Shorts National Competition 3

Festival
PÖFF Shorts 2023
Programme
Shorts National Competition

As sure as the Estonian forests are green and the winters harsh yet beautiful – the best Estonian shorts have a certain indefinable magic. It’s always ironic that a nation that can often be (unfairly) maligned for a certain aloofness, can count on fiction, doc, and animation filmmakers with their achingly compassionate, persistently quirky, and defiantly humane shorts.
The 2023 National Competition takes us from birth to death with the usual intricacies of love and conflict, with abstractness in between. The past, present, and future of both Estonia and humanity are all explored as realism, magic, elegant monochrome and a rainbow of colours unfurl before us.
As always, many films emanate from the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School and the Estonian Academy of Arts, allowing the programme to shine a spotlight on young and future talents. But established masters are also here, making for a dizzying array of Estonian on-screen wonder in fiction, animation, and documentary.

Screenings

Hall 1 Kino Artis
Screening072102 / Shorts Rahvuslik võistlusprogramm 3
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Trailer

Films

Estonian premiere

The Eastern Rain

Local title
Idakaare vihm
Original title
The Eastern Rain
Director
Milly Yencken
Country
Estonia
Year
2023
Festival
PÖFF Shorts 2023
Programme
Shorts National Competition

If the rain were to fall indoors, but never outdoors ...where do we begin to look for shelter?

Director
Milly Yencken
Runtime

Baltic premiere

Boy

Local title
Poiss
Original title
Boy
Director
Vladimir Loginov
Country
Estonia
Year
2023
Festival
PÖFF Shorts 2023
Programme
Shorts National Competition

Traditionally, a few minutes before the New Year, the President of Russia delivers New Year's greetings on the main TV channels, which is filmed against the backdrop of the Kremlin. This year, for the first time in history, Putin spoke in front of military personnel.

Director
Vladimir Loginov
Runtime
Language
Russian
Subtitles
English

World premiere

Nightingale

Local title
Ööbik
Original title
Ööbik
Director
Leeni Linna
Country
Estonia
Year
2023
Festival
PÖFF Shorts 2023
Programme
Shorts National Competition

Autumn 1944 in Tallinn, Estonia. German forces retreat as the Russian army settles in. Young soldier Aleksei is sent from the frontline to work in a prison filled with Estonian political prisoners.

Director
Leeni Linna
Runtime
Language
Estonian, Russian
Subtitles
English

Baltic premiere

Island of Multitude

Local title
Mitmetahuline saar
Original title
Island of Multitude
Director
Karl Kaisel
Country
Estonia
Year
2023
Festival
PÖFF Shorts 2023
Programme
Shorts National Competition

How is the world seen by an island – a place made of multitudes, living and nonliving? The space and time through multispecies viewpoint is infinitely complex and narrowing it down to linear film might seem impossible. Island of Multitude gets entangled in the island’s complex world following and building connections between different agents of the island.

Director
Karl Kaisel
Runtime
Trailer

Baltic premiere

Eyes of Beauty

Local title
Ilus Armin
Original title
Ilus Armin
Director
Katariina Škurinski
Country
Estonia
Year
2023
Festival
PÖFF Shorts 2023
Programme
Shorts National Competition

In a world full of stupidity and fear, an unnaturally beautiful boy named Armin is born. Soon enough, Armin’s magical nature begins to affect everything and everyone around him, leading to unexpected and dire consequences.

Director
Katariina Škurinski
Runtime
Language
Estonian
Subtitles
English

World premiere

Wolf

Local title
Hunt
Original title
Hunt
Director
Robert Raska Ly
Country
Estonia
Year
2022
Festival
PÖFF Shorts 2023
Programme
Shorts National Competition

An actor has a curse: he can't get out of his stage costume.

Director
Robert Raska Ly
Runtime
Language
Estonian
Subtitles
English

World premiere

What's Up With Numbats?

Local title
Viivis
Original title
What's Up With Numbats?
Director
Elis Rumma
Country
Estonia
Year
2023
Festival
PÖFF Shorts 2023
Programme
Shorts National Competition

Correctness-loving Eve and effortless Leida are colleagues and opposites, working everyday side by side at a small town library. During a casual wordgame between the two, prideful Leida´s factually wrong answer about Numbats habitat upsets Eve. Unfortunately for her the book to end the debate is missing. Unanswered calls to the bookholder and smirky Leida sets her off on a hunt for the book. An absurd adventure to prove her co-worker wrong begins and takes unusual turns until the very end.

Director
Elis Rumma
Runtime
Language
Estonian
Subtitles
English