Festival overview

The 23rd edition of Just Film will take place from 3-19 November, 2023 in Tallinn, Estonia.

Just Film is the biggest youth and children's film sub-festival of the Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), which consists of a competition programme of children's and youth films and special programs. Just Film takes place every year in November, similar to the main PÖFF program.
Just Film screens wide variety of films that would otherwise remain undiscovered by mainstream cinema. Some of them will make you cry, some will make you laugh, some will change your life. Audiences of all ages will find something to their liking. About 50 films are screened at the festival every year, and with its audience, Just Film has become one of the largest youth and children's events in Estonia, which is visited by nearly 20,000 film enthusiasts every year.

Just Film was founded to give children and youth the possibility to see through film what happens around them and around the world. The aim is to show kids the critical points of society and to make them more understanding and empathic.

Just Film wants to be part of creating a society where people appreciate quality movies and see that together we really can change the world. We value diversity, respect and equality highly.

Just Film also contributes to education by offering teachers the opportunity to include valuable films in teaching.

To date, Just Film has brought a total of 536 full-length films from many famous filmmakers to Estonia, such as Gus van Sant, Vanessa Jopp, Tony Key. In addition to famous directors, the world's biggest and most popular children's and youth films have reached the opening and closing ceremony of the festival. This is how we have adventured with Harry Potter and experienced the wars between werewolves and vampires in the Twilight Saga. Big and small film lovers have also been able to see new versions of the movies "Finding Nemo" and "The Lion King".

Just Film's team works to show children and young people what an individual can achieve - everyone is important and capable of doing great, regardless of their background or social status.

Our main focus group is 13-25 year olds and we work very closely with schools and teachers in Estonia.

Just Film consists of:

Competitions:

In addition:

Just Film Festival submission regulations can be FOUND HERE

Awards

Want to know more about awards, check it out here.

Submissions to the festival

Read more about regulations here.

Just Film submissions

Summary of Black Nights Film Festival

The Biggest Annual Culture And Entertainment Event In Estonia And Northern Europe with the mission to introduce the world film culture to local and international film enthusiasts.

The first PÖFF took place in 1997.

PÖFF aims to present a comprehensive selection of world cinema from the last two years to local and international audience, offering fresh film production with high artistic value.

The only FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations) accredited film festival in Northern Europe with international non-specialised competition programme. This makes PÖFF the only A-category film festival in North Europe.

PÖFF shares the category alongside other 14 top film festivals around the world, including Cannes, Berlin, and Venice to name a few.

The festival also serves as an important meeting point for a rapidly growing
number of industry professionals from around the globe.

SUBFESTIVALS
Just Film: Youth and Children Film Festival
PÖFF Shorts: Short and Animation Film Festival
Kinoff: PÖFF's most eastern sub-festival

SPECIAL FESTIVALS
HÕFF: Haapsalu Horror & Fantasy Film Festival in the end of the April
Tartuff: Tartu Love Film Festival held in Tartu town hall square in the beginning of August
NÖFF: women's nights film festival in Rapla

INDUSTRY
Industry Tallinn & Baltic Event
Industry summit for audiovisual professionals including panel discussions & roundtables, networking, co-production market for films and cooperation projects

2022 Winning films:

 

2022 - Festival Grand Prix: “SIX WEEKS” (Hungary, 2022) Dir: Noémi Veronika Szakonyi
ECFA Award: “HOW I LEARNED TO FLY” (Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, 2022) Dir: Radivoje Andrić
Youth Jury Best Film Award: “VIRGINITY" (Israel, 2022) Dir: Maor Zaguri
Children's Jury Best Film Award: "LITTLE GANG” (France, 2022) Dir: Pierre Salvadori
#youngfilmmaker Best Film Award: "EVERLASTING SINGLE MAN" (Estonia, 2022) R: Aaron Thor Härm, Mattias Nurga

International Jury Special Mention: “SUMMER TO COME” (Hungary, 2022) Dir: György Mór Kárpáti
Youth Jury Special Mention: “12 DARES” (Sweden, Norway 2022) Dir: Izer Aliu
Children's Jury Special Mention: “CHILD MACHINE” (Estonia, 2022) Dir: Rain Rannu

 

Contact:

Programme Director – Mikk Granström

mikk.granstrom@poff.ee

Programme Coordinator – Johanna-Stina Idla

justfilmcoordinator@poff.ee