Celebrating its 18^th birthday this year, Estonia’s Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival (HOFF, 28-30 April) wrapped on Sunday with Niels Bourgonje’s Shut being granted the Silver Méliés Award for Best Short, and Vulvina Queen of Ecstasy and The Moon of the Kurent: The Ritual getting Special Mentions. Child Machine by Rain Rannu was named Best Estonian Film and Last Sentinel [+lee también:
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Cineuropa: I still remember watching Scream 3 back in 2000. The whole cinema went wild. It’s harder to get that kind of experience today, but not here. Here, the audience is ready to play.
Helmut Jänes: Yes, it’s really not a problem. There are so many positive emotions during these screenings. Sadly, or perhaps it’s not that sad after all, today’s horror films often verge on comedy anyway. It’s almost surprising when they really scare people. It’s not a goal in itself, to make people feel terrified any more.

I guess times have changed, and very few big directors can still properly disturb you, like Jordan Peele or Ari Aster. Others try, that’s for sure, but they just can’t achieve similar effects. Our fears have also changed: they were very different 20 years ago. To me, COVID-related fears, like loneliness or the fear of abandonment, don’t pose the same kind of threat, but that, of course, is very subjective. Still, at HOFF, we welcome all kinds of emotions.

Another recent change is that non-genre festivals are becoming more open to these kinds of films. Do you also see a similar shift in the region? Is there more money for genre, for something like Lithuania’s Pensive [+lee también:
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I also coordinate the programme for the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and these simple dramas are just not enough any more. People expect this mix of different genres, and other festivals, the biggest ones in the world, are doing it, too. They want to add some playfulness to their line-ups. Pensive was made with a clear goal in mind: it’s not just your typical slasher. It confuses its audiences, who try to figure out what genre it actually belongs to. With genre films, there is this added element of surprise now. I am very happy that we are showing it because it’s hard to surprise our viewers with slashers, but this one managed to do just that.

Loving these weird, twisted movies is certainly no longer considered to be some embarrassing secret. Not after all the Oscars went to Everything Everywhere All at Once.
I am really happy that film won because it means the Academy isn’t just rewarding your typical dramas. They are noticing more experimental, exciting films. I hope our audience is turning into a more understanding audience as well – that they are really analysing the films they are seeing and not just watching them because they belong to one specific genre. When you look at something like Beau Is Afraid [+lee también:
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Speaking about a wide range of emotions: what about the idea of hosting an auction for Ukraine at the festival? It turned into a joyful event, even though the reason for it is anything but.
It might be an unusual idea to support Ukraine by selling our local film memorabilia. But last year, it also went really well, so we wanted to repeat it. We really want to create a nice atmosphere here, and this auction was no exception. [In the end, the Estonian Rescue Association received €3,855].

One of the items that generated the most enthusiasm was the original poster for Sampo, a 1959 Soviet-Finnish fantasy epic introduced by veteran actress Eve Kivi during the opening night. Do you ever warn your guests that their film, one that probably wasn’t considered funny in the past, may be received quite differently here?
Eve Kivi was not insulted at all by the fact that people were laughing. This film provokes very different reactions now, and that’s completely normal. Thinking about what we discussed before, I feel that this saying that “laughter kills fear” is very important here at the festival. When we laugh at something, we are not that afraid of it any more. Which is why even [Jalmari Helander’s] Sisu can be seen as very humorous!