BLACK NIGHTS 2023 First Feature Competition

Tallinn Black Nights announces its First Feature Competition line-up

06/10/2023 - The Estonian festival promises a varied international programme brimming with artistic value, comprising 16 debut features, with 11 world and 5 international premieres

Mo Mamma by Eeva Mägi

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has revealed the complete roster for its First Feature Competition. The forthcoming edition of the festival is scheduled to take place from 3-19 November in the Estonian capital and the Ida-Viru region. This line-up consists of 16 features, with 11 of them having their world premieres in Tallinn and the remaining ones having their international premieres. Furthermore, all of the filmmakers will be present in Tallinn for the event.

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According to festival director Tiina Lokk, the 16-film competition strand is a varied global programme brimming with outstanding artistic value. “Each year, the First Feature Competition is something truly special. We can’t wait to introduce these emerging talents to the world.” The First Feature Competition programme curator, Triin Tramberg, elaborates: “Every debut work from this year's programme has a very solid and distinctive director's handwriting. As all of the films include memorable stories, each one of them is an audience film with distribution value.”

The selection of European titles enjoying their world premieres includes a diverse range of films. Among them, local filmmaker Eeva Mägi's Mo Mamma [+see also:
film review
interview: Eeva Mägi
film profile] offers a dramatic portrayal of feminine absurdity, as a mother and daughter embark on a passionate and endless journey to understand each other. Meanwhile, Grazia Tricarico's Body Odyssey [+see also:
film review
interview: Grazia Tricarico
film profile] follows the story of Mona, a 45-year-old bodybuilder whose life revolves around an obsessive pursuit of perfection and beauty. Endless Summer Syndrome [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kaveh Daneshmand and Gem De…
film profile] by Kaveh Daneshmand delves into the grey areas of a modern world marked by liberalism, where love thrives amidst social tolerance, far from the moral boundaries of the past.

On the darker side of storytelling, Petr Hátle's Mr. and Mrs. Stodola [+see also:
film review
interview: Petr Hátle
film profile] draws inspiration from the lives of a real-life married couple of serial killers, crafting a haunting love story. In contrast, Miguel Faus's The Quiet Maid [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Miguel Faus
film profile] presents a satirical drama centred on a Colombian maid working tirelessly at a luxurious mansion on the Spanish Costa Brava, where a wealthy family of art dealers spend their summer holidays.

Among the European titles having their international premieres in Tallinn are Rozália Szeleczki's Cat Call [+see also:
film review
interview: Rozália Szeleczki
film profile], which offers a unique blend of romantic comedy and drama while delving into a deeply personal exploration of trauma. Aylin Tezel's Falling Into Place [+see also:
film review
interview: Aylin Tezel and Yvonne Wellie
film profile] is an indie romance that revolves around Kira and Ian, two individuals who experience an immediate and profound connection. Markku Hakala and Mari Käk whisk audiences away to an unconventional, black-and-white, bureaucratic, sci-fi world in Giant's Kettle [+see also:
film review
interview: Markku Hakala, Mari Käki
film profile], where communication occurs without words. Lastly, Caroline Ingvarsson's Unmoored [+see also:
film review
interview: Caroline Ingvarsson
film profile] presents a slow-burning psychological drama that probes questions of identity and perception.