Tiina Lokk_press conference

Source: Tallinn International Film Festival

Tiina Lokk

Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) will showcase five Ukrainian projects to sales agents, distributors and programmers at the Cannes market (May 17-25).

For the second year, PÖFF and the Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event will take part in the Goes to Cannes showcase, this time focusing exclusively on Ukrainian films in post-production. The aim is to help films where production has been interrupted by war find their way to the international market.

PÖFF are currently inviting submissions for projects which do not have a sales agent attached but are looking for one to represent them.

PÖFF will also present a programme of Ukrainian films to local audiences on its web cinema platform, through which all viewers will be able to support Ukraine with financial donations.

Last week, the festival, along with the wider Estonian film industry, signed an open letter calling for the Estonian government “to implement extraordinary temporary measures to ban the production and distribution of state-sponsored audiovisual films from Russia and Belarus in Estonia, and to suspend cooperation in filmmaking and culture with their autocratic regimes until the war in Ukraine stops and the subsequent situation satisfies the international community”.

State-supported films from Russia and Belarus will not be considered for the 26th edition of PÖFF (November 11-27) and such projects will not be accepted at this year’s Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event.

Tiina Lokk, festival Director of PÖFF, said: “We only support and leave the door open for independent filmmakers whose films represent different values from official doctrine.”