Spotlight on Georgia at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2015

The spotlight will be on Georgia at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2015 after being named the next Focus Country.

At the closing gala ceremony of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2014 after the winners were announced and the awards were presented, festival director Tiina Lokk announced Georgia would be the Focus Country of next festival year, Georgia’s Foreign Ministry noted.

Estonia’s leading film festival, named PÖFF in the Estonian language, annually had a special section that focused on a country. At the final gala ceremony on November 30, the traditional symbol of the Focus Country – a burning torch – was handed to Georgia’s Ambassador in Estonia Tea Akhvlediani.

The Georgian official delivered a speech to those in the audience, where she highlighted Georgia and Baltic countries historically had warm and friendly relations and common European values.

Meanwhile this year the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival was awarded the status of Competitive Feature Film Festivals by the International Federation of Film Producers Association (FIAPF).

With this recognition, the event will now be considered as one of the world’s leading film festivals and among other A-class festivals such as the film festivals in Berlin, Cannes, Venice and more.

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is one of the largest film events in Northern Europe and is regarded among the 50 leading film festivals of the world.

Since its establishment in 1997, the film festival first focused on Nordic cinema but over time has presented all continents and many genres.

Festival organisers said the event aimed to present audiences with a comprehensive selection of world cinema in all its diversity, and provide a friendly atmosphere for interaction between the audience and filmmakers from all around the world.

The Black Nights Film Festival is held in Tallinn each year in November.