Tallinn Black Nights Festival: New Artistic Director Triin Tramberg on Making Sure That at 30 It Stays ‘Bold, Unpredictable Yet Accessible’ — SkimNews
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- Triin Tramberg took over as PÖFF’s artistic director for its 30th anniversary, while festival founder Tiina Lokk shifted to a strategic role within the organization.
- Triin Tramberg had already spent more than 15 years shaping PÖFF through programming roles, including leadership of its First Feature Films Competition, Discovery Campus — attended annually by more than 70 professionals — and PÖFF Goes to Cannes.
- PÖFF selected 230 feature films, including 71 world premieres, from nearly 2,000 submissions; with Just Film and PÖFF Shorts, 489 films from 87 countries screen from Nov. 9-22.
- PÖFF made Baltic cinema a centerpiece of the anniversary: Latvia’s “Ulya” opens the festival Nov. 6, a regional showcase features nearly 40 works, and Estonia’s “No Me Without You” is the only Baltic entry competing for the €20,000 Grand Prix.
- Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event’s Script Pool, founded and directed by Tramberg, nurtured “20,000 Species of Bees,” the 2023 Berlinale winner, and “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo,” the 2025 Cannes Un Certain Regard top winner.
- PÖFF’s anniversary lineup includes 13 Oscar contenders for international feature film, including “Minotaur” and “La Bola Negra,” while more than 2,000 guests from more than 50 countries are expected in Tallinn.
Why it matters: Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian filmmakers gain a larger platform at the anniversary PÖFF, where nearly 40 works appear in the Baltic showcase and Tramberg says collaboration helps their films reach larger international audiences. Her first edition leaves Lokk’s festival structure intact, preserving continuity as Lokk shifts from festival leadership to a strategic role.
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