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Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival · 2026

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2026

First Feature Competition

Programme

12 films

Jump to a film

Black Slaughter

A young Ethiopian Jew’s search for a sacrificial sheep becomes a journey through identity, faith, and belonging.

(Country: France, Israel; Year: 2026; Director: Gigi Betito; Writer: Gigi Betito, Gili Yalo, Julien Favre; Stars: Teddy Neguse, Lia Elalouf, Mariano Idelman, Lev Negato, Yonantan Rosovsky, Ahmed Abu Sager)

World premiere

Exotic

(Country: Poland; Year: 2026; Director: Sonja Orlewicz-Zakrzewska; Writer: Sonja Orlewicz-Zakrzewska; Stars: Jaśmina Polak, Magdalena Koleśnik, Monika Frajczyk, Karolina Kowalska, Hubert Miłkowski, Bartosz Bielenia)

International premiere

Happy Ending

They heal, dance, sing, drink, love, and film their lives in Tehran as an attack on Iran draws near.

(Country: Iran; Year: 2026; Director: Atena Mahmoudi; Writer: Atena Mahmoudi, Abdolreza Heydari; Stars: Melika Pazouki, Amirali Eliyas, Maryam Gorji, Amir Hivand, Anis Saniei, Shiva Ordoei, Roham Ziyaei)

World premiere

In Starland

A middle-aged man's life is shaken up after a group of young influencers crash into it.

(Country: United Kingdom, US; Year: 2026; Director: Ray Panthaki; Writer: Ray Panthaki, Jason Kavan; Stars: Clarence Maclin, Marcus Scribner, Maxwell Cunningham, Bella Maclean, Miss Benny, Leesie Pinto, Colin Buckingham, Ben Dickey, Gallant, Kang Dong Gyung, Mollee Gray)

World premiere

Lionheart (Løvehjerte)

Having grown up in the suburbs of Copenhagen, Luan knows the underworld and its rules better than any other life. That’s where he’s belonged all his life. Now he wants to get out.

(Country: Denmark; Year: 2026; Director: Nagieb Khaja; Writer: Jesper Fink, Nagieb Khaja; Stars: Besir Zeciri, Mohammed Djeziri, Ermela Dhimitri, Bjarne Henriksen, Karima Bouylud)

International premiere

Oblivion (Užmarštis)

A young sex worker sets out to reconnect with her estranged biological father, but their growing relationship takes an unexpected turn.

(Country: Lithuania; Year: 2026; Director: Danielius Minkevičius; Writer: Danielius Minkevičius, Kornelijus Stučkus; Stars: Gabija Bargailaitė, Dainius Gavenonis, Aušra Pukelytė, Vytautas Rašimas, Beatričė Žemaitaitė)

World premiere

Princess (Ñusta)

An indigenous child finds warmth among urban trans women to live on her own terms.

(Country: Ecuador, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia; Year: 2026; Director: Christian Rojas; Writer: Christian Rojas; Stars: Kuri Fuerez, Octavio Mendoza, Bruno Giganti, Quispe Nuna, Romel Vargas, Kayita Quizhpe, Adele Pesantes)

World premiere

Running Wild

She wanted a life of her own. What she got was a gun, a queer love triangle, and one shot at freedom.

(Country: Taiwan; Year: 2026; Director: Wang Yi-ling; Writer: Leong Siew-hong, Wang Yi-ling; Stars: Wang Yu-xuan, Angel Lee, Devin Pan, Pei Tzu-chi)

World premiere

Status: Rejected

An ageing, lonely and curious woman seeks love, passion and companionship in the tricky yet enchanting online world.

(Country: Philippines; Year: 2026; Director: Vahn Leinard Pascual; Writer: Vahn Leinard Pascual, Jaymar Santos Castro, Ivan Villacorta Gentolizo; Stars: Ruby Ruiz, Alessandra de Rossi, Beverly Salviejo, Yani Villarosa, Karl Medina, Jay Aldanese, Rob Rownd, Christopher Erk, Ryanne Murcia, Roque Alcala, Jefferson De Mesa, Manu Alejandro)

International premiere

The Sweetness Of Bitter Things

A forbidden love awakens a woman who has spent a lifetime living for others.

(Country: Macedonia, Croatia, Bulgaria; Year: 2026; Director: Andrey Volkashin; Writer: Andrey Volkashin; Stars: Zorica Nuševa, Leo Dolores Popovikj, Jana Nikodinovska, Ana Kostovska, Gorast Cvetkovski)

World premiere

When She Hears The Bells

As Kabul falls to the Taliban, a widow risks everything to rescue a group of boys and reclaim their future.

(Country: Germany, Belgium, France; Year: 2026; Director: Chabname Zariab; Writer: Chabname Zariab, Parande Zariab; Stars: Golshifteh Farahani, Rohed Khan, Sayed Hashimi, Azizullah Hamrah, Zobair Padash, Forouzan Jamshidnejad, Venus Nazari, Fatima Tawakkuli)

World premiere

White As Salt

A modern-day Robin Hood defies a tyrannical system on a spectacular salt lake closed to locals.

(Country: Turkey; Year: 2026; Director: Murat Eroğlu; Writer: Murat Eroğlu; Stars: Mehmet Ali Nuroğlu, Melisa Duru Ünal, Emre Özcan, Cem Zeynel Kılıç, Naz Göktan, Doğanay Ünal, Orkun Huylu, Okan Selvi, Nalan Olcayalp)

World premiere