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Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayTALLINN: FNE spoke to Nikolaj Nikitin, curator of the Critics’ Picks Competition Programme at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), about the section's philosophy, its evolution over the past five years, and his vision for its future role beyond this milestone edition. The 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), will be held 6 – 22 November 2026.
The Critics’ Picks Competition presents ten world premieres from emerging and established filmmakers. Dedicated to distinctive auteur cinema, the programme highlights films with a clear artistic vision that explore genre conventions while engaging in dialogue with film history.
This year’s selection spans productions and coproductions from Japan and China to Morocco, Mexico and Uruguay, alongside European titles. Estonia is represented by Eeva Mägi’s Mo Amor, while the wider lineup reflects the programme’s international outlook and openness to different filmmaking traditions.
Nikolaj Nikitin, curator of the programme, comments that he is happy that, alongside powerful stories tackling some of today's most urgent issues, the programme has rediscovered a sense of humour: with three brilliant comedies, strong female protagonists and plenty of unexpected cinematic discoveries. “From daring experimentation to Shakespearean family tragedies and deliciously absurd black humour, this year's selection celebrates cinema in all its diversity: geographically, artistically and emotionally.”
The jury of Critics’ Picks Competition includes Heike-Melba Fendel (founder of talent and event agency Barbarella Entertainment); Vilnius-based director, screenwriter and editor Jurgis Matulevičius; and film journalist, author, director and TV producer Hakim Zejjari.
Critics’ Pics Competition Lineup:
Apart (Cyprus, United Kingdom, Greece)
Directed by Stelana Kliris
Produced by Meraki Films
Coproduced by Over the Fence Films, Atalante Productions
Supported by the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture, the Cyprus Film Commission’s incentives scheme, the Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Center — Creative Greece, European Union – Next Generation EU through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan GREECE 2.0, Creative Europe – MEDIA, the SEE Cinema Network
IOU (China)
Directed by Steven Zhang Zhonghua
Jimoto Loop (Japan)
Directed by Masaya Tsutsumi
Kidney (India)
Directed by Aakarsh Sansanwal, Agrim Sansanwal
Mo Amor (Estonia)
Directed by Eeva Mägi
Produced by Kinosaurus Film
One Month (Bulgaria, Romania, Spain)
Directed by Maya Vitkova-Kose
Produced by Viktoria Films
Coproduced by Mandragora (mandragora.ro), El Replicante Jondo, Turkana films
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Romanian Film Centre
Rahma (Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy)
Directed by Faysal Soysal
The Great Family (Mexico, Italy)
Directed by Matías Meyer
Until Dawn (Morocco)
Directed by Mohamed Zineddaine, Rachida Saadi, Matilde Bonnes
When I Existed (Uruguay, Spain, Bulgaria)
Directed by Alejandro Damiani, Martin Avdolov
Produced byEl Cielo Cine
Coproduced by ARS Digital Studio, Doce Entertainment, Metropolis Films
Supported by INCAU / ACAU, Ibermedia Coproducción, PUA Línea A, MVF Filma / Montevideo Filma, FIC - Fondos de Incentivo Cultural
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