Baltic Films Shine at Cannes: Tallinn Black Nights Goes to Cannes Lineup Revealed

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For the fifth consecutive time, the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival – the largest film event in the Baltic region – is teaming up with Marché du Film’s Goes to Cannes showcase. This year, they will present a special program featuring films from the region for the very first time.

The top-tier projects hailing from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will be showcased for presentation on May 16th in Cannes. Each of these works is currently in the final stages of production and actively seeking co-funding, distribution, and festival recognition.

Triin Tramberg, curator of Tallinn Black Nights Goes to Cannes, noted that the Baltic region has been experiencing a surge in success lately,” said Triin Tramberg, referring to the recent triumphs such as Latvia’s Oscar-winning film “Flow” and Lithuania’s double wins at Locarno for “Toxic” and “Drowning Dry”, among others.

As a keen enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share a sneak peek into what lies ahead from Q2 2025 to Q1 2026! These five carefully chosen projects truly encapsulate the depth and diversity of our offerings, ensuring there’s something appealing for everyone to savor.

Indeed, the lineup for Tallinn Fest Goes to Cannes spans various genres, featuring Estonia’s dark comedy “O’Slaughter Day,” the experimental film “Mo Amor,” along with Lithuania’s dramas “Oblivion” and “They Call Me Danka,” and Latvia’s crime drama “Red Code Blue.” Each title showcases powerful voices poised to make a mark on the international festival and arthouse scenes, following in the footsteps of notable films like “Flow’s Giant” by Zilbalodis, “Toxic” by Saulė Bliuvaitė, “Drowning Dry” by Laurynas Bareiša, or “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood.

Tina Lokk, head of Tallinn Black Nights Fest, emphasized that highlighting the Baltics as a region is crucial for them. She stated that as the sole A-class film festival in Northern Europe and with its industry strand, they are proud to have welcomed over 1,700 guests and journalists from 70 different countries in 2024. From the start, Lokk’s ambition was to establish a festival centered around the Baltics, drawing the world to view Baltic films, and for Baltic films to reach a global audience – all of which she achieved,” Lokk shared with EbMaster.

From May 16th to 19th, the showcase at Marché du Film in Cannes will take place. On the other hand, the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival will commence on November 7th and run through the 23rd, taking place in the Estonian capital city.

Here is a rundown of the five Baltic Goes to Cannes entries:

“O’Slaughter Day” (“Seatapp”), Estonia

Produced by Jaan Laugamõts for Downtown Pictures.

Following the success of my critically-acclaimed debut film “Kalev,” Estonia’s 2022 Oscar entry, and the popular series “Traitor” (“Reetur”), I, Ove Musting, have ventured into rural southern Estonia to craft a heartwarming yet poignant tale. The narrative revolves around an unlicensed Moldovan veterinarian who steps in to help our villagers when an inexperienced official threatens the livelihood of their livestock due to a suspected swine fever outbreak, turning their quiet lives upside down.

In the title roles are Aleksandr Bražnik, Egon Nuter, Taavi Teplenkov, and Hendrik Toompere Jr.

The filmmaker, who hails from Southern Estonia and spent his formative years on a farm, shares that he aims to portray on screen the allure and hardships of rural living. He infuses a hint of dark wit to enrich the characters’ ordinary lives, as seen in his work. The project is slated for release towards the end of 2025, with a nationwide debut by Hea Film planned subsequently.

“Oblivion,” (“Užmarštis), Lithuania

Produced by Ieva Norviliene for Tremora (“Vanishing Waves,” The Flood Won’t Come”).

Emerging filmmaker Danielius Minkevicius garnered global acclaim with his short films “Crucifixion” (Palm Springs ShortFest 2020) and “Dance” (Camerimage 2021). His first full-length production, a psychological drama titled “Oblivion,” follows the story of a young sex worker who seeks out her distant father while pretending to be someone else. As their relationship develops, she finds herself walking a tightrope between deceit, healing, and the bond she’s yearned for. Minkevicius explains that his goal with “Oblivion” was to delve into “how we cope with pain we don’t fully grasp” and our capacity to distance ourselves from sorrow as a means of self-preservation. Eager to give the narrative authenticity, Minkevicius opted for real locations and a combination of novice and seasoned actors. The project was previously presented at Tallinn Baltic Event’s co-production market and Vilnius Meeting Point.

“Mo Amor,” Estonia

Produced by Eeva Mägi and Sten-Johan Lill for Kinosaurus Film.

In filmmaking, Mo Amor marks director Mägi’s third chapter in her trilogy that delves into the universal human desire for love and comprehension from various standpoints. Following the mother-daughter theme in “Mo Mamma,” which received a Special Mention at Tallinn’s First Feature competition 2023, and the father-son dynamic depicted in ‘Mo Papa,’ presented at last year’s Black Nights Goes to Cannes, “Mo Amor” focuses on self-love and loving others. Director Mägi describes it as a “mystical, poetic journey through love and identity, narrated through a captivating fairytale.” The film is scheduled for release in the fall of 2025.

“They Call Me Danka” (“Danka”), Lithuania

Produced by Artūras Dvinelis for Filmai LT, with associate producer Juliana Miliut.

Dovile Gasiunaite’s second film following “Narcissus” is a gritty exploration of adolescence, focusing on teen character Danute who bears the responsibility as the matriarch in her family. The film primarily uses individual takes for its cinematography, and it stars Ula Liagaite, Silvestras Samuolis, and Salvijus Trepulis.

According to Dvinelis, the narrative is deeply moving as it explores growing up, and it’s both surprising and thought-inducing. He aims to debut this piece at the Scanorama festival in Vilnius this autumn for its official release on a national level.

“Red Code Blue” (“Tumšzilais Evaņģēlijs”), Latvia

Produced by Sintija Andersone, Oskars Rupenheits, Juris Pīlēns for Kef Studio.

Moving on from his critically acclaimed first film “The Foundation of Criminal Excellence,” which was self-funded and became Latvia’s biggest hit of 2018, with three national film awards to its name, Oskars Rupenheits returns to the crime genre for his second project. This time, we follow the character of Roman Skulte, played by Raitis Stūrmanis, as he starts working at the Riga Precinct in post-Soviet Latvia during the mid-90s. Eager to tackle crime, Roman quickly discovers that the path to ruin is often paved with the best intentions. Andersone notes that the film’s power comes from its story rooted in Latvia’s tumultuous history, a wild west-like landscape that emerged during the shift in power in the 1990s. Baltic Content Media will oversee the domestic distribution.

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2025-04-15 11:17