The First Feature Competition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is dedicated to filmmakers taking one of the most important steps in their careers – presenting their debut feature film to the world.
The programme showcases first fiction features by emerging directors from around the globe, offering them a platform to present their work to audiences, critics and film industry professionals at one of the world's 15 FIAPF-accredited A-category film festivals.
First Feature Competition is built on the belief that the future of cinema depends on supporting talented filmmakers at the beginning of their careers. Rather than focusing on geography, budget or production scale, the competition looks for films with a distinctive artistic vision, confident storytelling and an original cinematic language.
Open to first-time fiction feature directors, the competition welcomes films from all countries and across all genres. Directors who have previously made feature-length documentaries or animation remain eligible, provided this is their first fiction feature.
For the 2026 edition, 10 films will be carefully selected for the programme.
Beginning with the 2026 edition, the First Feature Competition is curated by Malaika Bova, who brings more than 20 years of experience across the European and UK film industries. Formerly the Artistic Director of Raindance Film Festival and a long-time UK scout for PÖFF, she is passionate about discovering the next generation of filmmaking talent.
“We are looking for directors who demonstrate a strong personal voice in their very first feature. The films selected for this competition should reveal not only a clear artistic perspective but also the courage to tell stories in their own way and the essential ability to connect with an audience," says Bova.
For emerging filmmakers, festival exposure can be as important as the film itself. The First Feature Competition brings together international critics, festival programmers, distributors, sales agents and producers, providing selected directors with valuable opportunities to introduce their work to the global film community.
Over the years, the competition has featured filmmakers whose debut works attracted international attention and paved the way for successful careers. By presenting world premieres alongside ambitious new voices from across the globe, the programme has established itself as an important discovery section within PÖFF.
The First Feature Competition has helped introduce a number of promising new filmmakers to international audiences. Among them is Upon Entry (2022) by Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez, which went on to enjoy a successful international festival run and secured distribution in numerous territories following its world premiere at PÖFF. Another notable title is Falling Into Place (2023), directed by Aylin Tezel, which continued its festival journey after screening in the competition. Sri Lankan comedy Tentigo (2023) by Ilango Ram became a box office phenomenon being the country’s second-highest grossing film of all time with several remakes.
Just as important is the audience. Throughout more than three decades, PÖFF has built one of Northern Europe's most dedicated and adventurous film audiences—viewers eager to discover emerging talent long before filmmakers become internationally recognised.
The First Feature Competition programme presents four awards: Best Film (including a €5,000 grant shared by the director and producer), Best Director and two Special Jury Prizes.
For the 2026 edition, the First Feature Competition is seeking feature-length fiction debut films completed after 1 January 2026. Films submitted to the competition must be World Premieres.
The extended submission deadline is 17 August 2026.
Learn more about the regulations and submit your film.
Photo: Still from Hercules Falling (Denmark), directed by Christian Bonke, the winner of Best Film Award of First Feature Competition in 2025.