, Euthanizer (2017) was selected as Finland's official Oscar entry for the 2019 Academy Awards. His third feature film, The Blind Man That Didn't Want To See Titanic (2021) was selected for Venice Film Festival's Orizzonti Extra section. His previous film Death is a Problem For The Living screened at The Official Selection - Out Of Competition at PÖFF 2023.
 

Shadow | International premiere
Tartu, Estonia, 1894, lunatic asylum. Juhan Liiv (Pääru Oja), the legendary future Estonian poet, suffers from schizophrenia and mania. His homeland, which he wants to sing about, is suffering in the clutches of the reactionary Russian Empire. The Estonians' aspirations for freedom were crushed. The poet flees and goes to his parents' home in Alatskivi to recuperate, only to find himself at the centre of a strange murder mystery. Director Jaak Kilmi brings Juhan Liiv's unusual character to the screen for the first time, showing him from an unexpected angle. Kilmi's extensive filmography includes the award-winning documentary Disco and Atomic War (2009) and the youth and children's festival hit The Sleeping Beast (2022).

FILM DETAILS (including the previously announced titles)

Buzzheart, 2024, Greece; director: Dennis Iliadis. International premiere.
Prod. Panoply Films, Neda Film, in Co-Production with Greek Film Center, ERT, Twin 7, Filmiki, Faust with the Support of EKOME SA

Can I Get A Witness, 2024, Canada, director: Ann Marie Fleming. International premiere. 
Prod. Crescent Entertainment, Sleepy Dog Films

Deaf Lovers, 2024, Estonia, Serbia, director: Boris Guts. World premiere. 
Prod. Move On!, Max-Grip

Empire Of The Rabbits, 2024, Turkey, Croatia, Mexico, Lebanon;  director: Seyfettin Tokmak. World premiere.
Prod.  Yaman Fim Film Production, ZK Film Production


Girl America, 2024, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, director: Viktor Tauš. International premiere.
Prod.   Heaven’s Gate, Václav Dejčmar, Barrandov Studio, VOYO, Česká televize, B Film, PFX, K Film Swiss

Out Of Control 2024, France, director: Anne le Ny. World Premiere. 
Prod. Move Movie, Korokoko, SND

Pink Lady, 2024, Israel, Italy; director:   Nir Bergman. World Premiere. 
Prod.  2-TEAM PRODUCTIONS, ROSAMONT

Pyre, 2024, India, director: Vinod Kapri. World Premiere.
Prod.  Bhagirathi Films Private Limited, Calcutta Cineverse Private Limited

Seed Of The Desert, 2024, Colombia; director:  Sebastian Parra R. World Premiere. 
Prod.  Solar Cinema

Silent City Driver, 2024, Mongolia, director:  Sengedorj Janchivdorj. World Premiere. 
Prod. Dominion Tech, Nomadia Pictures, Ddish

Some Nights I Feel Like Walking, 2024, Philippines, Singapore, Italy, director:  Petersen Vargas. World Premiere.
Prod.  Daluyong Studios

The Loop, 2024, South Korea, director:   Sang Beom KOO. World Premiere.
Prod. Korea University of Media Arts, MURIM Corp.

The Exalted, 2024, Latvia, Estonia, Greece, director: Juris Kursietis. World Premiere.
Prod. White Picture, Stellar Film, Asterisk*

The Mousetrap, 2024, Ukraine, director:  Serhii Kastornykh. World premiere. 
Prod. Andrii Rai - COO Top Script Films, LLC

Reading Lolita in Tehran, 2024, Italy, director: Eran Riklis. International premiere. 
Prod. Minerva Pictures, United King Films, Rosamont with Rai Cinema, Topia Communications, Eran Riklis Productions

The Boy With Pink Pants, 2024, Italy, director: Margherita Ferri. International premiere. 
Prod.  Eagle Pictures

100 Liters Of Gold, 2024, Finland, Italy, director: Teemu Nikki. International premiere. 
Prod. It's Alive Films, All at Once, Smile Entertainment

Shadow, 2024, Estonia, director: Jaak Kilmi. International premiere.
Prod. Taska Film, Apollo Film Productions, HansaFilm, Reede

THE JURY OF THE OFFICIAL SELECTION COMPETITION

Christoph Hochhäusler - jury president
Director
Germany

Christoph Hochhäusler, born 1972 in Munich, is a German director and screenwriter. His seven features have premiered in official selection in Cannes (I am guilty, 2005, The City Below, 2010), Berlin (This Very Moment, 2003; One Minute Darkness, 2011; Till The End OF The Night, 2023), Locarno (Death Will Come, 2024) and Rome (The Lies Of The Victors, 2014) and have won numerous awards. He is married, father of two children and lives and works in Berlin.

Bianca Balbuena
Producer
Philippines

Bianca is a Filipino producer, educator and co-founder of Epicmedia which has produced over 30 features, most notably Venice Film Festival Lion of the Future Engkwentro, Berlinale Winners A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery and Cu Li Never Cries, Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard title Viet and Nam, Sundance Film Festival Midnight title In My Mother’s Skin, acquired by Amazon Studios, and Fan Girl which competed at  Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. She is the recipient of the Asian Film Commissions Network’s Producer of the Year at the Busan International Film Festival, and the youngest awardee of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards FIAPF Award for her outstanding contribution to cinema. She has served on the jury of film festivals such as Karlovy Vary, Busan, Sydney, Fribourg. Seashorts, Bangkok ASEAN, and Durban. 

Marija Razgutė 
Producer
Lithuania

In 2008, Lithuanian film producer Marija Razgutė established M-Films which is one of the most active film production companies in the Baltics. She has produced internationally acclaimed talents such as Marija Kavtaradze’s Slow (Best Director award at the Sundance Film Festival, Lithuanian contender for Oscars in 2023) and Summer Survivors (TIFF, 2018); Vytautas Katkus’ Cherries (Cannes, 2022);  Karolis Kaupinis’ Nova Lituania (Lithuanian contender for Oscars in 2019) and Hunger Strike Breakfast (TBC, 2025), Andrius Blaževičius’ Runner (Shooting Stars, 2021) and The Saint (Busan, 2016). Marija is a member of ACE Producers, EAVE, and the EWA Network as well as a member of the European Film Academy Board 2024–2025.


Jawad Rhalib
Director
France

Jawad is known for his social and committed cinema. His realistic style centres on observation and uncompromising denunciation of the flaws of and the political, economic and religious ravages on our societies. Among his works are and documentaries and feature films such as 7, Rue de la Folie, Rebellious girl, Amal (PÖFF 2023), El Ejido, the Law of Profit, The Damned of the Sea, When Arabs Danced and Fadma, Even Ants Have Wings.


Tomas Vengris 
Director
Lithuania

Tomas is a Lithuanian-American filmmaker. He received his B.A. from Columbia University and completed his M.F.A at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, CA. His directorial debut Motherland won the European Audience Award at the ArteKino Film Festival, and Best Film in the Baltic Competition at PÖFF. It was a finalist at the 2020 European Film Awards.  His second feature, Five & a Half Love Stories in an Apartment in Vilnius, is currently making its way through the international festival circuit, having started with the Best Film recognition in the Rebels with a Cause Competition at PÖFF in 2023. Tomas has worked as an editor under several internationally acclaimed filmmakers, including Terrence Malick and Kelly Reichardt.  His next feature film, Barracuda, is currently in production.

The Grand Prix for the Best Film of PÖFF Official Selection Competition will receive 20,000 eur grant from the city of Tallinn. Read more about PÖFF awards HERE. 

The 28th edition of PÖFF l will take place from the 8th until the 24th of November, while the festival’s industry platform Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event will run from 14th until the 22nd of November. 

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.

Tiina Lokk, the founder and director of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Photo: Aron Urb.