Triin Tramberg wants Tallinn Black Nights to remain bold and unpredictable while welcoming audiences. In an interview with Variety, the new artistic director described her approach to the festival's 30th anniversary as founder Tiina Lokk moves into a strategic role.
Continuity from within the festival
Tramberg has worked with the organisation for more than 15 years, including its first-feature competition, Discovery Campus, PÖFF Goes to Cannes and Script Pool development programme.
Festival figures cited by Variety describe nearly 2,000 submissions and 230 selected features across the main programme and Just Film, including 71 world premieres. A broader total including shorts reaches 489 films from 87 countries. Those differently scoped figures should not be added together.
Baltic cinema occupies a central place, with close to 40 features, shorts and other works. Tramberg sees collaboration among Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as a route to stronger films and wider international audiences.
Access and industry connections
The programme also spotlights the Basque region and Spanish-language and Latin American filmmaking. More than 2,000 guests from over 50 countries are expected; that is a projection rather than completed attendance.
Among the Baltic films, Viesturs Kairišs's Ulya was chosen as opener. Janno Jürgens's No Me Without You is the only Baltic entry competing for the €20,000 main prize. Tramberg wants the anniversary to honour the foundation built by Tiina Lokk while bringing new audiences into a programme she describes as bold and accessible.