The 29th edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) closed with an unprecedented event: for the first time in its history, a single film won both the Grand Prix and the Audience Award. The big winner was The Good Daughter, directed by Spanish filmmaker Júlia de Paz Solvas, which captivated both critics and audiences with its intimate and emotional portrait of a teenager caught in a family conflict.

During the closing ceremony, held this weekend, the awards for the festival’s six official competitions were presented, along with the prizes from Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event and Just Film, the sub-festival dedicated to young audiences.

The jury of the Official Selection highlighted the film’s “emotional honesty” and the “powerful realism” of Kiara Arancibia’s performance, who also took home the Best Actress award. The Good Daughter was likewise praised for its restrained staging and its ability to tackle delicate subjects without artifice.

In other categories, Lifelike received the awards for Best Director (Ali Vatansever) and Best Original Score, while the prize for Best Cinematography went to Yutaka Yamazaki for the Japanese film The Imaginary Dog and the Lying Cat.

The Best Debut Feature award went to Hercules Falling, by Danish director Christian Bonke, a drama depicting the emotional return of a soldier scarred by war. The same film also received the FIPRESCI International Critics Award.

In the Baltic Film Competition, The Visitor, by Lithuanian filmmaker Vytautas Katkus, won the top prize, while in Critics’ Picks the winner was China Sea, directed by Jurgis Matulevičius.

The documentary awards recognized works that embrace intimate and experimental approaches. In Doc@PÖFF, Days of Wonder and Holy Destructors were named Best International Documentary and Best Baltic Documentary, respectively.

The honorary recognitions of the night went to Juozas Budraitis, Janno Põldma, and Jessica Hausner. Finally, the Bruno O’Ya Young Actor Scholarship was awarded to Ursel Tilk, underscoring the festival’s commitment to new generations of performers.

Premios principales

• Grand Prix – Mejor Película: The Good Daughter — Dir. Júlia de Paz Solvas (España)

• Premio del Público: The Good Daughter — Dir. Júlia de Paz Solvas (España)

Official Selection Competition

• Mejor Dirección: Ali Vatansever — Lifelike (Turquía, Grecia, Rumanía)

• Mejor Fotografía: Yutaka Yamazaki — The Imaginary Dog and the Lying Cat (Japón)

• Mejor Guion: Ståle Stein Berg — No Comment (Noruega)

• Mejor Actriz: Kiara Arancibia — The Good Daughter (España)

• Mejor Actor: Aladdin Detlefsen y Kanji Tsuda — The Frog and the Water (Alemania)

• Mejor Banda Sonora: Erdem Helvacıoğlu — Lifelike (Turquía, Grecia, Rumanía)

• Mejor Dirección Artística: Chris Richmond y David Hand — Think of England (Reino Unido)

First Feature Competition

• Mejor Película: Hercules Falling — Dir. Christian Bonke (Dinamarca)

• Mejor Dirección: Samuel Abrahams — Lady (Reino Unido)

• Premio Especial – Mejor Montaje: Jan Van Der Weken — Sunday Ninth (Bélgica)

• Premio Especial – Mejor Dirección de Arte: Easy Girl — Dir. Hille Norden (Alemania)

Critics’ Picks Competition

• Mejor Película: China Sea — Dir. Jurgis Matulevičius

• Mejor Dirección: Matías Szulanski — A Summer Tale (Argentina)

• Mención Especial: Ali Nasirian — Oh, What Happy Days

• Mención Especial: Eeva Mägi — Mo Papa (Estonia)

Rebels With a Cause Competition

• Mejor Película: The Baronesses — Dir. Nabil Ben Yadir, Mokhtaria Badaoui

• Mejor Dirección: Adrian Sitaru — Blindsight (Rumanía/Turquía)

• Mejor Cortometraje: Pay Day — Dir. Päivi Hirsiaho (Finlandia)

Baltic Film Competition

• Mejor Película Báltica: The Visitor — Dir. Vytautas Katkus

• Mejor Dirección: Gabriele Urbonaite — Renovation

• Mejor Productor Báltico: Becoming — Prod. Jean-Laurent Csinidis, Denis Vaslin, Marija Razgutė

Doc@PÖFF International

• Mejor Película: Days of Wonder — Dir. Karin Pennanen

• Mejor Fotografía: Max Golomidov — Edge of the Night

Doc@PÖFF Baltic

• Mejor Película: Holy Destructors — Dir. Aistė Žegulytė

• Premio Especial del Jurado: My Family and Other Clowns — Dir. Heilika Pikkov, Liina Särkinen

NETPAC Award

• The Muralist — Dir. Sengedorj Janchivdorj (Mongolia)

FIPRESCI Award

• Hercules Falling — Dir. Christian Bonke (Dinamarca)

Lifetime Achievement Awards

• Juozas Budraitis

• Janno Põldma

Honorary Award

• Jessica Hausner

Bruno O’Ya Young Actor Scholarship

• Ursel Tilk