28/04/2025 - The director of the Estonian gathering, this year celebrating its 20th anniversary, tells us more about what’s in store for audiences from 1-3 May

(© Aron Urb/HOFF)

Celebrating its 20th anniversary from 1-3 May, the Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival (HÕFF) in Estonia promises to be bigger than ever this year. But many things will stay the same, which is precisely what its bloodthirsty viewers – and team members – appreciate the most. Its head honcho, Helmut Jänes, tells us more.

Cineuropa: Your opener, The Surfer [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lorcan Finnegan
film profile], made it to Cannes. Can we expect more of these polished, starry genre films in the future? Or are they still a wild exception?
Helmut Jänes: Indeed, in many ways, it’s different from what we understand as an “audience-friendly” film. It’s crazy, in every sense, with new surprises hidden in every layer. It’s a thriller, but an atypical one. Then again, going over the top happens in many Nicolas Cage films. Here, it’s psychedelic. It reminded me of [another Cage starrer] Mandy [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which was one of my greatest cinema experiences in recent times. Just in time for our early spring edition, The Surfer also reminds you that summer is not far away. For those who don’t know, you can also surf on Haapsalu beach.

Why are you showing Chainsaws Were Singing [+see also:
interview: Sander Maran
film profile] again? It’s such a full-circle moment, given the amount of love this film has been receiving from genre audiences.
It had its world premiere at HÕFF exactly one year ago, and that was the start of its global journey. Chainsaws… has been screened at around 100 international film festivals and marked Estonia out as a country that knows how to make genre flicks. We may not be able to feel its impact on the future of our genre cinema just yet, but I’m convinced that’ll change in two or three years. We’ll see it in the works of new authors. It seemed like a great idea to bring it back and to reflect on a successful year. During the festival, you’ll be able to see photos from the events it went to and all of the different posters that’ve been made.

It sounds great, but I assume Estonia still doesn’t have a lot of space for these movies? The Black Hole [+see also:
interview: Moonika Siimets
film profile] by Moonika Siimets was noticed abroad, but not exactly at home.
True. Both films – and The Black Hole is being screened in our Estonian Genre Film Competition – have probably been more popular at foreign film festivals than in Estonian cinemas. I’m not sure if it’s because of the lack of genre audience, cinema politics or something else. I certainly don’t want to believe we’re unable to appreciate them, but the reality is that films not aimed at mass audiences often struggle with distribution. Unless they perform at the box office in their first week, it becomes very difficult to secure good screening slots. Once you lose them, your film will slowly disappear. It’s a constant and challenging task for auteur filmmakers, and not just in Estonia. You must find ways to make yourself visible. Festivals are a good platform, but the real work starts afterwards, before the theatrical release. Some point to local niche cinemas. They are not affected by the overflow of mainstream titles and can afford to show these films to their target audience.

What did you appreciate about European films at this year’s edition? There are quite a few.
We’ve always wanted to keep a balance between European and non-European genre films. Of course, we must have films with big stars, such as Death of a Unicorn, which was well received at SXSW [with Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega]. But lesser-known European genre movies that tell universal stories we are all familiar with in some way, that’s the icing on the cake.

Norway’s The Ugly Stepsister [+see also:
film review
film profile] takes on the story of Cinderella in a completely different way, while Ireland’s Fréwaka [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aislinn Clarke
film profile] combines folklore horror with our inner fears – this is a theme that’s known to our audience. Independent Norwegian director Viljar Boe is coming to HÕFF with Above the Knee. His Good Boy was one of our biggest hits a few years ago, and now, his take on the complexity of human nature goes even further. The amount of European genre films in the programme can only make you feel good.

It’s an anniversary edition, so do you have any new additions planned, or maybe new awards?
A new addition to HÕFF’s prize cabinet is an Award for Best Estonian Short in the Horrific Estonia section. It features five new Estonian shorts across various genres, including a horror film made by a 16-year-old. Then, for the second year in a row, we’re placing a special focus on children and young people. It’s a group that previously felt a bit overlooked, but now we’ll have age-appropriate films and a variety of workshops as part of our family-day event. Also, after 2019, the festival’s opening Spring Parade is back. For the fourth time, festivalgoers will be greeted by a mascot. This time, we’ll put a unique Haapsalu twist on A Nightmare on Elm Street.