And we're off! The 23rd Black Nights Film Festival has officially begun.
Over 250 films in 4 different cities and 4 competition programs - Official Selection, First Feature Competition, Baltic Film Competition, Rebels with a Cause Competition.

Yesterday's Opening Ceremony kicked off with opening film Adam and the Bruno O’Ya award to a remarkable Estonian actor was awarded to Rea Lest.
 

The 23rd edition of the Black Nights Film Festival was opened yesterday at the Alexela Concert Hall with actress Rea Lest honoured with the Bruno O’ya award. 

At last night’s Opening Ceremony’s spectacular multimedia show, directed once again by Ingmar Jõela, crossed stage acting, dance acts and live filmmaking, paying homage to films like A Clockwork Orange, The Matrix and Climax.

The festival awarded actress Rea Lest with the Bruno O’ya Award, that is presented for the 6th year at the festival’s Opening Ceremony to an up and coming Estonian actor or actress on the verge of an international breakthrough. Lest has played in several films that have screened at the festival, such as November (2016), The Manslayer / The Virgin / The Shadow (2017) and Scandinavian Silence that screens in the festival’s Baltic Competition programme this year. Lest was selected among the Berlinale Shooting Stars earlier this year.

Rea Lest in The Manslayer / The Virgin / The Shadow

Another symbolic moment was the passing of the festival’s candle which is done by the representatives of the country/ region the festival has set focus on that particular year. This year, businessman Naguib Sawiris and actress Bushra Rozza, founders of the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt passed the candle to festival director Tiina Lokk as Black Nights set its focus on Arab cinema, presenting a 14 film showcase In Focus: Sizzling Arabia. The programme screens a retrospective of Arab films from the last ten years mixed with highlights from this year. The focus is supported by the El Gouna Film Festival and film selection was made by Intishal Al Timimi, a programmer for both El Gouna and Black Nights. The candle will be passed on at the festival’s award ceremony to the representative of next year’s focus on the 30th of November.

PHOTOS
Opening Ceremony Gallery #1
Opening Ceremony Gallery #2
Black Carpet
Opening Party

From left to righ: Naguib Sawiris (El Gouna FF), Tiina Lokk (PÖFF),  Bushra Rozza (El Gouna FF) and Kristjan Lüüs (show’s host)