Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff)

Overview

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) is Estonia's premier film festival and one of the 15 FIAPF-accredited A-list competitive festivals in the world. Founded in 1997, the festival has grown into the largest film event in Northern Europe. The 30th edition runs November 6 to 22, 2026, in Tallinn with sidebar screenings in Tartu. Poff received FIAPF A-festival accreditation in 2014, placing it alongside Berlin, Cannes, Karlovy Vary, Venice, San Sebastian, Tokyo, and Shanghai.

The festival programs over 300 films across competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature films, short films, animations, and youth films. Two sub-festivals operate under the Poff umbrella: Just Film (youth and children's films) and Poff Shorts (animation and short films). The 30th edition in 2026 marks a milestone anniversary for the festival.

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event runs November 9 to 20, 2026, alongside the festival. It is Northern Europe's largest international co-production market and industry platform, connecting film and audiovisual professionals from Northern Europe with partners from the USA, Asia, and the rest of Europe. The 2026 edition celebrates the 25th anniversary of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event. The Baltic Event Co-Production Market, the core industry program, runs November 18 to 20, 2026, with submissions open from May 4 to July 14, 2026.

Submission Details

Submissions are accepted through FilmFreeway. Key details for the 30th edition (2026):

Submission fees (feature films, competitive and non-competitive):

Submission fees (#youngfilmmaker International Competition, up to 20 minutes):

Eligibility requirements:

• Feature films submitted to the Competition must be over 60 minutes in length.
• Films submitted to the Competition must have been produced after January 1 of the festival year.
• Entry applications must be submitted through FilmFreeway. Applications submitted by post, email, or any other form are not considered eligible.
• The festival has the right to refuse late submissions.
• A screening link must be provided for the selection committee.
• The festival requests at least five programmers or committee members to review each submission.

Key Sections

• Official Selection Competition - competitive section for feature films, the festival's main competition
• First Features Competition - competitive section for debut feature films
• Rebel Competition - competitive section for distinctive and innovative films
• #youngfilmmaker International Competition - competitive section for short films up to 20 minutes by young filmmakers
• Non-Competitive Programme - out-of-competition feature film selections
• Just Film - sub-festival for youth and children's films, with its own competitive and non-competitive sections
• Poff Shorts - sub-festival for animation and short films
• Forum - non-competitive section for bold and innovative cinema
• Special Screenings - gala screenings, premieres, and event films

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event is the festival's industry platform and the most commercially valuable component for filmmakers seeking financing, co-production partners, or sales agent representation. The 2026 edition runs November 9 to 20 and celebrates its 25th anniversary. The platform consists of four core pillars:

Film Industry Programmes:

• Baltic Event Co-Production Market - Northern Europe's largest international co-production market, running November 18 to 20. Submissions open May 4 to July 14, 2026. Selected projects receive the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award. The market also accepts children and youth film projects.
• Works in Progress - showcases projects in production or post-production seeking sales agents or festival premieres. Three categories: Baltic Event Works in Progress, International Works in Progress, and Just Film Works in Progress.
• Script Pool - project competition highlighting five international projects with international potential, high distribution value, a final draft in place, and some financing secured. Submissions open June 1 to 30, 2026.
• European Genre Forum - co-production market for genre films
• Shorts Industry - industry program for short films
• Press & Industry Screenings - accredited screenings for industry professionals

TV Beats (Drama Series Summit):

• Co-Financing Market - for drama series in development
• Screening Day - showcase of completed series
• Forum & MIDPOINT - series development program

Discovery Campus (Talent Programmes):

• Black Nights Stars - for young actors and actresses developing international careers
• Black Room - for talents in art department. Submissions open until June 30, 2026.
• Music Meets Film - for film music professionals
• Frame Within a Frame - for cinematographers
• Breaking into the Industry - for aspiring producers. Submissions open in August.
• Tallinn Industry Academy - for emerging professionals in film circulation. Submissions open in August.

Goes to Cannes Partnership:

Poff partners with Marche du Film to present selected projects at the "Goes to Cannes" showcase. In 2026, two of three awarded projects at Goes to Cannes were presented by Poff, giving filmmakers exposure at the Cannes Film Market.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Poff is the only FIAPF A-list festival in Northern Europe and the Baltic region. For filmmakers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and the broader Nordic-Baltic region, Poff is the most important competitive platform. The Baltic Event Co-Production Market is the primary entry point for Northern European co-production financing, and the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award provides direct funding for selected projects.

The submission fees ($85 to $120 USD for features) are moderate compared to other A-list festivals. The #youngfilmmaker competition offers a significantly reduced fee (5 to 10 EUR) for short films up to 20 minutes, making it accessible for student and emerging filmmakers.

For filmmakers seeking industry connections, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event provides access to Northern European producers, sales agents, and distributors. The Works in Progress program is particularly valuable for films in post-production seeking sales agent attachment or festival premiere opportunities. The Script Pool competition accepts projects with a final draft and some financing secured, offering a development pathway for projects that are beyond the concept stage but not yet in production.

The festival's partnership with Goes to Cannes creates a direct pipeline from Poff to the Cannes Marche du Film. Projects presented at Industry@Tallinn can be selected for the Goes to Cannes showcase at the following Cannes festival, providing a second high-profile industry platform.

Filmmakers should note that Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event operates on a separate submission timeline from the main festival. While film submissions close August 24, industry project submissions (Baltic Event Co-Production Market, Script Pool, Black Room) have deadlines in June and July. Filmmakers interested in both festival selection and industry participation should track both timelines.

Major Awards

Poff presents awards across its competitive sections. The main competition awards include:

Official Selection Competition:

• Grand Prix - best film in the Official Selection
• Best Director
• Best Screenplay
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Special Jury Prize

First Features Competition:

• Best First Feature

Rebel Competition:

• Best Film in the Rebel section

#youngfilmmaker International Competition:

• Best Short Film (up to 20 minutes)

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event Awards:

• Eurimages Co-Production Development Award - presented at the Baltic Event Co-Production Market
• Works in Progress Awards - across Baltic Event, International, and Just Film categories
• Script Pool Award - for the winning script project
• Additional awards recognizing promising producers and Discovery Campus talent

In total, the 2024 Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event presented 15 awards to film projects in various stages of scriptwriting, development, or post-production, plus two additional awards recognizing promising producers.

Festival History

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival was founded in 1997 in Tallinn, Estonia, shortly after the country regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The festival began as a small local event and grew steadily over three decades into the largest film festival in Northern Europe.

Poff received FIAPF accreditation as a competitive festival in 2014, a milestone that placed it among the 15 A-list festivals worldwide. This accreditation recognized the festival's international impact for films and the industry, alongside established festivals in Berlin, Cannes, Karlovy Vary, Venice, San Sebastian, Tokyo, and Shanghai.

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event was established in 2001 and has grown into Northern Europe's largest international co-production market. The Baltic Event Co-Production Market has facilitated numerous co-productions across the Baltic-Nordic region and beyond. The 2026 edition marks the 25th anniversary of the industry platform.

The festival operates two sub-festivals: Just Film (founded for youth and children's cinema) and Poff Shorts (for animation and short films). These sub-festivals have their own competitive sections and submission processes, though all operate under the Poff umbrella and share the November festival dates.

The 30th edition in 2026 runs November 6 to 22 in Tallinn with sidebar screenings in Tartu, Estonia's second-largest city. The festival is organized by the Poff Foundation, a nonprofit organization that also operates year-round film education and industry development programs in Estonia.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For co-production deal structures, see Distribution Deals Explained. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy. Submit through the Poff FilmFreeway page or visit the official festival site. For industry project submissions, visit Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event.