The international satellite of the Black Nights Film Festival, PÖFF Shorts, will bring 12 short films to their world premiere in this year's National Competition.
A total of 28 short fiction, documentary and animated films are competing, selected from 98 submissions. Check out the screening times here!
Making their world premieres are Manfred Vainokivi’s “10,000 Steps to the Smoking Area”, Kateryna Hantseva’s “Am I Ukrainian Enough?”, Robert Raska Ly’s “A Microphone in the Head”, Sasha Shprotser’s “Border”, Indrek Spungin’s “Death is Harder Than a Broken Heart”, Joonas Lind’s “Don’t Look Away”, Anna Veisman’s “Eyes of the Forest”, Jaakko Tervonen’s “Friction!”, Loviisa Milla Jännes’ “Peanuts”, Jasmin Kulagina’s “Plans for Tomorrow”, Elisabeth Kuzovnik’s “Stiina”, and Gergana Dyankova’s “Wishful Thinking”.
“PÖFF Shorts’ national competition program remains one of our most anticipated sections. It’s no surprise, considering how vibrant and creative the Estonian short film landscape has become,” said PÖFF Shorts director Mari Liis Keevallik.
The films in the national competition will be evaluated by a three-member jury: festival programmers Jana Riemann (Germany) and Holger Lang (Austria), and comedian Ann Vaida (Estonia). In addition to the award given by the international jury for Best Short Film, which comes with eligibility for an Academy Award nomination, Radiator IP Sales will select a special distribution prize from among the competing films.
SHORTS NATIONAL COMPETITION
“10 000 Steps To Smoking Area”, dir. Manfred Vainokivi (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere
“After a Whale”, dir. Kate Jansone (Estonia, 2025)
“Am I Ukrainian Enough?”, dir. Kateryna Hantseva (Estonia, 2024) — World Premiere
“A Microphone in the Head”, dir. Robert Raska Ly (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere
“Arrhythmia”, dir. Maria Reinup (Estonia, 2024) — European Premiere
“Baa-baa!”, dir. Teresa Juksaar (Estonia, 2025) — Baltic Premiere
“Border”, dir. Sasha Shprotser (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere
“Death is Harder Than a Broken Heart”, dir. Indrek Spungin (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere
“Don’t Look Away”, dir. Joonas Lind (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere
“Eating Time”, dir. Mari Kivi (Estonia, 2025)
“Eyes of the Forest”, dir. Anna Veisman (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere
“Friction!”, dir. Jaakko Tervonen (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere
“How To Tell You, Brother”, dir. Patrik Prints (Estonia, 2025) — Baltic Premiere
“Idyll”, dir. Rao Heidmets (Estonia, 2025)
“Kyiv Cake”, dir. Mykyta Lyskov (Estonia, Ukraine, 2025) — Baltic Premiere
“Marelle”, dir. Kristjan Poom (Estonia, 2025) — Baltic Premiere
“Peanuts”, dir. Loviisa Milla Jännes (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere
“Phosphenic Archives”, dir. Léo Mourey (Estonia, 2025)
“Plans for Tomorrow”, dir. Jasmin Kulagina (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere
“Robot Leo”, dir. Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu (Estonia, 2025)
“Son to Sun: The Forever Elephant”, dir. Yiyang Sun (Estonia, 2025) — Baltic Premiere
“Stiina”, dir. Elisabeth Kuzovnik (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere
“The Dog”, dir. Kaspar Jancis (Estonia, 2025)
“The Family Act”, dir. Dragos Bucataru (Estonia, 2025) — Baltic Premiere
“TSANGAAN.”, dir. Isabel Laiapea (Estonia, 2025)
“ˌaɪs ˈkriːm, aɪ skriːm”, dir. Nataliia Domini (Estonia, 2025)
“Winter in March”, dir. Natalia Mirzoyan (Estonia, Armenia, France, Belgium, 2025)
“Wishful Thinking”, dir. Gergana Dyankova (Estonia, 2025) — World Premiere