The Black Nights’ short film and animation festival has chosen 24 films from 85 submissions to the PÖFF Shorts National Competition.

Arriving at the festival with world premieres are Franz Malmsten's post-apocalyptic Buttered Cards, Shattered Hearts, Leeni Linna's historical Nightingale, Nevena Semova's absurdist drama 1000, Dora Lall's Nightbird, Elis Rumma's What's Up With Numbats?, Robert Raska Ly's Wolf, Vera Pirogova's Sour Milk, Juri Krutii's Keyhole and Lucia Victoria Deuerling's Crispy Fries.

For the first time, Estonian audiences will also have a chance to see Jaan Toomik's Two Men on Train and Someone Else, Liisi Grünberg's animated debut Miisufy and a short film Play/Repeat by the Tallinn-based Colombian director Carlos Lesmes .

"Our national competition program has both new talents and veterans — a good and brief overview of what is in the minds of various filmmakers living in Estonia," thought Grete Nellis, head of PÖFF Shorts.

The National Competition jury consists of Estonian performance artist and photographer Flo Kasearu (Estonia), writer and founder of Film Festival Ltd Katie Bignell (UK) and producer Aneta Zagórska from Poland.

The Best National Short selected by the international jury gets the right to be nominated for the short film Academy Awards if the film meets the requirements of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Nomination rights do not extend to films by students.

The winner will be announced at the PÖFF Shorts award ceremony on November 11.

The international short film and animation festival PÖFF Shorts will take place from 7 to 15 November with screenings in Tallinn and Tartu.
The entire film programme of the festival will be announced on October 26.

The festival is presented by Elisa nad Metropol Spa Hotel.

List of competition programmes available here.
Get a Festival Pass here.