The 23rd edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival will see six International and one jury, comprised of only Estonians, overseeing various sections of the festival.

The jury of the Official Selection will evaluate the 21 films in the programme, handing out following prizes: Grand Prix for the Best Film (grant of 10 000 euros from the City of Tallinn, shared by the Director and Producer); Best Director (grant of 5000 euros); Best Script; Best Actress; Best Actor; Best Cinematographer (grant of 1000 euros from Angel Films); Best Music.
The jury members are Michael Newell, Kerem Ayan, Lisa Carlehed, Pivio, Fabrizio Maltese, Rima Das.

The First Feature Competition jury will hand out three awards – Best film and a 5000 euro grant shared by the director and producer of the film, along with two Special Prizes – to the 18 film in the programme.
The jury members are Rubén Mendoza, Arsen Anton Ostojic, Şebnem Hassanisoughi, Michael J. Werner and Miae Choi.

The Baltic Competition jury will award one of the 15 Baltic films with the Award for Best Baltic Feature Film (grant of 3200 euros, shared by the Director and Producer).
The jury consists of Leslie Felperin, Milja Mikkola and Ricardo J. Méndez.

The Rebels With A Cause jury will watch the 15 films in the Rebels competition, handing out the Rebel with a Cause Award (grant of 1200 euros from Nudist) to their favourite.
The members are Mirtel Pohla, Ilkka Matila and Ahmet Kenan Bilgic.

The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) will hand out the NETPAC award to one of the 14 Asian titles from the festival’s programme that have its world, international and European premieres at Black Nights.
The jury members are Siddiq Barmak, Kanat Torebay and Jaanis Valk.

The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) jury will select their favourite film from among the First Feature Competition.
The jury members are Daria Badior, Joanna Orzechowska-Bonis and Aurelia Aasa.

The Ecumenical jury selects, from among the Official Selection entries, the film to highlight, which, through its script, performances or production notably represents Christian principles or general human principles beyond specific world views, an emphatic and mutually considerate attitude to life, traditional life values and the sanctity of life.
Jury members are Andres Põder, Madis Kolk, Urmas Viilma, Marge-Marie, Rainer Sarnet. 

Official Selection - Competition

Michael Newell – director, producer (United Kingdom)
Mike Newell began directing at age 22, working on numerous plays for TV in BBC and ITV. His television feature “The Man in the Iron Mask” (1977), which was ultimately released as a feature film, served as a spring- board to international success. He subsequently directed Dance with a Stranger (1984), The Good Father (1985), “Enchanted April” (1991) that won 2 Golden Globes and Into the West (1994). In 1994 he made the box office hit Four Weddings and a Funeral that was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Film. In the US directed the mafia thriller “Donnie Brasco” (1997), followed by Pushing Tin (1999) and Mona Lisa Smile (2003). Newell has served as executive producer on several projects, including “Traffic” (2000) and “High Fidelity” (2000). As the director of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Newell became the first British director to helm an instalment of the hugely popular franchise. Newell’s latest feature credits include Prince of Persia (2010), Great Expectations (2012) and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018).

Kerem Ayan – Festival director (Turkey)                                
He was the Assistant Director and in charge of the Turkish cultural page in the Radio France Internationale for four years. Ayan started working for the Cannes Film Festival in 2001 and meanwhile, organized the International Literary Adaptation Market in Monaco. In 2005, he launched the Political Films Festival in Barcelona and directed it for three years. He became the assistent director of the Istanbul Film Festival in 2006, and the festival director in 2015.

Lisa Carlehed – actress (Denmark)
Lisa Carlehed is a Swedish actress with Bachelor’s degree from GITIS Scandinavia, living in Denmark. She has been to Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival with “Until We Fall” (2018). In the festival programme has also been “Into Your Arms” (2015), both by the French/Danish director Samanou Acheche Sahlstrøm. She plays the leading role in Psychosia, directed by Marie Grathø, which premiered at the Venice IFF and will be screened in the Current Waves programme of Black Nights.

Pivio – composer, artist (Italy)
Pivio, founder of the new wave group Scortilla in 1979, moved after graduating in Electronic Engineering at the University of Genoa to Rome in the late 1980ies and, with Aldo De Scalzi, started an artistic partnership that focused on soundtracks. After obtaining international fame with the feature film “Hamam” (dir. Ferzan Özpetek), he has composed over a hundred soundtracks for cinema and television, including “Song ‘e Napule” and the musical “Ammore e Malavita” (by Manetti Bros) in competition at the Venice Film Festival 2017. He has also written music for the TV series “Distretto di Polizia” and “L’ispettore Coliandro. He is the president of ACMF (Association Composers Music for Films), the Italian association of com- posers for the cinema and TV.

Fabrizio Maltese - Cinematographer, director, photographer (Italy)
Fabrizio Maltese is an award-winning portraitist, photographer and documentary director. His work has been featured on the covers of GQ, Rolling Stone, Studio Ciné Live, Sight & Sound and The Hollywood Reporter and his extensive portrait portfolios for the latter have become a defining part of the Reporter’s festival coverage. Solo exhibitions include Faces of French Cinema (Edinburgh, Lisbon, Sao Paulo in 2009) and Role/Play (Sydney, Luxembourg in 2012). His documentaries include Twenty-Five Palms (2015), 50 Days in the Desert (2016) and California Dreaming (2019) that will be screened at Black Nights’ Doc@PÖFF section this year.

Rima Das – director (India)
Rima Das is a self-taught screenwriter, producer and director best known for making indigenous and realistic films with non-professional actors. Her film Village Rockstars was presented at the Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event International Works In Progress and screened at over 80 film festivals around the world, including Tallinn Black Nights, becoming India’s official entry to the Academy Awards in 2019. Her debut feature Man with the Binoculars: Antardrishti had its world premiere in the First Feature Competition of Tallinn Black Nights in 2016.

First Feature Competition

Rubén Mendoza – director (Colombia)
Rubén Mendoza is a scriptwriter and director of eight short and seven feature films. He has won awards, scholarships and development funds from the most important institutions in the world, including Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, San Sebastián, Havana, Clermont-Ferrand, FondSud, Chicago, etc. His filmography includes Wandering Girl, that won the Grand Prix (Best Film award) of Tallinn Black Nights in 2018, Memories of a Vagabond (2014), Dust on the Tongue (2014), The Stoplight Society (2010) and several documen- taries.

Şebnem Hassanisoughi – actress (Turkey)
Şebnem Hassanisoughi is a theatre, TV and film actress from Istanbul. She has taken roles in several TV shows and for her role in the film “Geriye Kalan”, she received Best Actress award at the 12th İzmir International Film Festival, and the Ayhan Işık Special Award at the 18th Sadri Alışık Actor’s Awards. With her performance in the Zeki Demirkubuz’s film Bulantı she won Best Supporting Actress at the 48th Siyad Awards. She was also honoured with the 20th Year Special Award at the 20th Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival. Hassanisoughi recently played in Josefine Kirkeskov’s The Lifeboat that had its world premiere in the First Feature Competition of Black Nights in 2017.

Arsen Anton Ostojic – director, producer (Croatia)
Arsen Anton Ostojic had made four award-winning feature films, the first three being Croatia’s official candidates for Oscar – A Wonderful Night in Split (2004), No One’s Son (2008), Halima’s Path (that also screened at PÖFF in 2012) – and most reecntly, F20. He has worked on about twenty feature films in Europe and in the United States as an assistant director or production manager and coproduced the animated feature film Oddsockeaters (2016).

Michael J. Werner – producer (Hong Kong)
Michael J. Werner is a Producer, foreign Sales Agent and was for more than twenty years the co-head of the pioneering art-house foreign sales banner Fortissimo Films. Over his career he has been involved in as Producer/EP/Distributor on a number of now classic titles including Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000) and The Grandmaster (2013). Most recently he produced Suk Suk by director Ray Yeung which was presented at the 2019 Busan IFF. Werner has also served on numerous governmental advisory committees and panels including Hong Kong’s HAF, The Asian Film Awards, Screen Singapore, Busan’s Asian Film Market Advisory Committee, and the International Film Festival and Awards Macao, while currently serving as a consultant for Asia to The Netherlands Film Commission, the completion bond leader for Film Finances International and The Sundance Institute.

Miae Choi – producer (South Korea)
Miae Choi, born in Korea, She has been producing nine of director Kyu Hwan Jeon’s films since 2008 and has made notable achievements by receiving awards from the film festival circuit with high praises and afforded Jeon international recognition at the Berlin IFF, Venice IFF, PÖFF with films such as Mozart Town (2008), Animal Town (2009), Dance Town (2010), The Weight (2012), Angry Painter (2015), The End (2017) and the Wonderful Woman (2019) that screens in the Signatures programme this year.

Rebels With A Cause

Ilkka Matila – producer (Finland)
Ilkka Matila is one of the most prolific film producers in Finland, häving produced 23 feature films, numerous shorts, serial dramas and documentaries during the past 30 years. He has twice received the Finnish Jussi Award for Best Film, chosen to be the Producer of the Year. He’s the co-owner of the production company MRP Matila Röhr Productions. Several of his productions have screened at PÖFF, for example Lovers & Leavers (2002), Mother of Mine (2005), The Eternal Road (2017) and the series All the Sins will screen at the festival’s TV Beats section this year.

Ahmet Kenan Bilgic – composer (Turkey)
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç is the composer, producer, guitarist and vocalist of a progressive rock band Gevende and the founder of LU Records. He has composed and produced music for cinema, mapping and video game projects since 2006. He won The Best Music Award at the 30th Istanbul International Film Festival with his first feature film “Atlıkarınca” in 2011. Two of his films have screened at Sundance – Ivy in 2015 and Butterflies in 2018, that won Grand Jury Prize in World Drama.

Mirtel Pohla – actress (Estonia)
Mirtel Pohla is an Estonian, who’s worked eight years in the internationally recognised Theatre NO99, while also collaborating theatres abroad like Lyric Hammersmith in London and Münchner Kammerspiele. She has won several theatre awards and has been nomi- nated at Estonian Film and Television Awards for her role in the film Pretenders in 2017, most recently playing the leading role in Portugal (2018).

Baltic Competition

Leslie Felperin – film critic (United Kingdom)
Leslie has taught animation’s relationship with child audiences at Goldsmiths and Middlesex universities before transitioning to journalism. She worked at magazines Sight and Sound, Moving Pictures, Variety and The Big Issue, before  starting to write film and theatre reviews for The Hollywood Reporter in 2013, while also writing for The Guardian in the U.K.

Ricardo J. Méndez – scriptwriter, writer (Germany)
Ricardo is the Technical Director for Europe at Samsung NEXT, where he works doing investments on technology innovation. His alter-ego writes essays on film, books, games, and anime.

Milja Mikkola -  festival programmer (Finland)
Since 2005 Milja Mikkola has been part of the Arctic Circle’s legendary Midnight SunFilm Festival where she currently holds the post of Programme Manager. She is also founder and co-director of Helsinki’s Viva Erotica Film Festival, which celebrates the history of sex with rare gems screened in their original format.

NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema)

Siddiq Barmak – film director (Afghanistan)
Siddiq Barmak’s Osama won the Golden Camera and Junior Award at the Cannes IFF and the New Currents – Special Mention and Audience Awards at Busan IFF, among other numerous awards in 2003.

Kanat Torebay – producer (Kazakhstan)
Kanat Torebay produced the film The Stranger, that was part of the Official Selection of Black Nights in 2015, winning the NETPAC award.

Jaanis Valk -  director (Estonia)
Jaais Valk’s first feature-length documentary film Ahto. Chasing A Dream won the Best Estonian Film award at the 22nd Black Nights Film Festival.

FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics)

Daria Badior (Ukraine)
Daria Badior is a  journalist and Culture Editor in LB.ua, one of the biggest Ukrainian online outlets. Co-founder of The Union of the Ukrainian Film Critics and head of the selection committee of Kyiv Critics' Week film festival.

Joanna Orzechowska-Bonis (France)
Joanna Orzechowska-Bonis is writing film criticism, interviews, catalogues, portraits of filmmakers and actors, analyses of French and international cinema.

Aurelia Aasa (Estonia)
Aurelia Aasa is a freelance culture critic, who regularly writes for multiple publications and co-hosts a monthly film-show at IDA radio. She’s the Estonian correspondent for the international platform FNE and a member of the Estonian Association of Film Journalists (FIPRESCI). Currently works at the Estonian Film Institute as an international distribution coordinator

Ecumenical Jury

Andres Põder - Archbishop Emeritus, President of Estonian Council of Churches
Madis Kolk - Editor-of-chief, culture magazine Teater. Muusika. Kino
Urmas Viilma - Archbishop, Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
Marge-Marie Paas - Press Officer, Roman Catholic Church
Rainer Sarnet - Film and stage director, winner of the Best Estonian Film award at Black Nights with November in 2017.

MATERIALS

The film stills and presskits of the programme can be found HERE. 

23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival TEASER.

PRESS ACCREDITATION

Press accreditation for the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and Inudstry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event is in progress. Please apply by clicking on the link below.

APPLY FOR THE PRESS ACCREDITATION

PRESS OFFICE CONTACTS

The festival's press office gladly helps with any question regarding the accreditation, press screenings and conferences and helps to organise interviews with the festival's guests. 

Press accreditations and events: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Press hospitality matters: Anna-Liiza Izbaš - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
International communication: Hannes Aava - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / +372 555 29 211.
Russian communication: Jaana Kalinistova - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Estonian communication: Tiit Tuumalu - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

In the 9th edition of US in Progress Wrocław industry program (November 6th-8th) taking place in the frame of the 10th American Film Festival 6 projects were presented. All were eligible for the post-production in-kind awards (post-production services sponsored by the partners of the programme).

The projects are receiving the following awards:

Tiger Style! by Cory Santilli 

• production and post-production support up to the value of $10 000 form Platige Image 

• music composition or sound design up to $10 000  from Maciej Zieliński Soundflower Studio 

•  $1000 round trip ticket to Poland for post-production from New Horizons Association  

In A Silent Way by Collin Levin

• color grading up to the value of $10 000 from ColorOffOn

• $500 ticket to Poland for post-production from New Europe Film Sales

My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To by Jonathan Cuartas

• digital post-production services up to the value of $10 000 from Fixafilm 

Aleph by Iva Radivojevic

• post-production services up to $10 000 from Orka Studio 

Time Now by Spencer King 

• Ale kino+ television rights offer 

The Unknown Country by Morrisa Maltz

• free registration at Producers’ Network during 2020 Cannes Marché du Film for the producer

This year Platige Image has also decided to give an additional special award for a debuting director: $10 000 for production of the next film for Collin Levin, director of In A Silent Way.

The awards execution will be negotiated with projects’ producers individually on the basis of the studio’s availability.

Besides presenting the projects to the professional audiences, the producers took part in one on one meetings with European festival programmers, sales agents and distributors. 2019 edition of US in Progress included presentations of Polish projects’ seeking American partners as well a round table on transcontinental co-production with American producers: Andrew Hevia, Jay Van Hoy, Zach Nutman, Monique Walton and Stephanie Wilcox.

Congratulations to all the participants and many thanks to the partners and attendees!

Munich, 31.10.2019. Beta Film has closed a major territory deal for its high-end crime seriesThe Pleasure Principle – the first international television co-production between Central and Eastern European countries on such a great scale. The 10 x one hour series was acquired by ZDF for ARTE to be aired on the Franco-German channel in 2020.

Directed by multi-awarded Dariusz Jablonski ("Photographer"), The Pleasure Principlepremiered in Poland on CANAL+ and turned out to be a great ratings success. Shot in Warsaw, Prague, and at Odessa’s picturesque Black Sea coast, the series brought together leading talents of the three partnering countries, among them Karel Roden ("The Bourne Supremacy"), Malgorzata Buczkowska ("I Am You"), Stipe Erceg ("The Baader Meinhof Complex"), and Sergey Strelnikow ("Ekaterina").

The Pleasure Principle revolves around the murder of three young women in three different cities. Within days, their bodies are found, each showing the same brutal sings of violence. One thing is clear: they are obviously connected. The three separate police departments from Ukraine, Poland and Czech Republic investigating the case now need to overcome their differences in order to partner up in a cross-border inquiry. Their trail leads to shady businessmen, lawyers for sale, corrupt politicians, professional killers and traces of a common past. But things are seldom what they seem to be…

The Pleasure Principle is produced by Apple Film Production in co-production withCANAL+Poland, Czech TV and Star Media.

Trailer:

https://vimeo.com/346084327

On the 26th of November, as a result of the collaboration between PÖFF, Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event and the European Film Academy (EFA), film industry professionals will meet with young local designers, creatives, and promising film actors of the future. 

PÖFF BlackWalk, the exclusive gala of young talent, has been launched with the aim to help industry professionals discover young and emerging talent. Festival director Tiina Lokk considers the event highly important.

“PÖFF BlackWalk is the first step in creating a cohesive network of training programs that bring people together from different areas of the film industry. The EFA has around 3000 professional members across Europe - our collaboration means to use this network and channel it into the local education system”.

This year’s project is a development of last year’s PÖFF: Black Catwalk. Laura Kurs, the event’s head organiser confirms that this year’s program is one step closer to what they really want to achieve. “We want to create a sustainable education program for our young film lovers. By working with the EFA, we are able to establish direct contact with film industry professionals and build lasting relationships with them. Hopefully, we will be able to arouse an indelible affection towards film in costume designers, make-up, hair and video artists," she adds.

In this year’s program knowledge and advice is shared by visual artist Peter Hjorth(“Antichrist”, “Melancholia”, “Nymphomaniac: Vol I”), make-up artist Dalia Colli(“Dogman”, “Casanova”), hair artist Daniela Tartari (“Broken Embraces”, “Like Crazy”) and costume designer Stefanie Bieker (“Land of Mine”, “Only Lovers Left Alive”). 

PÖFF BlackWalk’s gala will feature three mini-collections, which are created with the specifics of costume art in mind and which are inspired by the selected films of the young Estonian designers – Annika Kiidron, Liina Liesment and Reila Saarmäe. The fashion show with an emphasis on the film industry is also the culmination of a two-month training program in which young fashion designers, make-up, hair and video artists were lectured and supported by the EFA’s acknowledged creative directors. 

PÖFF BlackWalk’s gala night will take place on 26 November in Noblessner’s Valukoda. In addition to fashion designers and creatives, the event also acknowledges young promising film actors participating in Black Nights Stars programme. The event is part of the Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event program for film professionals at the Black Nights Film Festival and the Creative Gate project funded by the European Regional Development Fund. PÖFF BlackWalk is supported by Enterprise Estonia, Toyota and Balmain Hair Couture Estonia.

PHOTO
Fashion show of Black Catwalk from 2018(1)
Fashion show of Black Catwalk from 2018(2)
Fashion show of Black Catwalk from 2018(3)
Fashion show of Black Catwalk from 2018(4)

ADDITIONAL INFOMATION
Read more about Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event

PRESS ACCREDITATION
Press accreditation for the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event is in progress. Please apply by clicking on the link below.

APPLY FOR THE PRESS ACCREDITATION

While the 21st edition of connecting cottbus (6-8 Nov 2019) continues with further matchmaking and networking events, tonight the East-West co-production market at FilmFestival Cottbus announced the award winners out ofitsselection of 13 cocoPITCH and 6 cocoWIP projects.

The coco Best Pitch Awardgoes to the best public presentation of a project during the pitching, voted for by all attending industry participants. The audience chose CARBON by Ion Borș from Moldova, an absurdist road movie set during the armed conflict in Transnistria in the early 1990s. CARBON was presented by the producersSergiu Cumatrenco Jr. (YOUBESC Creative Institute) and Ion Borș (Kantora Film Production), whoreceives a cash prize of €1,500 as well as the Producers Network Award, a free accreditation to the Producers Network at the Marché du Film in Cannes 2020.

TheAvanpost Pitch Packaging Awardwas handed out to ATHLETEby co-directors Semih Gülen and Mustafa Emin Büyükcoskun, produced by Arda Çiltepe(Vigo Film)from Turkey. Romanian post-production outfit Avanpost will provide the project with in-kind services up to €15,000, which may include financing strategy consulting, the project look-book as well as production/post-production for a proof of concept. The jury, comprised of Cristian Nicolescu (Avanpost), Jelena Mitrovic (Film House Bas Celik) and Oscar Alonso (Latido Films), said: “We are giving this award to the project ATHLETE because we were deeply moved by the portrait of a female character who makes sacrifices and struggles in a harsh society today, and in particular by the change she experiences after all the endeavours, resonating with all of us.” 

Avanpost CBDO Cristian Nicolescu decided to present an additional award on his company's behalf to the apocalyptic sci-fi project VESPER SEEDS by Kristina Buozytė and Bruno Samper from Lithuania, produced by Asta Liukaityte, Daiva Jovaišiene, Kristina Buozytė of Natrix Natrix.

For the first time this year, the MIDPOINT Consulting Awardwent to three cocoPITCH projects, each receiving an in-depth script consultancy in two parts, which started in Cottbus during the cocoLAB and will be continued in a second follow-up session online. The awarded projects: CONVENIENCE STORE from Russia (dir: Mikhail Borodin, prod: Artem Vassiliev/Metrafilms), focusing on modern slavery in today‘s Russia, NO LAND FOR ME from Israel (dir: Ram Nehari, prod: Yifat Prestelnik/Yifat Prestelnik Films), a coming-of-age story about a teenager growing up in Israel with his immigrant family from the former USSR, and WET MONDAY from Poland (dir: Justyna Mytnik, prod: Marta Gmosińska/Lava Films), a drama with elements of comedy and magical realism about sisterhood, trauma and nightmarish hares.

Sponsored by German post-production studio D-Facto Motion, the D-Facto Motion WIP Award of €35,000 in post-production services plus €5,000 for additional expenses to the work in progress BLINDFOLD by Taras Dron, produced by Valeria Sochyvets (Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema)fromUkraine. The project was selected by an expert jury consisting of Christine Dollhofer (Crossing Europe Film Festival), Valeska Neu (Films Boutique) as well as Robert Wunsch and Philipp Haenel of D-Facto Motion: „Our common choice for the D-Facto Motion WIP Award is a film with international potential that captured us with its unique story and strong female protagonist who is fighting against obstacles to gain her independence.“

Congratulations to all winners!

At the 23rd edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky will be presented with one of the festival’s two Lifetime Achievement Awards. The festival will also screen two of his films: the Northern European premiere of his latest film Il Peccato (Sin) and House of Fools (2002).

The festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award is an honorary accolade handed out each year to two people, a filmmaker or an audiovisual industry professional who has made a profound artistic or otherwise noteworthy impact on cinema at a regional and global level. Past winners include Liv Ulmann, Aki Kaurismäki, Arvo Pärt, István Szabó, Jörn Donner, Friðrik Þór Friðriksson and many others. 

Andrei Konchalovsky’s career spans over five decades, during which he has directed numerous films and series that have become an undisputed, integral part of film history: from early successes like The Story of Asya Klyachina (1966) and Uncle Vanya (1970), adapted from the famous Chekhov play and regarded as one of the greatest works of Russian cinema of all time, to House of Fools (2002), a Russian-French co-production about an asylum on the Russian-Chechnya border, The Postman’s White Nights (2014) and Paradise (2016), all of which won him awards at the Venice International Film Festival. He has also made popular English-language films such as Runaway Train (1985), which earned three Academy Award® nominations, Maria’s Lovers (1984), Duet for One (1986), Shy People (1986) and Homer and Eddie (1989).

A regular in the programmes of A-category film festivals, Konchalovsky has won the Venice Silver Lion (Best Director) award twice, for both The Postman’s White Nights (2014) and Paradise (2016), and the Grand Special Jury Prize for House of Fools (2002); the Cannes Grand Prize of the Jury for Siberiade (1979); the San Sebastian Golden Shell for Homer and Eddie (1989) and Silver Shell for Uncle Vanya (1970); and the Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe for A Lover’s Romance (1974), to name a few.

Konchalovsky has also earned considerable acclaim on the small screen, having directed landmark epics such as The Odyssey (1997), for which he won an Emmy award for best director, and The Lion in Winter (2003), which received a Golden Globe award for costume design alongside multiple Emmy® awards and nominations. He has also directed numerous opera and theatrical productions across Europe and the United States.

Black Nights Film Festival has screened several of Konchalovsky’s films in past editions: House of Fools in 2002, Gloss in 2007 and The Postman’s White Nights in 2014. At the 23rd edition, the festival we will be screening two of his films. On the 25th of November, PÖFF will screen House of Fools with Konchalovsky and lead actor Julia Visotskaya in attendance. The following day, on the 26th of November, Konchalovsky will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the gala screening of his latest film, Il Peccato (Sin). It will be the film’s Northern European premiere.

Il Peccato (Sin), a Russian-Italian co-production, is a portrait of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti which follows him through the agonies and ecstasy of his own creative genius as two rival noble factions compete for his loyalty. The film was entirely shot in Italy over the course of fourteen weeks. The film is produced by Andrei Konchalovsky Studios and Jean Vigo Italia with Rai Cinema. The Renaissance maestro is played by Alberto Testone (Pasolini: The Hidden Truth; Suburra).

Festival director and head of programme Mrs Tiina Lokk commented: “When I was a student, Andrei Konchalovsky’s sophomore film, The Story of Asya Klyachina, was among the first films that I can clearly remember leaving a profound artistic imprint in my memory - so fresh in form and style of shooting, part of a new cinematic wave of naturalism, after a long period of artistic stagnation and the depiction of unnatural Soviet heroes on screen. It truly shook up my world and I have followed his oeuvre ever since! I hope it is safe to say that if some directors are essentially ‘Russian,’ he is more of a ‘World’ director - a creative chameleon of sorts whose artistic form is ever-changing, while his true essence remains the same.”

She went on to add: “We are excited to be the second festival after Rome to screen his latest film Il Peccato (Sin)! An intriguing piece of work, truly worthy of the label ‘arthouse blockbuster’! I can sense some similarities between him and the protagonist Michelangelo - the endless, almost uncontrollable drive to create, whatever the material or personal cost, whatever the obstacles!”

Bio of Andrei Konchalovsky

Director, screenwriter and producer Andrei Konchalovsky has enjoyed equally distinguished careers directing on both stage and screen. His best-known film credits range from Uncle Vanya (1970), adapted from the famous Chekhov play and regarded as one of the greatest works of Russian cinema of all time, to House of Fools (2002) a Russian-French co-production about an asylum on the Russian-Chechnya border. He has also made popular English-language films such as Runaway Train (1985), which earned three Academy Award® nominations, Maria’s Lovers (1984), Duet for One (1986), Shy People (1987) and Homer and Eddie (1989).

He has also earned acclaim on the small screen for landmark epics such as The Odyssey (1997), for which he won an Emmy® award for best director and Lion in Winter (2003) which received a Golden Globe® award for costume design alongside multiple Emmy® awards and nominations.

Born in Moscow, Andrei Konchalovsky studied music in his youth, becoming a skilled pianist, before enrolling in the cinema program at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), where he studied under Mikhail Romm. His feature film debut, The First Teacher (1965) was based on the eponymous book by Chingiz Aitmatov, set in modern-day Kyrgyzstan in the decades following the Russian Civil War. His subsequent films include The Story of Asya Klyachina (1966), which was held back from release until 1988 due to government censorship and eventually received a Nika Award (Russia’s version of the Academy Awards) for best picture; A Nest of Gentlefolk (1969), A Lover’s Romance (1984) and Siberiade (1979), an epic film in four parts depicting life in Siberia across much of the 20th century which won the Grand Prix at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival and brought Konchalovsky to the attention of international producers. This led him to such mainstream Hollywood projects as Tango & Cash (1989) and Homer and Eddie (1989).

Konchalovsky has directed numerous opera and theatrical productions across Europe and the United States, including the 2006 production of King Lear at Theatre Na Woli, Poland, Miss Julie at the Malaya Bronnaya Theatre, Moscow and Chekhov’s The Seagull which played at the Mossovet Theatre in Moscow,  the Odéon Theatre in Paris and various venues in Italy. Other productions include War and Peace at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Oedipus at Colonus in Italy, and Queen of Spades and Eugene Onegin at La Scala in Italy, the latter which was also staged in Paris.

Early in his career, Konchalovsky used a double surname and was credited as Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky. He later adopted his mother's maiden name to distinguish himself from his younger brother, Nikita Mikhalkov, also an accomplished director. Indeed, the entire family is artistic: his great-grandfather, grandfather and mother were celebrated poets, and his father a noted playwright.

2010 marked the release of Andrei Konchalovsky’s much-anticipated The Nutcracker in 3D, a cinematic adaptation of the traditional fairytale. This musical CGI spectacular featured Elle Fanning in a central role, as well as Nathan Lane, Richard E. Grant and John Turturro in the principal roles. Lyrics were provided by Academy Award® winning lyricist Sir Tim Rice. In the same year, Konchalovsky featured in Hitler in Hollywood, a mockumentary thriller about the making of a bio-doc about Micheline Presle, which evolves into a thrilling investigation of the long-hidden truth behind European cinema – Hollywood's unsuspected plot against the European motion picture industry. The film won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it was nominated for a Crystal Globe.

In 2012, Konchalovsky directed, wrote and produced The Battle for Ukraine, which provided an in-depth analysis of Ukraine’s persisting struggle to escape the close embrace of its neighbour, Russia. This extensive project took almost three years to make and involved an array of Ukrainian, Russian and American historians, politicians and journalists, as well as former Presidents Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland, Rudolf Schuster of Slovakia and Eduard Shevardnadze of Georgia; Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, and businessman Boris Berezovsky.

Konchalovsky’s next project saw him serving as co-producer on a story previously untold on film. Filmmaker Margy Kinmonth invites The Prince of Wales to take a journey through history, celebrating the creative side of his family and revealing an extraordinary treasure trove of artworks created by past and present royal hands. Set against the spectacular landscapes of the Royal Estates and containing insights into works by members of the royal family throughout the centuries. This includes the watercolours of the Prince of Wales’. Royal Paintbox (2013) explores a colourful palette of intimate family memory and observation.

Konchalovsky returned to the director’s chair with The Postman’s White Nights (2014), which won the Silver Lion at the 71st Venice Film Festival. A blend of drama and documentary, the film tells the true story of Aleksey Tryapitsyn, who plays himself, a postman in a remote Russian village on the shores of Lake Kenozero. In 2016, Konchalovsky won his second Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival with Paradise, with the famous Russian actress Yulia Vysotskaya leading the cast in the role of Olga, alongside Christian Clauss and Philippe Duquesne. The film offers an unprecedented look at the Holocaust through the collective eyes of a Russian aristocrat, a member of the French Resistance and a senior German officer, whose lives intertwine in the dramatic circumstances of the war.

On 28 August 2017, after a long period of preparation, Konchalovsky began production on his latest project, Il Peccato (Sin), dedicated to the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo. The film had its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival and will have its Northern European premiere at the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, where the director will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Konchalovsky is now in production for the film Dear Comrades, based on the true story of a 1962 workers’ demonstration in Soviet Novocherkassk.

Tallinn Black Nights film festival runs from the 15th of November until the 1st of December.

MATERIALS

The film stills and presskits of the programme can be found HERE. 

23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival TEASER.

PRESS ACCREDITATION

Press accreditation for the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and Inudstry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event is in progress. Please apply by clicking on the link below.

APPLY FOR THE PRESS ACCREDITATION

PRESS OFFICE CONTACTS

The festival's press office gladly helps with any question regarding the accreditation, press screenings and conferences and helps to organise interviews with the festival's guests. 

Press accreditations and events: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Press hospitality matters: Anna-Liiza Izbaš - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
International communication: Hannes Aava - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / +372 555 29 211.
Russian communication: Jaana Kalinistova - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Estonian communication: Tiit Tuumalu - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..