25/11/2024 - The Best First Feature Award went to Steve Bache’s No Dogs Allowed, whilst a Special Prize for Directing was handed to Edgardo Pistone for Ciao bambino

Actor Carlo Krammling (left) and director Steve Bache picking up their Best First Feature Award for No Dogs Allowed (© Erlend Štaub)

It’s a wrap for the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, which unspooled in the Estonian capital from 8-24 November.

On this occasion, the Grand Prix for Best Film in the Official Selection was awarded to Silent City Driver, directed by Sengedorj Janchivdorj. This Mongolian film captivated the jury with its raw narrative and stunning visual style. Set against the backdrop of Mongolia's striking urban landscapes, it tells an existential tale of life on the edge, blending themes of life and death with a unique cinematic approach. The film also won the Best Production Design Award for its subtle and effective use of space and detail.

Next, the Best Director Award went to Nir Bergman for Pink Lady [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Israel/Italy). The jury praised the film's emotional depth and craftsmanship, noting the director's ability to create a seamless world where each element, from performance to pacing, contributed to a gripping and heartfelt experience.

In the First Feature Competition, the Best Film Award was given to No Dogs Allowed [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Germany) by Steve Bache. The film tackles the difficult subject of paedophilia and online grooming with sensitivity and vulnerability. The jury highlighted its exceptional cast and the film's poignant exploration of a topic often dismissed or ignored in mainstream cinema, making it a must-see for parents and audiences alike.

Meanwhile, Diego Figueroa won the Best Director Award for his debut, A Yard of Jackals, a Chilean psychodrama that disturbs from start to finish. Drawing comparisons to the works of David Lynch, the jury commended Figueroa for his exceptional vision and ability to create a claustrophobic, tense atmosphere throughout the film.

Two more Special Prizes were handed out, and one of them went to Italy’s Edgardo Pistone, the director of Ciao bambino [+see also:
film review
film profile]. The jury billed it as “a complete film with attitude – from the story and script to the acting, mood and, in particular, cinematography – that marks out the director as a talent to watch”.

Notably, the two main Baltic Competition gongs went to Lithuanian pics. The Best Baltic Film Award was bestowed upon Ignas Miškinis’ The Southern Chronicles [+see also:
film review
interview: Ignas Miškinis
film profile], praised for its “portrayal of post-socialist Lithuania through time travel”, which is “both visually compelling and engaging in terms of its music and narrative”. The Best Baltic Director Award was granted to Laurynas Bareiša for Drowning Dry [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurynas Bareiša
film profile], premiered at this year’s Locarno Film Festival.

Here is the full list of this year’s award winners:

Competition

Grand Prix for Best Film
Silent City Driver – Sengedorj Janchivdorj (Mongolia)

Best Director
Nir Bergman - Pink Lady [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Israel/Italy)

Best Script
Empire of the Rabbits [+see also:
film review
interview: Seyfettin Tokmak
film profile] – Seyfettin Tokmak (Turkey/Mexico/Croatia/Lebanon)

Best Cinematography
Claudia Becerril Bulos - Empire of the Rabbits

Best Actress (ex aequo)
Pirjo Lonka - 100 Litres of Gold [+see also:
film review
interview: Teemu Nikki
film profile] (Finland/Italy)
Elina Knihtilä - 100 Litres of Gold

Best Actor
Lee Hyo-Ye - The Loop (South Korea)

Best Original Score
Alyana Cabral, Moe Cabral - Some Nights I Feel Like Walking [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Philippines/Italy/Singapore)

Best Production Design
Silent City Driver - Sengedorj Janchivdorj

First Feature Competition

Best First Feature Film
No Dogs Allowed [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Steve Bache (Germany)

Best Director
Diego Figueroa - A Yard of Jackals (Chile)

Special Prize for Cast
Mongrels – Jerome Yoo (Canada)

Special Prize for Directing
Edgardo Pistone - Ciao bambino [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Italy)

Critics’ Picks

Best Film
The Brothers Kitaura – Masaki Tsujino (Japan)

Best Director
Dechen Roder - I, the Song [+see also:
film review
interview: Dechen Roder
film profile] (Bhutan/Norway/Italy/France)
Special Mention
Javier Cutrona - Fishgirl (Ecuador)

Doc@PÖFF

Best Film
The Watchman – Lou Du Pontavice, Victoire Bonin (France/Belgium)

Best Cinematography
Linas Žiūra - Murmuring Hearts (Lithuania/France)

Special Prize
Black Gold – Takashi Sugimoto (Portugal)

Baltic Film Competition

Best Baltic Film
The Southern Chronicles [+see also:
film review
interview: Ignas Miškinis
film profile] – Ignas Miškinis (Lithuania)

Best Baltic Director
Laurynas Bareiša - Drowning Dry [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurynas Bareiša
film profile] (Lithuania/Latvia)

Rebels with a Cause

Best Film
The Protected Men [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Irene von Alberti (Germany)

Best Director
Ruiqi Lu - Contact Lens (China)

Other awards

FIPRESCI Prize
Mongrels - Jerome Yoo

Audience Award
Pyre – Vinod Kapri (India)

Lifetime Achievement Awards
Peeter Simm (Estonia)
Lana Gogoberidze (Georgia)