It sounds like a fairy tale – Golshifteh Farahani is here too with her director Homayoun Ghanizadeh to present an incredible film, a film essay!

The Iranian french actress, who left Iran 18 years ago and currently resides in France has appeared in films directed by renowned filmmakers from around the world, such as Jim Jarmusch, Ridley Scott, Asghar Farhadi and Roland Joffé, she is be presenting tonight her latest film, "Oh, What Happy Days!", at PÖFF.

She and the film’s director, Homayoun Ghanizadeh, discussed how this unusual film – the first film to bring together Iranians living in their homeland and in exile on one screen – came about, as well as the religious and cultural taboos that plague filmmakers working in Iran.

The conversation also touched upon Golshifteh Farahani’s career, her departure from Iran, and her fight for women’s rights.

The conversation was be moderated (with translation from farsi) by PÖFF festival programmer Nikolaj Nikitin.

Golshifteh Farahani also mentionned that she dreams for an Iran after... of creating her festival in Iran where she could invite all the great festivals and people she has met in her 18 years of exile, and introduce to the world all the young directors from Iran who are the flowers of the iranian resilience in the same way Tiina Lokk built her fantastic festival with the same resilience.

The 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has announced the selection for its Critics’ Picks and Rebels With a Cause competitions — two of its boldest and most forward-looking programs celebrating daring cinema and fearless storytelling.

The fourth edition of the Critics’ Picks competition is a cinematic feast for the brave and the curious, offering ten dazzling world premieres handpicked from across the globe and served fresh in Tallinn.

Now in his fourth year as curator, Nikolaj Nikitin, Head of the SOFA School of Film Advancement, describes this year’s lineup as “as wildly diverse as its passport stamps — from Iran to Peru, Canada to Tunisia, Mexico to Taiwan, France to Lithuania, and yes, Estonia too.”

“These are genre-bending gems that defy borders and expectations,” Nikitin adds. “From gritty noir and sharp political thrillers to sensual coming-of-age dramas and cinema-soaked thrill rides that remix the rules of storytelling — think of it as a gourmet menu for the cinephile palate: rich, risky, and radically original.
So, buckle up, movie lovers — these films aren’t just meant to be watched; they’re meant to be experienced."

• A Summer Tale, dir. Matías Szulanski (Argentina)
• China Sea, dir. Jurgis Matulevičius (Lithuania, Taiwan, Poland, Czechia)
• Invisibles, dir. Junna Chif (Canada)
• Mo Papa, dir. Eeva Mägi (Estonia)
• Nino in Paradise, dir. Laurent Micheli (Belgium, France)
• Oh, What Happy Days, dir. Homayoun Ghanizadeh (Iran, USA, France, Canada)
• Round 13, dir. Mohamed Ali Nahdi (Tunisia, Cyprus, Qatar, Saudi-Arabia)
• Street Wanderers, dir. Juan Martin Hsu (Argentina, Peru)
• That Burning House, dir. Yin-Chuan Tsai (Taiwan)
• The Silent Virgin, dir. Xavi Sala (Mexico)

The Rebels With a Cause competition is curated for viewers who want to be challenged and explore new ways of storytelling. Launched in 2017, the competition strand has become increasingly popular with festival audiences.
Curator Javier Garcia Puerto says, “Rebels consolidates its commitment to the most daring films, combining powerful debuts — from Japan, Turkey, and Canada — with rebellious masters such as Lluís Miñarro, Jamie Adams, and Adrián Sitaru.” This year, the program features an all–world-premiere lineup.
He adds, “Rebels’ spirit goes beyond bold language and screen — featuring striking performances by James McAvoy, choreographer Lluís Garau, and the posthumous appearance of Marisa Paredes.”

• Blindsight, dir. Adrian Sitaru (Romania, Turkey)
• Emergency Exit, dir. Lluís Miñarro (Spain)
• Read more

The 2025 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) will showcase a compelling selection of documentaries in its doc@PÖFF International and Baltic Competitions. For the first time, Baltic documentaries and feature films will compete in separate programmes.

The 2025 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) will showcase a compelling selection of documentaries in its Doc@PÖFF International and Baltic Competitions. For the first time, Baltic documentaries and feature films will compete in separate programmes.

This year’s selection explores themes ranging from family relationships and traditional ways of life to politics and war, with stories set across the globe — from Moldova to the Himalayan mountains. Many of them also portray women who dare to dream big despite restrictive and challenging circumstances.

“The films in Doc@PÖFF programme open a restless world where bold, author-driven works captivate with their search for balance and understanding — and demonstrate that documentaries can be even more engaging than fiction,” says curator Marianna Kaat.

• Days of Wonder (Finland), dir: Karin Pennanen
• Edge of the Night (Estonia), dir: Vladimir Loginov
• Electing Miss Santa (Moldova, Romania), dir: Raisa Răzmeriță
• Far Away (Turkey), dir: Tayfur Aydın
• The Feast of the Wolf (Croatia, Serbia), dir: Jadran Boban
• Goodbye Sisters (France, Nepal), dir: Alexander Murphy
• It's Winter (Iran, France), dir: Sajad Imani
• The Lunch: A Letter to America (Italy, USA), dir: Gianluca Vassallo
• Miss Jobson (Spain, Jamaica), dir: Amanda Sans Pantling
• One Day I Wish to See You Happy (Ukraine, France), dir: Maryna Nikolcheva

Tania El Khoury (France)
A producer and founder of Khamsin Films (Beirut) and Les Films de l’Altaï (Paris), Tania El Khoury has produced acclaimed works such as The River (Locarno 2021) and Machtat (ACID Cannes 2023). A 2024 ACE Network fellow, she is known for fostering bold international collaborations.

Marianne Ostrat (Estonia)
An Estonian producer and founder of Alexandra Film and Fork Film Animation Studio, Marianne Ostrat’s credits include Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (Sundance 2023 Directing Award). Her films have screened at Venice, Locarno, SXSW and other major festivals. She is a member of the European Film Academy and PGA.

Daniel Abma (Germany)
German filmmaker and documentary director Daniel Abma is known for Beyond Wriezen, Transit Havana, and Autobahn. His award-winning, character-driven documentaries have screened at Karlovy Vary, IDFA, and DOK Leipzig. He teaches documentary directing at Film University Babelsberg and mentors at international pitching forums.

• Read more

Ching’s Secret Attack, now in a new, 9 minute, video pack

Few people know the recipé of this concoction. Those who know are keeping it a secret. But they have managed to sell millions/billions of sachets of this ‘Desi Chinese’ product, without spilling the beans. Ching, a variation of Qing, refers to the Manchu dynasty in China, which ruled during 1644–1912, and was the last imperial dynasty that ruled the country. In Mandarin Chinese, thousands of words have varying pronunciations. Sometimes the variation has the same meaning, sometimes it means something altogether different. English does not have the exact equivalents of these pronunciations, so approximations are common. But one thing is sure: Ching is King. Actor Ranveer Singh has been the brand ambassador of the Ching’s Secret products, manufactured in India, for 10 years, so Singh is Ching, Ching is King.

To mark the eleventh successive year of Ranveer’s association with the brand, the makers of the Ching products roped in director Atlee, to make an eight-and-a-half-minute ad film, Agent Ching Attacks, in the action feature film narrative style. Yes, you got that right. A 9 minute, or, to be precise, an 8 minutes 45 seconds ad film. Never heard of such a thing? Neither had I. But it is true. The film was shown to media and fans on Sunday, 19th October, at the PVR multiplex, Juhu, Mumbai. Present at the event, which started two hours late, were Atlee, Ranveer Singh, Bobby Deol and Sreeleela.

In the film, Ranveer plays himself, i.e. the Ching King, alias Secret Agent Ching. Bobby, a good-looking actor, plays the villain, who wants to capture Ching, and get the Thing (secret). Though he is, and has been, hero material, producers/directors have seen his Animal instinct in Ashram, and he is getting type cast as a villain. Sreeleela is an American-Indian, whose acting career began as a child artiste, and since then, she has acted in Telugu and Kannada films. This is her Hindustani debut. Well, a debut of sorts. One cannot really call an ad film as a debut film.

Conspicuous by his absence was Ajay Gupta, Founder of Capital Foods. The company was established in 1996, when it launched the only pan-Indian Desi Chinese sauce brand, Ching’s Secret, offering Soy Sauce, Green Chilli Sauce, Red Chilli Sauce and Chilli Vinegar--with an actual green chilli in the bottle. In 2024, Tata Consumer Products acquired Capital Foods. Also present on the occasion was Deepika Bhan, President, Packaged Foods (India), Tata Consumer Products. Asked how does she use her Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney, she was candid, “Being a Punjabi, I like it on my paratha”. Based in Mumbai, the company has manufacturing facilities in Nashik, Kandla and Vapi.

If you went by looks alone, you would not sign Atlee as the director of your next feature film. Moreover, he does not speak any Hindustani, something compère Malishka (RJ) found out in a hurry, and had to translate her question in English before she got a reply. But think again. This dark, diminutive man of 39, directed and co-wrote, Jawan, the 2023 ShahRukh Khan double role starrer that was made with a budget of Rs. 300 crore, and raked in four times that amount. Has he done ad films earlier? No. So how did he agree to do this one? “Initially, I refused the offer. But when I met Ajay Gupta, he charmed me into accepting it,” revealed Atlee. Ranveer remarked that Ching’s Secret was one of the first endorsements had ever done. “And look how time flies. Eleven years have passed since then.” Dressed very soberly, for a change, he complimented Bobby on his cream

A look back at Bruno Chatelin, filmfestivals.com co-founder, film veteran and former distributor with Sony, and UGC/Fox  adressing the room, 21 years ago, during the Hollywood Awards Ceremony at the Beverly Hilton, as co producer with Paula Wagner and Carlos de Abreu and sponsor of the Hollywood European Award. Chatelin handed the award to MAR ADENTRO (The Sea Inside), A film by Alejandro Amenábar.

With Leonardo di Caprio, Keanu Reeves and Mel Gibson.