Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

Still from Yorgos Lanthimos, (The Favourite, The Killing Of A Sacred Deer, Lobster), new short film Nimic, featuring Matt Dillon

Titled Homecoming, the PÖFF Shorts programme will screen films by directors who have been featured in previous editions of Black Nights with their feature films. The programme features films by Yorgos Lanthimos, Peter Strickland, Sudhanshu Saria, Alex Helfrecht and Jörg Tittel, and Teemu Nikki.

The programme will showcase films by celebrated directors whose feature films have screened in previous editions of  Black Nights and received a warm response from audiences. One returnee to Tallinn this year is Indian director Sudhanshu Saria presenting the European premiere of his new short film Knock Knock Knock. His debut feature Loev had its world premiere in the Black Nights First Feature Competition in 2015, the programme he returned to oversee as a jury member in 2016. His new film, which had its world premiere at the Busan IFF, is a thriller set in Darjeeling, revolving around a Bengali man who designs puzzles and a Nepalese boy.

Also alumni of the First Feature Competition are UK directors Alex Helfrecht and Jörg Tittel who’s dystopian feature The White King had its international premiere in Tallinn in 2016. Their new short film NYET – A Brexit Farce, presents another dystopic world, although in a slightly more comedic manner this time.

Also included in the selection is Yorgos Lanthimos, who’s numerous features have screened at PÖFF (The Favourite, The Killing Of A Sacred Deer, Lobster) with his new short film Nimic, featuring Matt Dillon in the lead role. Peter Strickland whose In Fabric and Berberian Sound Studio screened at PÖFF and its side-festival HÕFF, is featured with GUO4, a confrontation between two swimmers in a locker room. Teemu Nikki, who’s Euthanizer shocked the PÖFF audience in 2017, is featured with All Inclusive, a Cannes entry that’s loaded with dark Finnish humor, telling the story of a man who gets a chance for empowerment after the woman he’s loved his whole life makes him a life-altering gift.


Films

All Inclusive, 2019, Finland, director: Teemu Nikki
GUO4, 2019, Hungary, director: Peter Strickland
Knock Knock Knock, 2019, India, director: Sudhanshu Saria
Nimic, 2019 Germany / USA /Great Britain, director: Yorgos Lanthimos
NYET! - a Brexit UK Border Farce, 2019, Great Britain, directors: Alex Helfrecht, Jörg Tittel