The 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) – running from 7-23 November – has revealed the line-up for its First Feature Competition, dedicated to emerging filmmakers presenting their debut works. The 2025 edition includes 13 movies, with nine world and four international premieres, and all filmmakers are confirmed to attend the festival.

Programme curator Triin Tramberg described this year’s selection as one that “challenges audiences and pushes them out of their comfort zones”, adding that several titles were developed through the festival’s Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event programme. “It’s exciting to see that more and more [of our] works in progress are finding their way back to the festival. This year’s Interior is a great example: the film won the Audience Award in the Works in Progress section at last year’s Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event and now returns to PÖFF in the First Feature Competition.”

Among the European titles selected this year, Romanian helmer Cecilia Ştefănescu’s A Safe Place [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] unfolds under the blinding summer sun, portraying a woman’s emotional turmoil and longing for lost freedom. In Easy Girl [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Hille Norden
fiche film], German filmmaker Hille Norden blends sensuality and trauma through the story of two young women reclaiming agency over their bodies and desires. Elena's Shift [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Stefanos Tsivopoulos
fiche film], directed by Greek filmmaker Stefanos Tsivopoulos, follows a Romanian single mother fighting for justice and dignity in Athens, balancing realism and hope.

Christian Bonke’s Hercules Falling [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Christian Bonke
fiche film], from Denmark, stars Dar Salim as a war veteran grappling with PTSD, combining documentary precision with fictional depth to explore the aftermath of conflict. Germany’s Pascal Schuh delivers the aforementioned Interior [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film], a stylised psychological drama, and a voyeuristic journey into obsession and empathy.

The British entry Lady [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Samuel Abrahams
fiche film] by Samuel Abrahams, featuring Fleabag’s Sian Clifford, is a sharp and eccentric satire of privilege and loneliness wrapped in absurdist humour. Hailing from Norway, Mari Storstein’s My First Love [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] brings rare authenticity to a story of young love and independence, told from the perspective of a disabled protagonist. Belgian filmmaker Kat Steppe offers up Sunday Ninth [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Kat Steppe
fiche film], a melancholic and tender reflection on memory and reconciliation between estranged brothers in a nursing home.

Finally, Polish director Artur Wyrzykowski’s This Is Not Happening [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Artur Wyrzykowski
fiche film] follows a father’s desperate attempt to protect his son after a tragic shooting, questioning guilt, masculinity and moral collapse.

Here is the complete list of the selected titles:

First Feature Competition

Lady [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Samuel Abrahams
fiche film] – Samuel Abrahams (UK)
Backstage Madness – Amanbek Adžõmat (Kyrgyzstan)
Hercules Falling [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Christian Bonke
fiche film] – Christian Bonke (Denmark/Germany)
Juana – Daniel Giménez Cacho (Mexico)
Admission – Quentin Hsu (Taiwan)
Dump of Untitled Pieces – Melik Kuru (Turkey)
Easy Girl [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Hille Norden
fiche film] – Hille Norden (Germany)
Interior [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] – Pascal Schuh (Germany)
A Safe Place [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] – Cecilia Ştefănescu (Romania)
Sunday Ninth [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Kat Steppe
fiche film] – Kat Steppe (Belgium/Netherlands)
My First Love [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] – Mari Storstein (Norway)
Elena's Shift [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Stefanos Tsivopoulos
fiche film] – Stefanos Tsivopoulos (Greece)
This Is Not Happening [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Artur Wyrzykowski
fiche film] – Artur Wyrzykowski (Poland)