The submission deadline for all open calls — work-in-progress sections (Last Stop Trieste and This Is IT), EAVE Slate, Inspirational Labs and the Films x Games Connection Hub — has been extended to November 5 at 23.59 CET, to allow as many producers as possible to finalise their applications to the following programmes.
The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has announced the full programme for its 30th edition, featuring 230 feature films and 259 shorts from 87 countries. Taking place in Tallinn and Tartu from 6–22 November 2026, PÖFF and its youth and children’s film festival Just Film and PÖFF Shorts, dedicated to short films, together present 107 world premieres and 47 international premieres. Tickets are now on sale.
At the Awards Ceremony for the 19th CinEast Festival (Central and Eastern European Film Festival in Luxembourg, 9-25 October 2026) held on Saturday 24 October at Kinepolis Kirchberg, the International Jury awarded the Grand Prix to Dua by Blerta Basholli and the Special Jury Prize to Tell Me What You Feel by Łukasz Ronduda. The Jury also decided to give a Special Mention to the film Only the Beautiful Things To Look At by Ivan Ostrochoský. The Critics' Prize, awarded by the Press Jury, went to Shame and Money by Visar Morina. The Young Talents Award went to I Matter by Alina Şerban. Finally, the Audience Award for Best Feature Film went to In Hell with Ivo by Kristina Nikolova. Photos from the Ceremony.
The CinEast 2026 Opening night on 14 October, with the screening of Fatherland by Paweł Pawlikowski at Kinepolis Kirchberg, was a great success with over 600 spectators, warmly received by our audience. A selection of photos and video from the evening is available on our Facebook page: photos, video.
Who are the winners of Astra Film Festival 2026? Vlad Petri wins Best Documentary in the Romania Competition
Festivals 25-10-2026Astra Film Festival, Romania’s leading international documentary film festival, has announced the winners of its 2026 edition. Among the award-winning films is A Train Passes Every Day and It Never Stops, by Vlad Petri, the major winner in the Romania Competition. In its 33rd year, the Sibiu festival has recognised films exploring family relationships, memory, belonging, the relationship with the past, and the ways people seek their place in a changing world. Although AFF2026 comes to a close today, the festival continues online. Details: https://astrafilm.ro/festival/online.
Industry@Shorts: Masterclasses, Panels and Speed-Friending for Emerging Filmmakers at Tallinn Black Nights
Festivals 23-10-2026- Industry@Shorts, the rebranded industry arm of PÖFF Shorts, will take place from November 13–14, 2026.
- The two-day event aligns with the Baltic focus running throughout the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF).
Autumn is in full swing, and this issue brings plenty of new faces. We introduce the 15 professionals of the fifth AUDIOVISUAL WOMEN cohort, who head to Tallinn next month, and welcome MovieLedger as a new partner of our European Film Business and Law programme. Looking ahead, our online seminar AI in Film and TV: A Legal Update gets you up to speed on copyright, data protection and the EU AI Act. And we look back on three inspiring days of IP Development for Creative Professionals in Potsdam as well as Clearing Rights for Film & TV in Berlin.
The EPI team
The following production grants were announced by the Film Centre of Montenegro on 20 October 2026.
In 2026, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) will present a strong selection of documentaries in its two competition programmes with Doc@PÖFF International showcasing 11 world premieres from around the globe. In addition to the documentary programmes, the festival also announced its lineup of Special Screenings.
Find out more about our calls for submissions!
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