The anniversary year sees Triin Tramberg appointed as the festival’s new Artistic Director, while longtime Festival Director Tiina Lokk shifts her focus to the festival’s overall strategic and developmental direction, remaining CEO of PÖFF.
Tramberg is a film curator and industry connector who has grown alongside PÖFF for more than 15 years. Beginning her journey as a programme assistant, growing into programme coordinator, she has played a central role in shaping the festival’s international profile through initiatives such as Script Pool, Industry@Tallinn’s Discovery Campus, the First Feature Competition, and PÖFF Goes to Cannes. As the founder and long-time manager of Script Pool, Tramberg has supported films that later premiered and won major awards at Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, and Toronto.
Her work is driven by a strong belief in long-term artistic development and in creating meaningful encounters between films and audiences. As Artistic Director, Tramberg aims to further strengthen PÖFF’s curatorial identity while supporting bold cinematic voices and keeping the festival open, curious, and closely connected to its audiences.
As part of the new leadership structure, Tramberg has appointed Dhanushka Gunathilake as Head of Discovery Campus, PÖFF’s talent and industry platform. Gunathilake is an award-winning cinematographer and festival professional with over 15 years of international experience, as well as the founder of Sri Lanka’s first state-sponsored film school.
He made his mark with the acclaimed debut feature Between Yesterday and Tomorrow, which received multiple national awards, followed by The Frozen Fire, Sri Lanka’s first-ever submission to the Academy Awards, and Dark in the White Light, which was nominated for the Golden Leopard at Locarno. Alongside his filmmaking career, Gunathilake has maintained a strong presence within international festival ecosystems. At PÖFF, he has worked as a TV host, Q&A moderator, and Project Manager at Discovery Campus, where he spearheaded Frame Within a Frame, the festival’s first cinematography-dedicated masterclass initiative. An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Gunathilake brings together craft, pedagogy, and industry development in his new role.
Further strengthening the festival’s selection leadership, Malaika Bova will take over as First Feature Competition Curator. Bova is an international film curator and programmer with over 20 years of experience across major European and UK film institutions. She previously served as Artistic Director of the Raindance Film Festival and is currently a UK scout for PÖFF.
Her curatorial work includes producing From Venice to London in collaboration with La Biennale di Venezia, promoting contemporary Italian cinema in the UK, as well as curating the Italian Doc Season at Bertha DocHouse in London, where she has championed bold voices in Italian documentary filmmaking.
The 30th edition also marks a historic transition within Just Film, PÖFF’s Youth and Children’s Film Festival, which has grown over the past 25 years into one of Europe’s leading youth-focused film events under the leadership of Mikk Granström. Jan-Joonas Pevkur has been appointed as the new Programme Director of Just Film, after several years of selecting films for the children’s programme and producing side events within the festival.
Granström will continue as Administrative Manager of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, ensuring continuity while enabling generational renewal within the Just Film team.
“I am greatly honoured that I have been entrusted with leading Just Film,” says Pevkur. “While I may be young myself, this is already my sixth year with this wonderful team. I can’t wait to step into the new role and bring the 26th edition of Just Film to young people — from young people.”
With these appointments, the 30th edition of PÖFF signals both continuity and transformation, reaffirming its role as a key meeting place for cinema, industry, and audiences at the crossroads of Europe and the wider world.
Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) is Northern Europe’s only FIAPF-accredited competitive feature film festival with two sub-festivals, Just Film and PÖFF Shorts. PÖFF is one of the biggest film festivals in Northern Europe and the busiest regional industry platform. The 30th edition will take place from 6-22 November 2026, and the 25th edition of Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event, will run 9-20 November 2026.
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