Yesterday, Friday, November 7, 2025, the 29th edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, known as PÖFF, officially opened in the Estonian capital. The event, one of the most important film festivals in Northern Europe, began with a grand ceremony at the Alexela Concert Hall in the heart of Tallinn, attended by hundreds of guests, filmmakers, journalists, and local audiences. The evening marked the start of more than two weeks devoted to global cinema.

Festival director Tiina Lokk opened the gala with a speech that set the tone for this year’s edition. “The festival is a platform where films can have a dialogue,” she said. According to Lokk, this year’s program features recurring themes such as aging, death, and euthanasia—topics that, in her words, “invite us to look at life through serenity and reflection rather than fear.” She also emphasized that, in uncertain times, cinema remains “one of the freest spaces to think and feel collectively.”

The opening film of this year’s festival was They Will Be Dust (Polvo serán), directed by Catalan filmmaker Carlos Marqués-Marcet. The film blends dance, emotion, and contemplation on the end of life. Starring Ángela Molina and Alfredo Castro, it received a warm ovation from both the audience and critics, and inaugurated the festival’s special section “Catalan Focus,” which this year celebrates Catalan cinema. This sidebar features nearly thirty feature films and several short films that aim to showcase the vitality and diversity of contemporary Catalan filmmaking.

Although official attendance figures have yet to be released, organizers estimate that participation will match or surpass last year’s record, when PÖFF sold more than 93,000 tickets and hosted over 1,700 film professionals from 65 countries. The atmosphere in Tallinn is one of excitement and anticipation, with packed screenings and strong engagement from younger audiences, who are increasingly active in the festival’s side events and industry programs.

This year’s program features more than 200 feature films from over 80 countries, alongside a broad selection of short films, documentaries, and experimental works. Among the most prominent sections are the Official Competition, the youth-oriented Just Film, the documentary section Doc@PÖFF, and PÖFF Shorts, dedicated to short films and animation. In addition, the industry platform Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event will gather over 800 professionals from the audiovisual sector between November 14 and 21, offering conferences, workshops, and co-production meetings.

During the opening gala, the festival also presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Lithuanian actor Juozas Budraitis, honoring his distinguished career and contributions to Baltic and European cinema. The Bruno O’Ya Scholarship was likewise awarded to emerging young actors from the region, highlighting the festival’s commitment to nurturing new talent.

The festival will run until November 23, featuring a lineup that combines world premieres, retrospectives, and tributes. This year’s edition seeks to reaffirm Tallinn’s position as a cinematic capital of the North—a meeting point where diverse voices in world cinema come together to explore themes of identity, time, and the challenges of modern life.

With They Will Be Dust as its emotional starting point, PÖFF 29 opens a reflective space to contemplate life through the lens of filmmakers who find beauty even in farewell. Amid Estonia’s autumn chill, the festival once again lights up the screen with the warmth of stories that remind us that cinema, above all, remains a way of breathing together.