The Official Competition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is built on a simple principle: great cinema cannot be defined by genre, geography or reputation.
Since PÖFF received FIAPF accreditation as an A-category film festival in 2014, the official selection competition has been curated without geographic restrictions, focusing instead on artistic excellence and strong auteur cinema.
“PÖFF's competition structure reflects the diversity of contemporary cinema. The festival features seven competition programmes – five dedicated to fiction films and two to documentaries. While all of them seek works with a distinctive artistic vision that take creative risks, explore bold ideas and leave a lasting emotional or intellectual impact, each competition has its own focus and audience."
"The Official Selection is dedicated to films that combine artistic ambition with strong storytelling and broad audience appeal. We are looking for world premieres that are bold and original, yet accessible – films that can connect with festival audiences while also having the potential to reach wider international audiences.”
Over the past decade, the Official Competition has showcased films by filmmakers such as Jos Stelling, Gust Van den Berghe, Emma Dante, György Palfi, Andreas Kleinert, Kirill Sokolov, Adilkhan Yerzhanov, Istvan Szabo, Mika Kaurismäki and many others.
For the 2026 edition, the Official Competition will present 10–12 carefully selected films—a more focused programme designed to give every world premiere the visibility it deserves.
"It is important for us that each film receives the attention of critics, industry professionals and audiences alike," says Tramberg. "By presenting a more concentrated competition, we can create stronger visibility for every selected title and offer filmmakers the best possible platform for launching their international journey."
The jury of the competition programme will be announced in autumn.
Just as important is the audience. During more than three decades, PÖFF has cultivated one of Europe's most curious and open-minded festival audiences. “Every year, thousands of cinemagoersm who have shared the steps of our 30 year journey, embrace world cinema films from different cultures, languages and cinematic traditions with curiosity. For filmmakers, this means presenting their work to viewers who come to discover something new – not simply to confirm what they already know.”
Over the years, PÖFF has established itself as an international platform where established filmmakers and emerging talents share the same stage. The festival has earned a reputation for recognising filmmakers at pivotal moments in their careers, introducing new voices to international audiences, critics and industry professionals. This is strengthened by PÖFF's uniquely compact festival experience, where screenings, industry events at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event and informal encounters naturally intersect. Filmmakers meet audiences after screenings, producers connect with sales agents and festival programmers, and conversations often continue long after the credits have rolled. So, a screening in the Official Competition is not only a premiere, but this can be the start of new collaborations, international partnerships and the next chapter of their film's journey.
If your film is ready to meet an international audience, we invite you to submit it to the Official Selection Competition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival!
The Official Selection Competition welcomes feature films that combine artistic excellence with a distinctive cinematic vision. It is an international, non-specialised competition for feature-length films of at least 70 minutes, completed after 1 January 2026. Films submitted to the competition must be world premieres and expected to be at least the second feature-length work by the director.
The competition awards include the Grand Prix for Best Film, accompanied by a €20,000 prize shared between the director and producer, as well as awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Original Score and Best Production Design.
The Regular Deadline for film submissions is June 29, 2026, followed by an extended deadline on August 17 and final deadline on August 24, 2026.
Photo: In 2025, the Grand Prix for the Best Film (Grant of 20,000 euros from the city of Tallinn, shared by the Director and Producer) was given out to The Good Daughter, director Júlia de Paz Solvas, producers Sergio Grobas and Stefan Schmitz.