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.

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 [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Eeva Mägi
scheda film] 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 [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Grazia Tricarico
scheda film] follows the story of Mona, a 45-year-old bodybuilder whose life revolves around an obsessive pursuit of perfection and beauty. Endless Summer Syndrome [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Kaveh Daneshmand e Gem Deger
scheda film] 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 [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Petr Hátle
scheda film] 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 [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Miguel Faus
scheda film] 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 [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Rozália Szeleczki
scheda film], 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 [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Aylin Tezel e Yvonne Wellie
scheda film] 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 [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Markku Hakala, Mari Käki
scheda film], where communication occurs without words. Lastly, Caroline Ingvarsson's Unmoored [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Caroline Ingvarsson
scheda film] presents a slow-burning psychological drama that probes questions of identity and perception.

The full festival programme will be announced on 27 October.

Here is the list of titles selected:

First Feature Competition

All, Or Nothing at All - Jiajun ‘Oscar’ Zhang (China)
Body Odyssey [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Grazia Tricarico
scheda film] - Grazia Tricarico (Italy/Switzerland)
Cat Call [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Rozália Szeleczki
scheda film] - Rozália Szeleczki (Hungary)
Dilli Dark - Dibakar Das Roy (India)
Endless Summer Syndrome [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Kaveh Daneshmand e Gem Deger
scheda film] - Kaveh Daneshmand (Czech Republic/France)
Falling Into Place [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Aylin Tezel e Yvonne Wellie
scheda film] - Aylin Tezel (Germany)
The Fisherman's Daughter - Edgar de Luque Jácome (Colombia/Puerto Rico/Brazil/Dominican Republic)
Giant's Kettle [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Markku Hakala, Mari Käki
scheda film] - Markku Hakala, Mari Käki (Finland)
Inpaintings - Ozan Yoleri (Turkey)
Mo Mamma [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Eeva Mägi
scheda film] - Eeva Mägi (Estonia)
The Moon Is Upside Down - Loren Taylor (New Zealand)
Mr. and Mrs. Stodola [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Petr Hátle
scheda film] - Petr Hátle (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
The Quiet Maid [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Miguel Faus
scheda film] - Miguel Faus (Spain)
Tentigo - Ilango Ram (Sri Lanka/India)
Unmoored [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Caroline Ingvarsson
scheda film] - Caroline Ingvarsson (UK)
Vera and the Pleasure of Others - Romina Tamburello, Federico Actis (Argentina)