The 28^th Black Nights Film Pageant, usually often called PÖFF, wrapped Nov. 22 with an awards ceremony in Tallinn the place filmmakers took centre stage to ask for the highest of battle throughout the Heart East, solidarity with Georgia beneath Russian have an effect on and the defence of custom.

Oscar-nominated British-Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi – whose debut attribute “The Coach” scooped the Dennis Davidson Spotlight Award to reinforce vary, inclusion and illustration in cinema – was the first to take a political stand. 

“‘The Coach’ is a film that we shot in militarily occupied and colonized Palestine, throughout the West Monetary establishment a little bit bit over two years prior to now. Under no circumstances might I’ve imagined that the film would arrive at such an important juncture throughout the discourse on Palestine as Israel continues to conduct genocide, the crime of all crimes in Palestine, in Gaza, as we talk. I truly contemplate cinema has the power to elevate the worldwide social consciousness and that that’s an award that understands that,” she acknowledged.

Portugal-based Japanese filmmaker Takashi Sugimoto whose documentary “Black Gold” acquired the Jury Prize from the Doc@PÖFF Rivals, adopted swimsuit on stage, saying “I actually really feel for Gaza-this [issue] resonates in me and I hope we’ll uncover a choice to satisfy and discuss.”

Israeli filmmaker Nir Bergman, named most interesting director from the first opponents jury for his drama “Pink Woman,” addressed the battle throughout the Heart East with a clear message. “A really highly effective for us correct now could possibly be for the 101 hostages to be launched once more residence and for the battle to stop,” he urged.

Within the meantime the grand-old dame of Georgian cinema Lana Gogoberidze, recipient of the 2024 PÖFF Lifetime Achievement, voiced her concern for her nation beneath Russian have an effect on. “My nation has been struggling for independence for a whole lot of years and we did receive this. Nevertheless now we’re in danger as soon as extra. We truly need friends and we consider Estonia as our good good friend,” she acknowledged, standing on stage subsequent to pageant director Tiina Lokk. “I don’t assume human beings have invented one thing larger than the phrase solidarity as a choice to particular compassion to those in subject. Salvation comes with solidarity”, she claimed.

PÖFF itself, whose tagline reads “Standing with Ukraine,” kicked off beneath unpleasant political pressure from the State Film Firm of Ukraine which known as on the pageant to remove from its program the attribute “Deaf Lovers” by Russian-born filmmaker in exile Boris Guts, even sooner than its world premiere within the major opponents, Nov. 17.

Shot in Istanbul, the Estonian-Serbian pic, which depicts a heated relationship between a Ukrainian woman and a Russian man, was criticized for “blurring the boundaries of understanding the very fact of Ukrainians.” PÖFF in the end excluded it from the “Standing with Ukraine” program nevertheless saved it in its official alternative opponents.

Going once more to the “Deaf Lovers” controversy, Lokk who based mostly the A-listed pageant in 1997, knowledgeable Choice her energy the first week of the pageant was partly highjacked from the joyful pageant events to take care of aggressive on-line assaults. 

“I’ve expert beforehand ‘cordial’ pressure from utterly totally different organisations, authorities representatives, nevertheless nothing of that scale,” she acknowledged. “As we communicate, it’s all behind us; we’re all friends as soon as extra, and the screening and interviews with the director clearly proved his anti-war stance. Going forward, we’ll in reality, proceed to promote unbiased voices and protect the door open to all filmmakers whose films symbolize democratic values.”

Film in all its vitality of reflection upon the world we keep was celebrated all via the entire size of the pageant, over Nov. 8-24. In her closing speech Lokk proudly acknowledged: “We’ve had a unbelievable run over these 16 days, with higher than 250 films, 350 transient films from 81 worldwide areas, worldwide pals from 60 worldwide areas, higher than 800 screenings and audience-breaking numbers [above last year’s 88,400 admissions, notable for a city of 457,000, although at press time the figures weren’t yet available].

PÖFF Winners

PÖFF’s Grand Prix for most interesting film was handed out to the Mongolian film “Silent Metropolis Driver,” written and directed by Sengedorj Janchivdorj whose earlier pic “The Product sales Girl” scooped the Viewers Award at PÖFF’s summer time season open-air pageant Tartuffe 2023.

The film follows “an enigmatic hearse driver as he navigates the solitude and injustice that haunt his tormented life,” reads the logline. “This darkish fairy story from Mongolia took us with out warning,” acknowledged the jury, headed by German filmmaker Christoph Hochhäusler (“Till the End of the Night,” “I Am Accountable”).

From the very first shot on, we felt the sensation of a film breaking new flooring. “Silent Metropolis Driver” is a very fashionable film, nevertheless sort proper right here is substance, the formal choices normally aren’t used to divert nevertheless to deepen this very cinematic universe, populated by distinctive larger than life characters which nonetheless keep very human.” The attribute was moreover honored for its manufacturing design.

From the similar opponents strand, seasoned Israeli filmmaker Nir Bergman (“Broken Wings,” “BeTipul”), acquired most interesting director for “Pink Woman,” a queer drama set in ultra-Orthodox circles in Jerusalem. MK2 handles worldwide product sales.

Inside the showing lessons, Pirjo Lonka and Elina Knihtilä shared top-of-the-line actress award for his or her portrayal of two very utterly totally different sisters throughout the Finnish comedy “100 Litres of Gold,” by Teemy Nikki (“The Blind Man Who Did Not Have to See Titanic”); most interesting actor honors went to Lee Hyo-Ye for Korean thriller “The Loop.”

The Turkish drama “Empire of the Rabbit,” by Seyfettin Tokmak, described as ‘haunting, meditative, heart-breaking and poignant” by the jury, scooped every most interesting script and cinematography.

Inside the first attribute aggressive half, German drama “No Canine Allowed” by scholar Oscar-nominated Steve Bache was voted most interesting film by the jury headed by promoting and advertising and marketing commerce veteran John Durie who acknowledged: “Mr Bache has made a movie for right now – and tomorrow – dealing with one of many taboo matters in society: Paedophilia via on-line grooming, nevertheless it’s made with absolute sensitivity and vulnerability due to the excellent solid and particularly the two lead characters.”

Inside the Baltic Film opponents, Lithuania underscored its dominant place throughout the fiction home amongst Baltic nations scoring a transparent sweep with film and directing awards handed out respectively to “The Southern Chronicles” by Ignas Miškinis, and “Drowning Dry” by Laurynas Bareiša. Described by Choice’s Alissa Simon as “an exploration of trauma, which Bareiša investigates in unconventional methods wherein defy and subvert dramatic conventions,” Lithuania’s Oscar rep “Drowning Dry” was not too way back picked for U.S. distribution by Dekanolog via a handle product sales outfit Alpha Violet.

Completely different most interesting film winners have been the French-Belgian “The Watchman,” which screened throughout the inaugural Doc@PÖFF Rivals; the German satirical thriller “The Protected Males,” part of the Rebels with a Set off program, and the Japanese father-son comedy “The Brothers Kitaura,”screened throughout the Critics’ Picks strand.

Numerous plaudit winners included Canada’s “Mongrels” by debut helmer Jerome Yoo, which took residence the Fipresci Award and the Specific Prize for the cast from the First Film Rivals, and Denmark’s “Kontra” by Jonas Risvig, honored throughout the children and youth half with the Merely Film Grand Prix and Merely Film Youth Jury most interesting film prize. 

On the closing ceremony Lokk moreover launched that Catalonia will seemingly be throughout the Black Nights Focus for 2025, following on Germany this yr. 

Official Selection Rivals

Most interesting Film, “Silent Metropolis Driver”, Sengedorj Janchivdorj (Mongolia)

Most interesting Director, “Pink Woman,” Nir Bergman (Israel/Italy)

Most interesting Cinematography, “Empire of the Rabbits,” Seyfettin Tokmak (Turkey, Croatia, Mexico, Lebanon)

Most interesting Script, “Empire of the Rabbits,” Seyfettin Tokmak (Turkey, Croatia, Mexico, Lebanon)

Most interesting Actress, ex æquo Pirjo Lonka and Elina Knihtilä for “100 Litres of Gold” (Finland, Italy)

Most interesting Actor, Hyo Je Lee for “The Loop” (South Korea)

Most interesting Genuine Ranking, Alyana Cabral, Moe Cabral for “Some Nights I Actually really feel Like Strolling” (Philippines, Singapore, Italy)

Most interesting Manufacturing Design, Munkhbat Shirnenfor “Silent Metropolis Driver” (Mongolia) 

First Attribute Rivals

Most interesting Film Award, “No Canine Allowed,”Steve Bache (Germany) 

Most interesting Director: “A Yard of Jackals,” Diego Figueroa (Chile, Spain)

Jury Specific Prize for the cast: Sein Jin, Jae-Hyun Kim, Da-Nu Nam, Candyce Weir, Jedd Sharp, Morgan Derera, Sangbum Kang for “Mongrels” (Canada)

Jury Specific Prize for the Director: “Ciao Bambino,” Edgardo Pistone (Italy) 

Baltic Film Rivals

Most interesting Baltic Film Award, “Southern Chronicles,”Ignas Miškinis(Lithuania, Estonia)

Most interesting Director, “Drowning Dry,” Laurynas Bareiša(Latvia, Lithuania)

Critics’ Picks Rivals

Most interesting Film Award, “Brothers Kitaura,”Masaki Tsujino (Japan)

Most interesting Director, “I, The Monitor,” Dechen Roder(Bhutan, Norway, Italy, France)

Jury Specific Level out, “Fishgirl,” 2024, Javier Cutrona (Ecuador)

Rebels with a Set off Rivals

Most interesting Film Award, “Protected Males,” Irene von Alberti(Germany);

Most interesting Director, “Contact Lens,” Ruiqi Lu(China)

Doc@PÖFF Rivals

Most interesting Film Award, “The Watchman,” Victoire Bonin, Lou de Pontavice (France, Belgium)

Most interesting Cinematographer, Linas Žiūra for “Murmuring Hearts” (Lithuania, France) 

Jury Specific Prize, “Black Gold,” Takashi Sugimoto(Portugal)

Worldwide Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci)

“Mongrels”, Jerome Yoo (Canada)

Viewers Award

“Pyre,” Vinod Kapri (India)

Youth Film and Youngsters Film Pageant Merely Film Awards

Merely Film #Youthful Filmmaker Award
“40 Days For Inge,” Betra Käsper (Estonia)

Merely Film Toddler’s Merely Most interesting Film Award,
“Niko – Previous the Northern Mild”, Kari Juusonen (Finland, Germany, Ireland, Denmark)

Merely Film Youngsters’s Most interesting Film Award
“I By probability Wrote a E ebook!”, Nóra Lakos (Hungary, Holland)

Merely Film Youth Most interesting Film Award
“Kontra,” Jonas Risvig (Denmark)

Jury Specific Level out
“Rolling Papers”, Meel Paliale (Estonia)

Merely Film EFCA Award
“Dwelling Big,” Kristina Dufková (Czech Republic, France, Slovakia)

Merely Film Grand Prix
“Kontra”