Pärnu Film Festival · 2026

The XXXX Pärnu International Documentary and Science Film Festival

October 12–24, 2026

Pärnu Film Festival venue with red carpet
The White Ship film still
THE WHITE SHIP
Homecoming film still
HOMECOMING
True to Her Colours film still
TRUE TO HER COLOURS

 

 

Awards of the XXXX Pärnu Film Festival are distributed!

The 40th Pärnu Film Festival awarded two Grand Prizes for The Best Artistic Achievement

SOUTH OF WINTER, LIES THE SNOW

by Sebastian Vidal Campos (Chile)

The award is an ethnographic blanket embroidered by Riina Pull.

THREE CHANTS

by Krzysztof Nowicki (Poland)

The award is an ethnographic souvenir embroidered by Riina Pull.

Members of Jury: Kersti Uibo, Mirjam Matiisen, Kullar Viimne, Lauri Kärk, Jaan Tootsen, Jaak Elling

Estonian People’s Award

Since the three film collections were all very close to the top spot, our competition is not like sports, where every second counts. Therefore, we decided to present three Estonian People’s Awards, which went to the following authors:

THE LAST PROMETHEUS OF DONBAS

by Anton Shtuka (Ukraine)

voted by the audience of Estonian Television, votes in the cultural portal of Estonian National Broadcasting

The award is an ethnographic blanket embroidered by Riina Pull.

FORGET ABOUT CINEMA!

by Arantzazu Gómez Bayón (Finland, Spain)

voted by the audience of Estonian Television, votes in the cultural portal of Estonian National Broadcasting

The award is an ethnographic blanket embroidered by Riina Pull.

PAIKAR

by Dawood Hilmandi (Netherlands, Greece, Iran, Afghanistan)

voted by the audience of Estonian Television, votes in the cultural portal of Estonian National Broadcasting

The award is an ethnographic blanket embroidered by Riina Pull.

The Best Art doc

NOT WITHOUT YOU

by Petra Lataster-Czisch and Peter Lataster (Netherlands)

as the Best Portrait of an Artist

Jury for Art Docs: Viggo Wallenskjöld (Finland), Marina Škarupa (Ukraine), Urmo Raus (Denmark)

The Best Science Film

The award for the best science film will be presented on October 20 at the Estonian National Museum in Tartu.

The award will be presented by the Minister of Education and Research of the Republic of Estonia, Kristina Kallas.

Selected by the editors of the magazine Eesti Loodus (Estonian Nature): Katre Palo, Piret Pappel, Toomas Kukk

The award is an ethnographic blanket embroidered by Riina Pull.

The Best Film on the Survival of Indigenous Peoples

The award for the Best Film on the Survival of Indigenous Peoples will be presented on October 20 at the Estonian National Museum in Tartu.

Selected by researchers from the Estonian National Museum: Pille Runnel, Karin Leivategija, Maido Selgmäe

The award is an ethnographic souvenir embroidered by Riina Pull.


Award Ceremony Photo Gallery

Photos: Marie Virta

PROGRAM OF XXXX
PÄRNU FILM FESTIVAL

Docs, competing for Estonian People´s Award,
onair of Estonian Television (ETV2)
October 12th at 22.05

FORGET ABOUT CINEMA! by Arantzazu Gómez Bayón, Spain, Finland, 78′
A self-portrait by the filmmaker—a 21st-century woman striving to balance family life and public life after becoming a mother. A genuine confession, featuring imagery and metaphors drawn from the 21st century.
October 13th at 22.05

LOST FOR WORDS by Hannah Papacek Harper, United Kingdom, 93′
An audiovisual journey through England’s magnificent landscapes, featuring rare ecosystems that leave both scientists and artists speechless. The filmmaker himself describes his work as a documentary chorale.
October 14th at 22.05

PAIKAR by Dawood Hilmandi, Netherlands, Greece, Iran, Afghanistan, 97′
Paikar—meaning “warrior” or “child of war”—was the name given to the film’s protagonist by his Afghan mother even before he was born. The young man now lives in the Netherlands but seeks his identity through his mother and father, who fled to Iran.
October 15th at 22.00

THE LAST PROMETHEUS OF DONBAS by Anton Shtuka, Ukraine, 104′
A documentary epic about the heroes who defend a nearly century-old power plant, day and night. This mythical power station must survive, much like Prometheus, who bestowed light and warmth upon humanity.
October 16th at 22.00

A QUIET LOVE by Garry Keane, Ireland, 96′
Three stories about lovers who do not care that their partner is deaf.
Address for voting: kultuur@err.ee
Voting by the TV audience to select the best documentary for the Estonian People’s Award continues until the award ceremony on Saturday, October 17 at 18:00.
Watch the festival films and find information about the Estonian People’s Award vote on ERR’s culture portal. WATCH & VOTE ON ERR ↗
Screenings in Pärnu

THE FESTIVAL PASS

Grants you access to all public screenings starting October 12 in Pärnu and, from October 20, in Tartu as well.

The festival pass is a colorful catalogue, marked with the festival’s stamp and the director’s autograph.

The Festival Pass costs 30 euros. Buy it online or during your first visit.

BUY FESTIVAL PASS ONLINE ↗Also available at the festival venue.
Monday, October 12th
Tõstamaa High School↗ Map
12.30

Special screenings for students and teachers
HOMECOMING by Roman Khimei, Yarema Malashchuk Ukraine, Poland, 19′
A boy who fled Ukraine for Poland visits his childhood home and parents as a robot dog. This is the first sci-fi documentary at our festival.
THE SPACE BEARS 4 EVER THE STRATEGY OF LIFE by Suzuki Yuki, Japan, 95′
A world hidden from the naked eye, captured through a microscope, where microscopic life forms are not only artistically stunning but also capable of adapting to climate change and the various forms of radiation found in outer space. The ability of many creatures and plants to change their sex is also revealed.
18.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
THREE CHANTS by Krzysztof Nowicki, Poland, 67′
Krzysztof Nowicki’s music film about a choir where men and women of various professions rediscover their will to live.
Nominee for the Grand Prize of the festival
SOUTH OF WINTER, LIES THE SNOW by Seba Vidal Campos, Chile, 97′
Seba Vidal’s homeland, the Patagonian pampas, is a true realm of peace while the rest of the world bickers and fights.
Nominee for the Grand Prize of the festival
Wednesday, October 14th
Festival Palace (Strand)↗ Map
15.30

Tickets: 5 €Students: 2 €
JACQUOT DE NANTES by Agnès Varda, France, 120′
Once upon a time a boy was brought up in a garage where everyone liked to sing. It was 1939, he was 8, and he liked puppets and oprerettes. Then he wanted to make films, but his father made him study mechanics. It is a film about Jacques DEMY ‘s youth, his games and pains, his first attempts to make films… This was a happy childhood, despite war and the post-war period. The story of JACQUOT who had a vocation, was filmed by the woman who shared his life since 1958.
A discussion with Mark Soosaar after the screening

BUY TICKET

Jacques Demy with the three boys who portray him as a child. Agnès Varda in the background.
Jacques Demy with the three boys who portray him as a child. Agnès Varda in the background.
18.00

Tickets: 5 €Students: 2 €
THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG by Jacques Demy, France, 92′
Geneviève, the daughter of an umbrella-shop owner in Cherbourg, is deeply in love with Guy, a young garage mechanic. When Guy is called up for military service in Algeria, the young lovers are forced apart and must face difficult choices about love, family and the future. Jacques Demy’s bittersweet musical unfolds entirely through song, accompanied by Michel Legrand’s unforgettable score and a vibrant world of colour.

BUY TICKET

Thursday, October 15th
Sytevaka High School↗ Map
8.30 – 10.00

Special screenings for students and teachers
HOMECOMING by Roman Khimei, Yarema Malashchuk, Ukraine, Poland, 19′
A boy who fled Ukraine for Poland visits his childhood home and parents as a robot dog. This is the first sci-fi documentary at our festival.
DATING IN THE DARK, Myanmar, 50′
In the village of Naung Sone in the Southern Shan Mountains, young men head to a neighboring village after dark to look for partners. A humorous student film reveals how this custom of the Pa-O people actually plays out.
10.25 – 11.10

ALIEN RIDER by Jacopo Domenichini, Estonia, 9′
A portrait of a young courier earning a living in the city under the cover of night.
THE BORSCHT by Yuqing Jiang, Estonia, 14′
The filmmaker’s audiovisual letter from Tallinn to her mother in Shanghai proves that true love is not severed by distance or a separation spanning years. Sometimes, the connecting link can even be a bowl of porridge or soup from childhood…
HOMECOMING by Roman Khimei, Yarema Malashchuk, Ukraine, Poland, 19′
A boy who fled Ukraine for Poland visits his childhood home and parents as a robot dog. This is the first sci-fi documentary at our festival.
11.30 – 12.15

SAFOORA by Parviz Rostami, Kurdish, 18′
Kurdish women’s rituals, dances, songs, and prayers to Saint Safoora, asking her and the heavenly powers to send rain to the fields and to heal those whom earthly forces cannot save from death.
HOMECOMING by Roman Khimei, Yarema Malashchuk, Ukraine, Poland, 19′
A boy who fled Ukraine for Poland visits his childhood home and parents as a robot dog. This is the first sci-fi documentary at our festival.
15.30

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
EVERYDAY AINU by Oki Kano, Japan, Ainu, 30′
Directed by OKI, the film by the National Ainu Museum—an indigenous people of Japan—captures the daily lives of a hunter, a fisherman, a seaweed gatherer, and a cultural worker. The film does not romanticize life, as it was created by the Ainu themselves. This ensures the film’s authenticity and conveys the strength of the community.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
GOD IN A MILITARY UNIFORM by Kano Endo, Japan, Taiwan, 107′
Taiwan had long been a Japanese colony when the spirit of a Japanese man appeared there. Fearing a curse, the island’s inhabitants transformed the spirit into a deity who comes to the aid of those in distress. The filmmakers—anthropologist Yohei Fujino and documentarian Kano Endo—visit more than fifty shrines where gods clad in military uniforms await them on the altars. The film crew investigates whether Japan has truly been so warlike that there is no other way.
Q&A with the producer after the screening
Friday, October 16th
Festival Palace (Vanalinna School)↗ Map
13.35-15.15

Special screening for students and teachers
Free admission for the school’s students and teachers.
THE SPACE BEARS 4 EVER THE STRATEGY OF LIFE by Suzuki Yuki, Japan, 95′
A world hidden from the naked eye, captured through a microscope, where microscopic life forms are not only artistically stunning but also capable of adapting to climate change and the various forms of radiation found in outer space. The ability of many creatures and plants to change their sex is also revealed.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
16.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
THREE CHANTS by Krzysztof Nowicki, Poland, 67′
Krzysztof Nowicki’s music film about a choir where men and women of various professions rediscover their will to live.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
18.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
FORGET ABOUT CINEMA! by Arantzazu Gómez Bayón, Spain, Finland, 78′
A self-portrait by the filmmaker—a 21st-century woman striving to balance family life and public life after becoming a mother. A genuine confession, featuring imagery and metaphors drawn from the 21st century.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
20.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
PAIKAR by Dawood Hilmandi, Netherlands, Greece, Iran, Afghanistan, 97′
Paikar—meaning “warrior” or “child of war”—was the name given to the film’s protagonist by his Afghan mother even before he was born. The young man now lives in the Netherlands but seeks his identity through his mother and father, who fled to Iran.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
Saturday, October 17th
Festival Palace (Vanalinna School)↗ Map
Student docs
10.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
A TRIP THROUGH THE EYES OF THOSE WHO SURVIVED AND WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD by Valery Grysha, Oleksandr Hoisan, Ukraine, 8′
Archival footage from 1906 showing San Francisco’s Market Street inspired a student film that incorporates the earthquake that struck America’s most beautiful city into the historical shots.
ALIEN RIDER by Jacopo Domenichini, Estonia, 9′
A portrait of a young courier earning a living in the city under the cover of night.
THE WHITE SHIP by Anthony Noack, Estonia, 6′
A symbol of Estonian freedom is the mythological “white ship” that appears from the sea and takes the dreamer on board to carry them to the promised land. As early as 1980, the sea of freedom—and the gateway to Helsinki—was visible from the Tallinn TV Tower. But what kind of white ship is the artist in the TV Tower awaiting today?
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
THE BORSCHT by Yuqing Jiang, Estonia, 14′
The filmmaker’s audiovisual letter from Tallinn to her mother in Shanghai proves that true love is not severed by distance or a separation spanning years. Sometimes, the connecting link can even be a bowl of porridge or soup from childhood…
WEN-JIN Roy Tsai, Hong Kong, Singapore, 47′
While browsing the internet, the student filmmaker discovered a documentary about his previously unknown grandfather—a film shot after World War II and since restored. This discovery revealed connections at the intersection of professional assessment, public memory, and family ties.
12.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
DATING IN THE DARK, Myanmar, 50′
In the village of Naung Sone in the Southern Shan Mountains, young men head to a neighboring village after dark to look for partners. A humorous student film reveals how this custom of the Pa-O people actually plays out.
SOUND OF THE SPIRITS, Myanmar, 63′
The Lisu people have a deep connection with nature. They communicate daily with the spirits of their fields and forests. The shaman Byar Wu helps manage these relationships; his specific task is to call back wandering souls into their owners’ bodies in order to prevent serious illnesses.
BONE WHISPERERS, Myanmar, 27′
Conversing with the bones of the deceased is an ancient tradition of the Pwo Karen people. It is the duty of those left behind to teach the departed how to reach heaven. The Karen live in Myanmar.
15.30

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
SOUTH OF WINTER, LIES THE SNOW by Seba Vidal Campos, Chile, 97′
Seba Vidal’s homeland, the Patagonian pampas, is a true realm of peace while the rest of the world bickers and fights.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
18.00

AWARD CEREMONY

Public video recording of the award ceremony. Broadcast on ETV2 on Sunday, October 18 at 19.30.

Festival award ceremony
20.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
TAMSEN by Robert Strauß & Lisa Carstensen, Germany, 9′
St. Thomas’s Day on the island of Föhr in North Frisia. Bicycles are wheeled into the cellar, and trash cans are hidden in the shed. According to an old custom, on the night of St. Thomas’s Day, children are free to do whatever comes to mind outdoors…
CHEZ JEANNINE – THE FABULOUS BISTRO by Pierrick Bourgault, France, 76′
Jeannine, an 80-year-old bistro owner, uses her rebellious spirit, sharp tongue, and generosity to transform her tiny café into a sanctuary for society’s outcasts—both young and old. This documentary is a hymn to the sense of community. Every evening and night, Jeannine’s place is cozy and full of fun, and worries are left behind in the darkness of the street.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
Sunday, October 18th
Festival Palace (Vanalinna School)↗ Map
10.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
GRANDPARENTS by Ana Ligia Pimentel, Brazil, 98′
Life along the Amazon is beautiful, but when young people aged 25 to 35 have to step into the role of grandparents, it is no longer quite so lovely or carefree on the banks of the world’s most magnificent river…
Portraits of Artists
12.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
WHITE SHIP by Anthony Noack, Estonia, 6′
A symbol of Estonian freedom is the mythological “white ship” that appears from the sea and takes the dreamer on board to carry them to the promised land. As early as 1980, the sea of freedom—and the gateway to Helsinki—was visible from the Tallinn TV Tower. But what kind of white ship is artist Mery Crystal Ra awaiting in the TV Tower today?
Q&A with the author
AMANDA by Jose Miguel Jimenez, Ireland, 82′
Through her work, Irish artist Amanda Cullen seeks to erase the trauma she suffered from abuse in a psychiatric hospital.
14.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
NOT WITHOUT YOU by Petra Lataster-Czisch and Peter Lataster, Netherlands ,84′
An intimate portrait of the filmmaker’s parents—painter Ger Lataster and photographer Hermine van Hall. The mother’s passing breathes a completely new spirit into the father’s work…
16.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
DESCENT INTO THE VALLEY by Johan Huimerind, Estonia, 62′
A portrait of photographic artist Peeter Laurits as an independent thinker and shaman. His work begins in Kütiorg, Southern Estonia, and extends into the infinity of the cosmos.
18.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
TRUE TO HER COLOURS by Anu Aun, Estonia, 84′
A glimpse into the elegiac world Epp Kokamägi has created through her magical canvases in Pärnumaa—her home on the Baltic coast.
Screenings in Pärnu, Viljandi, Tartu, Heimtali
Monday, October 19th
Sytevaka High School↗ Map
8.30

Special screening for students and teachers
THE SPACE BEARS 4 EVER THE STRATEGY OF LIFE by Suzuki Yuki, Japan 95′
A world hidden from the naked eye, captured through a microscope, where microscopic life forms are not only artistically stunning but also capable of adapting to climate change and the various forms of radiation found in outer space. The ability of many creatures and plants to change their sex is also revealed.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
The State Gymnasium in Viljandi↗ Map
14.00

Special screenings for students and teachers
THE SPACE BEARS 4 EVER THE STRATEGY OF LIFE by Suzuki Yuki, Japan 95′
A world hidden from the naked eye, captured through a microscope, where microscopic life forms are not only artistically stunning but also capable of adapting to climate change and the various forms of radiation found in outer space. The ability of many creatures and plants to change their sex is also revealed.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
HOMECOMING by Roman Khimei, Yarema Malashchuk, Ukraine, Poland 19′
A boy who fled Ukraine for Poland visits his childhood home and parents as a robot dog. This is the first sci-fi documentary at our festival.
Tuesday, October 20th
Estonian National Museum in Tartu↗ Map
The day of Japan and Chile
12.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
EVERYDAY AINU by Oki Kano, Japan, 30′
Directed by OKI, the film by the National Ainu Museum—an indigenous people of Japan—captures the daily lives of a hunter, a fisherman, a seaweed gatherer, and a cultural worker. The film does not romanticize life, as it was created by the Ainu themselves. This ensures the film’s authenticity and conveys the strength of the community.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
GOD IN A MILITARY UNIFORM by Kano Endo, Japan,Taiwan, 107’
Taiwan had long been a Japanese colony when the spirit of a Japanese man appeared there. Fearing a curse, the island’s inhabitants transformed the spirit into a deity who comes to the aid of those in distress. The filmmakers—anthropologist Yohei Fujino and documentarian Kano Endo—visit more than fifty shrines where gods clad in military uniforms await them on the altars. The film crew investigates whether Japan has truly been so warlike that there is no other way.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
15.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
THE SPACE BEARS 4 EVER THE STRATEGY OF LIFE by Suzuki Yuki, Japan, (with producer Kazuo Okada in person), 95′
A world hidden from the naked eye, captured through a microscope, where microscopic life forms are not only artistically stunning but also capable of adapting to climate change and the various forms of radiation found in outer space. The ability of many creatures and plants to change their sex is also revealed.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
17.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
SOUTH OF WINTER, LIES THE SNOW by Seba Vidal Campos, Chile, 97′
Seba Vidal’s homeland, the Patagonian pampas, is a true realm of peace while the rest of the world bickers and fights.
Q&A with the filmmaker after the screening
Wednesday, October 21th
Estonian National Museum in Tartu↗ Map
Survival of indigenous peoples
12.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
YOUR TOMORROW WILL BE MY SONG by Fernando Saldivia Yáñez, Chile, United States, 14′
After years of living in Chicago, a young Quechua couple dreams of returning to the Andes. They long for their traditions and nature.
SAFOORA by Parviz Rostami Kurdistan 18′
Kurdish women’s rituals, dances, songs, and prayers to Saint Safura, asking her and the heavenly powers to send rain to the fields and to heal those whom earthly forces cannot save from death.
THERE ARE NO PLANES FLYING OVER SAR CHELEK by Ibadylla Adzhibaev, Kyrgyzstan, 27′
The staff and residents of the Sar-Chelek Nature Reserve in mountainous Kyrgyzstan preserve and protect the beautiful nature of their rare habitat.
WOOL by Gonçalo Mota, Portugal, 28′
Terra de Miranda is a mountainous region in northeastern Portugal where traditional sheep farming and wool handicrafts have long sustained local life. Today, however, the market has been taken over by synthetic, factory-made products. Fátima refuses to accept this and strives to keep ancestral skills alive—from herding the sheep to creating beautiful tapestries.
THEM by Zhao Shangcheng, China, 9′
By comparing documentary footage, researchers study the differences in the thinking and behavior of people living in cities and in the countryside.
14.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
SALMON PEOPLE by Camille Ropert, Canada, France 93′
Aquaculture operations began in the waters off Cormorant Island in Canada; these operations are destroying the salmon population and thereby threatening centuries-old traditions of the permanent residents…
15.30

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE by Ignazio Figus, Sardinia, 53′
A day in the life of a Sardinian healer: she treats her patients’ excruciating shingles with “St. Anthony’s Fire.”
16.30

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
GRANDPARENTS by Ana Ligia Pimentel, Brazil, 98′
Life along the Amazon is beautiful, but when young people aged 25 to 35 have to step into the role of grandparents, it is no longer quite so lovely or carefree on the banks of the world’s most magnificent river…
Wednesday, October 21th
Tartu City Library↗ Map
Science docs
16.00

WHITE CLIFFS OF VINNYTSIA by Karolina Uskakovych, Ukraine, 23′
Karolina Uskakovych’s documentary explores the unexpected aftermath of phosphorite mining. Soviet-era open-pit mines have transformed into snow-white sculpture gardens. The film asks scientists: what should be done with the toxic rocks?
SILENT DRIFT by Konrad Borusiewicz, Poland, 19′
Scientists are studying how global warming is altering biodiversity in the Tatra Mountains. Some species are disappearing, while others are taking their place. Snow and ice are melting on the mountain peaks, and flora and fauna are moving to higher altitudes.
HOMECOMING by Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk, Ukraine, 19′
A boy who fled Ukraine for Poland visits his childhood home and parents as a robot dog. This is the first sci-fi documentary at our festival.
17.00

UNTIL THE LAST BREATH by Ewa Ewart, Poland, UK, Colombia, Chile, Pakistan, 67′
In 2022, the UN General Assembly recognized the right to clean air as being just as important as the universal human rights established decades ago. Today, 99% of humanity breathes toxic air. Every hour, 900 people worldwide die for this very reason. Young children are among the hardest hit. The filmmakers traveled with scientists to document air pollution in Poland, England, Chile, the USA, South Africa, and Pakistan.
18.30

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
THE SPACE BEARS 4 EVER THE STRATEGY OF LIFE by Suzuki Yuki, Japan, 95′
A world hidden from the naked eye, captured through a microscope, where microscopic life forms are not only artistically stunning but also capable of adapting to climate change and the various forms of radiation found in outer space. The ability of many creatures and plants to change their sex is also revealed.
Thursday, October 22th
Tartu City Library↗ Map
18.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
WATERLINE by Rui Simões, Portugal, 68′
Victor Gama is an artist as well as an environmental scientist. In his multimedia work, he uses indigenous musical instruments, hoping thereby to bring balance to the world.
BONE WHISPERERS, Myanmar, 27′
Conversing with the bones of the deceased is an ancient tradition of the Pwo Karen people. It is the duty of those left behind to teach the departed how to reach heaven. The Karen live in Myanmar.
Friday, October 23th
Tartu City Library↗ Map
Student docs
16.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
A TRIP THROUGH THE EYES OF THOSE WHO SURVIVED AND WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD by Valery Grysha, Oleksandr Hoisan, Ukraine, 8′
Archival footage from 1906 showing San Francisco’s Market Street inspired a student film that incorporates the earthquake that struck America’s most beautiful city into the historical shots.
WEN-JIN Roy Tsai, Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, 47′
While browsing the internet, the student filmmaker discovered a documentary about his previously unknown grandfather—a film shot after World War II and since restored. This discovery revealed connections at the intersection of professional assessment, public memory, and family ties.
ALIEN RIDER by Jacopo Domenichini, Estonia, 9′
A portrait of a young courier earning a living in the city under the cover of night.
THE WHITE SHIP by Anthony Noack, Estonia, 6′
A symbol of Estonian freedom is the mythological “white ship” that appears from the sea and takes the dreamer on board to carry them to the promised land. As early as 1980, the sea of freedom—and the gateway to Helsinki—was visible from the Tallinn TV Tower. But what kind of white ship is artist Mery Crystal Ra awaiting in the TV Tower today?
THE BORSCHT by Yuqing Jiang, Estonia, 14′
The filmmaker’s audiovisual letter from Tallinn to her mother in Shanghai proves that true love is not severed by distance or a separation spanning years. Sometimes, the connecting link can even be a bowl of porridge or soup from childhood…
18.00

DATING IN THE DARK Myanmar, 50′
In the village of Naung Sone in the Southern Shan Mountains, young men head to a neighboring village after dark to look for partners. A humorous student film reveals how this custom of the Pa-O people actually plays out.
SOUND OF THE SPIRITS, Myanmar, 63′
The Lisu people have a deep connection with nature. They communicate daily with the spirits of their fields and forests. The shaman Byar Wu helps manage these relationships; his specific task is to call back wandering souls into their owners’ bodies in order to prevent serious illnesses.
Friday, October 23th
Museum of Heimtali↗ Map
17.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
WOOL by Gonçalo Mota, Portugal, 28′
Terra de Miranda is a mountainous region in northeastern Portugal where traditional sheep farming and wool handicrafts have long sustained local life. Today, however, the market has been taken over by synthetic, factory-made products. Fátima refuses to accept this and strives to keep ancestral skills alive—from herding the sheep to creating beautiful tapestries.
WATERLINE by Rui Simões, Portugal, 68′
Victor Gama is an artist as well as an environmental scientist. In his multimedia work, he uses indigenous musical instruments, hoping thereby to bring balance to the world.
Saturday, October 24th
Museum of Heimtali↗ Map
17.00

Tickets: 5 €Seniors: 3 €Students: 2 €
HOMECOMING by Roman Khimei, Yarema Malashchuk, Ukraine,Poland 19′
A boy who fled Ukraine for Poland visits his childhood home and parents as a robot dog. This is the first sci-fi documentary at our festival.
SOUTH OF WINTER, LIES THE SNOW by Seba Vidal Campos, Chile, 97′
Seba Vidal’s homeland, the Patagonian pampas, is a true realm of peace while the rest of the world bickers and fights.
PÄRNU FILM FESTIVAL · 2026Discover the filmsWatch the trailers and find your next festival film.WATCH TRAILERS ↗
DATING IN THE DARK
BONE WHISPERERS
A QUIET LOVE
THREE CHANTS
THE SPACE BEARS 4 EVER THE STRATEGY OF LIFE
WATERLINE
SILENT DRIFT
THE LAST PROMETHEUS OF DONBAS
PAIKAR
TRUE TO HER COLOURS
HOMECOMING
THE WHITE SHIP


PÄRNU FILM FESTIVAL · 2026

EXPLORE THE FESTIVAL CATALOGUE


Cover of the 2026 Pärnu Film Festival catalogue

Explore the films, filmmakers and programme of the 2026 Pärnu Film Festival in our illustrated catalogue.

VIEW FESTIVAL CATALOGUE ↗

Festival VenuesExplore the screening locations
Festival Palace (Vanalinna School)View location ↗
Festival Palace (Strand)View location ↗
Sytevaka High SchoolView location ↗
Tõstamaa High SchoolView location ↗
The State Gymnasium in ViljandiView location ↗
Estonian National Museum in TartuView location ↗
Tartu City LibraryView location ↗
Museum of HeimtaliView location ↗

Previous festivals

Pärnu Film Festival

XXXIX · 2025

Awards of the XXXIX
Pärnu Film Festival are delivered!

Estonian People’s Award

Estonian People’s Award

ALL IS WELL by Petra Lataster-Czisch, Holland, Ukraine
The winner was chosen as a result of voting on the phone.
The award is an ethnographic blanket embroidered by Riina Pull.

Votes in the cultural portal of Estonian National Broadcasting resulted in the documentary
WHERE WE USED TO SLEEP by Matthäus Wörle, Germany, Romania.
The award is an ethnographic blanket embroidered by Riina Pull.

The Best Artistic Achievement

The Best Artistic Achievement

A TOWER by Kullar Viimne, Estonia
The winner was chosen by a jury formed of Ukrainian film makers: Olga Semak, Lesia Diak, Marina Shkarupa.
The award is an ethnographic blanket embroidered by Riina Pull.

The Best Film on Survival of Indigenous Peoples

The Best Film on Survival of Indigenous Peoples

YUPUMA by Verónica Castro & Kawá Huni Kuin, Portugal, Brazil
The winner was chosen by a jury of Estonian National Museum: Pille Runnel, Karin Leivategija, Maido Selgmäe.
The award is an ethnographic blanket embroidered by Riina Pull.

Special Award of the Festival for creation of an audiovisual document:

Special Award of the Festival for creation of an audiovisual document:

IRABU by Okada Kazuo & Suzuki Yuki, Japan

The Best Science Film

The Best Science Film

DAWN DANCERS by Anush Hamzehian & Flavio Nani, France, Italy
The winner was chosen by doctors of Pärnu Hospital.

Special Award of the Festival for treatment of mental health problems:

Special Award of the Festival for treatment of mental health problems:

DOCTOR ON A TRIP by David Čálek, Tšechia, Brazil

The Best Student Doc

The Best Student Doc

CRONOPIO by Dāvis Cipsts, Latvia, Estonia
The winner was chosen by the students of Pärnu Sütevaka High School.

Special Award of the Festival:

Special Award of the Festival:

ULLA by Ábel Szeszler, Finland, Estonia

AWARD CEREMONY of the XXXIX PFF

▶
AWARD CEREMONY of the XXXIX PFF

Festival catalogue

XXXIX Pärnu Film Festival 2025

Open the festival catalogue in PDF format.


OPEN CATALOGUE PDF
Pärnu Film Festival 2025 catalogue cover

From left: Veronica Castro, author of the film YUPUMA; Kalju Sapas, the main character of the film TORN; and Petra and Peter Lataster, authors of the film ALL IS WELL.
YUPUMA by Verónica Castro & Kawá Huni Kuin, BraziL
Sütevaka Humanitaargümnaasiumi õpilased valivad parimat tudengifilmi
Boalândia by Patrik Thomas, Mathias Reitz Zausinger Brazil, Germany
See you at the 40th Pärnu Film Festival in October 2026!

XXXVIII · 2024

Awards of XXXVIII Pärnu Film Festival 2024.

DEMIURGE

Estonian People’s Award

by Olga Semak, Ukraine
Estonian People’s Award
Voted by the audience of Estonian Television
The prize was ethnographic blanket weaved by Christi Kütt

PLAY DEAD!

GRAND PRIZE of the festival · best artistic achievement

By Matthew Lancit, France, Portugal, Canada
with GRAND PRIZE of the festival
as the best artistic achievement
The winner was chosen by a five-member jury consisting of Anna Hints, Marina Shkarupa, Tushar Prakash, Dane Dodds, Silvia Lotman
The prize was ethnographic blanket weaved by Christi Kütt

BON VOYAGE

Special mention · best artistic achievement

by Karine Birgé, Belgium
Special mention of the festival jury in the category of best artistic achievement

THE DAIRY GARDEN

Special mention · best artistic achievement

by Marc Weymuller, France
Special mention of the festival jury in the category of best artistic achievement

WE WANT TO LIVE HERE

The best doc for youth

by Aleksandrina Turcan, Ukraine
The best doc for youth
The decision of the jury of the students of Sütevaka Humanitarian High School
The prize was a carpet embroidered by Riina Pull

CYBORG

The best science film

by Carey Born
United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, USA
The best science film
The winner was chosen by the jury of the Estonian Academy of Young Scientists
The prize was a carpet embroidered by Riina Pull

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MY DAD

Special mention · best portrait of a scientist

by Marta Kovářová
Czech Republic, Slovakia
Special mention of the jury of the Estonian Academy of Young Scientists as the best portrait of a scientist

ROMAN TOI BEAUTIFUL SONGS

Special mention

by Kalli Paakspuu
Canada
Special mention for brilliant recording of Estonian music history

XXXVII · 2023

PÄRNU FILM FESTIVAL 2023
AWARDS

NO HERO AT ALL

the Estonian People’s Award voted by the audience of Estonian Television.

by Michal Kawecki, Poland – the Estonian People’s Award voted by the audience of Estonian Television.

!AITSA

GRAND PRIZE as the best artistic achievement.

by Dane Dodds, Denmark – GRAND PRIZE as the best artistic achievement.

REMAINS

as the best science film.

by Linus Mork, Denmark – as the best science film.

AMONG US WOMEN

as the best doc on survival of indigenous peoples.

by Sarah Noa Bozenhardt and Daniel Abate Tilahun, Germany – as the best doc on survival of indigenous peoples.

HELL`S STOKER

as the best full length art doc.

by Kullar Viimne, Estonia – as the best full length art doc.

CARPENTER

as the best short art doc.

by Xelil Sehragerd, Kurdistan – as the best short art doc.

TELL ME MY STORY

as the best short film.

by Maciej Miller, Poland – as the best short film.

CALLS / COQ AU VIN

as the best student docs.

CALLS by Ming-Wei Chiang and COQ AU VIN by Ville Seppänen – as the best student docs.

DOCTOR APA

with the special mention for an outstanding recording of survival of native peoples.

by Ibadilla Adzhibaev, Kyrgyzstan – with the special mention for an outstanding recording of survival of native peoples.

WHAT`S HECUBA TO HIM

with the special mention for the high artistic and human value.

by Peteris Krilovs and Iveta Budrevica, Latvia – with the special mention for the high artistic and human value.

LANDSCAPE AFTER HOLODOMOR

with the special mention for the high historical recording.

by Yuri Tereshchenko, Ukraine – with the special mention for the high historical recording.

DANS LES BRA

with the special mention for a very warm message to human beings.

by Nathalie Rosetti, Belgium – with the special mention for a very warm message to human beings.

AWARD CEREMONY of the XXXVII PFF

▶
AWARD CEREMONY of the XXXVII PFF

Festival catalogue

Pärnu Film Festival 2023

Open the festival catalogue in PDF format.

OPEN CATALOGUE PDF

Michal Kawecki (left) – winner of the Estonian People’s Award for the documentary NO HERO AT ALL.

Dane Dodds (right) – winner of the GRAND PRIZE as the best artistic achievement for !AITSA.

Kullar Viimne, director, and Eric Norkroos, producer of the best art doc film HELL’S STOKER. Seaküla Simson, the main character of the film
Alain Verschueren, the main character of the film IN THE ARMS
On behalf of the XXXVI Pärnu International Documentary and Science Film Festival we award the masterpiece TELL ME MY STORY by Maciej Miller as the best short film.
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