Tallinn PÖFF Celebrates 30 Years With 489 Films

Filmgoers in Tallinn, Estonia, will have access to 489 titles this week as the PÖFF festival opens its 30th edition. The lineup includes 230 feature films and 259 shorts from 87 countries. This scale contrasts sharply with the event's 1997 launch, which featured only 24 films from Nordic countries, Germany, and France.

Admissions have grown alongside the program. The festival counted roughly 6,000 tickets sold in 1997, a figure considered a success at the time. Last year, ticket sales approached 95,000. This growth established Tallinn as the largest film festival in Northern Europe. In 2014, the event received FIAPF A-list accreditation, joining a group that includes Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Toronto, Karlovy Vary, and Locarno.

Tiina Lokk, the founder and CEO, guided the festival's early development. She previously served as a film critic, theorist, and historian. Lokk stated she had deep doubts about starting the event because Estonia lacked a strong film tradition. The Soviet Union only held the Moscow Film Festival and a rotating All-Union Film Festival. Tallinn hosted the latter just once in 1982. The country also faced economic hardship after declaring independence in 1991, with only three or four cinemas available to the public.

Lokk recalled that politicians often rejected her proposals. She said typical responses included suggestions that people visit Helsinki or Paris for cinema experiences. She noted that some years saw zero feature films produced in Estonia. She secured initial funding from embassies, a small state contribution, and personal contacts. A hotel agreed to host the first event after rejecting earlier venue options.

The festival originally ran in early December before moving to November. Lokk explained that November is the best-selling time for cinemas because it is dark. The name PÖFF is the acronym for Pimedate Ööde filmifestival, which translates to Black Nights Film Festival. Since 2016, the event has used a black carpet instead of a red one. The festival also adopted the wolf as its mascot, a figure from Estonian folklore, after Lokk saw a documentary about a lone mother wolf.

Lokk stepped back from the director role earlier this year to focus on strategy. Her daughter, Triin Tramberg, was promoted to artistic director. Lokk said the transition is necessary because the festival has become large and a new generation is ready to lead. Tramberg said the priority is keeping the event relevant so audiences continue to gather in cinemas. She described the gathering as a moment to explore emotions together.

The anniversary edition includes a screening of Drifting Clouds, the 1997 opening film by Aki Kaurismäki. Kaurismäki received the festival's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. This year's guests include Tim Blake Nelson and Goldshifteh Farahani. Three exhibitions are currently on display in Tallinn. These include a collection of all 30 festival posters and a tribute featuring 20 guest portraits.

The festival has expanded its industry functions over the past two decades. It launched a Baltic Film Competition in 2008 and a Baltic documentary competition last year. In 2023, it started Industry Days for its youth-focused Just Film program. The event also expanded its Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event strand along with educational initiatives.