Screendaily.com
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (POFF) has selected a further 14 features, including 11 world premieres, to complete the lineup of its Official Selection Competition.
The new titles include the world premiere of Serhii Kastornykh’s Ukrainian feature The Mousetrap. Shot during a break between Kastornykh’s military service periods, the film follows a soldier trapped alone in a bunker on the frontline of the Russian war.
Scroll down for the full list of POFF Official Selection Competition titles
Also selected is the world premiere of Juris Kursietis’ third feature The Exalted, in which a world-renowned German organist uncovers her Latvian husband’s involvement in a sprawling corruption scandal. Kursietis’ second feature Olegsdebuted in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes 2019 and was shortlisted for the European Film Awards.
Features hailing from outside of Europe include the world premiere of Nir Bergman’s latest film Pink Lady, about an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family in which the father falls victim to blackmail. The film is a co-production between Israel’s 2-Team Productions and Italy’s Rosamont.
The 14 new titles join four previously announced films, including the international premiere of Eran Riklis’ Reading Lolita In Tehran starring Golshifteh Farahani.
A five-person jury headed by German filmmaker Christoph Hochhausler will award the Grand Prix for Best Film, with a €20,000 grant from the City of Tallinn. Hochhausler is joined on the jury by Filipino producer Bianca Balbuena, Lithuanian producer Marija Razgute, Frence director Jawad Rhalib and Lithuanian director Tomas Vengris.
The 28th edition of POFF gets underway on November 8, running until November 24; with the Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event platform taking place from November 14-22.
POFF Official Selection Competition 2024
Buzzheart (Gr) dir. Dennis Iliadis
Can I Get A Witness (Can) dir. Ann Marie Fleming
Deaf Lovers (Est-Ser) dir. Boris Guts*
Empire Of The Rabbits (Tur-Cro-Mex-Leb) dir. Seyfettin Tokmak*
Girl America (Cze-Slovakia-Switz) dir. Viktor Taus
Out Of Control (Fr) dir. Anne le Ny*
Pink Lady (Isr-It) dir. Nir Bergman*
Pyre (Ind) dir. Vinod Kapri*
Seed Of The Desert (Col) dir. Sebastian Parra R.*
Silent City Driver (Mong) dir. Sengedorj Janchivdorj*
Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (Phi-Sing-It) dir. Petersen Vargas*
The Loop (S Kor) dir. Sang Beom Koo*
The Exalted (Lat-Est-Gr) dir. Juris Kursietis*
The Mousetrap (Ukr) dir. Serhii Kastornykh*
Reading Lolita In Tehran (Isr-It) dir. Eran Riklis
The Boy With Pink Pants (It) dir. Margherita Ferri
100 Liters Of Gold (Fin-It) dir. Teemu Nikki
Shadow (Est) dir. Jaak Kilmi
* – world premiere