05/11/2014 - Old masters jostle with debut features as the Tallinn-based gathering unveils its competition titles

The 18th Black Nights Film Festival, which kicks off on 14 November, will present 18 entries from all around the world in its main competition, among them a record-breaking number of international and European premieres.

A recent decision by the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF) to accredit Black Nights as one of the festivals with a thematically and geographically unlimited competition has considerably widened the reach of the International Competition programme.

“At the same time, the logic of the programme hasn’t changed,” explains festival director Tiina Lokk. “Powerful films by renowned masters are competing with debuts that might get a push for their international breakthrough at Black Nights.

“This year, Black Nights has a record-breaking four international and six European premieres in the International Competition. There are also six Scandinavian premieres in the competition,” says Lokk.

Countries represented in the competition include South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, India and Japan. There are six debut titles in the competition, while the oldest director is Jerzy Stuhr – better known as a legendary Polish actor – who will screen his latest movie, Citizen [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. Other films will include Over Your Dead Body, the latest from Takashi Miike. Martti Helde’s In the Crosswind [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Martti Helde
interview: Martti Helde
film profile] will represent Estonia in the competition.

The jury will consist of Mark Axelrod (USA), Kati Outinen (Finland), Andrei Proshkin (Russia), Elina Reinold (Estonia), Benson Taylor (United Kingdom) and Tomasz Wasilewski (Poland).

The Grand Prix for Best Film includes a €10,000 grant from the city of Tallinn. Prizes will also be awarded for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Cinematographer.

The full International Competition programme is as follows:

International premieres
Apostle (South Korea, Kim Jin Moo)
Go on Living (Mexico, Alejandra Sánchez)
Valley [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Israel, Sophie Artus)
Citizen (Poland, Jerzy Stuhr)

European premieres
Move (Kyrgyzstan, Marat Sarulu)
Elephant Song (Canada, Charles Binamé)
Inferno [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Slovenia-Croatia, Vinko Möderndorfer)
Taksu (Japan-Thailand-Indonesia-USA, Kiki Sugino)
The Theory of Everything [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (UK, James Marsh)
Today (Iran, Reza Mirkarimi)

Scandinavian premieres
Angels of Revolution (Russia, Aleksey Fedorchenko)
In the Sands of Babylon (Iraq-UK-Netherlands-United Arab Emirates, Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji)
Lucifer [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Belgium, Gust Van den Berghe)
Margarita, with a Straw (India, Shonali Bose)
Over Your Dead Body (Japan, Takashi Miike)
Yvone Kane (Portugal-Brazil-Mozambique, Margarida Cardoso)

Baltic premiere
Itsi Bitsi [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Denmark, Ole Christian Madsen)