About Us
Our History
Born in 1987 from the idea by Lennart Meri’s (writer/filmmaker and President of Estonia 1992 – 2001) and directed by Mark Soosaar (film maker and MP 2003-2016), the event was entitled as the Pärnu International Visual Anthropology Film Festival. For today, it has become the oldest film festival in the Baltic countries. Starting from the aim to reflect tragic situations of indigenous peoples and saving their cultures from disappearance, the festival was growing and expanding to an international event for different kinds of documentary and scientific filmmakers. The new name is today the Pärnu International Documentary and Science Film Festival.
We still seek authentic doc stories and outstanding masterpieces on survival of indigenous peoples through their dramatic conflicts with outer world.
Today the program of the festival includes social problems of all contemporary societies, portraits of creative people as well as films on professional and folk arts.
Children and young people have always been included, both at the workshops and watching the competition programs for kids and youth. The main subjects of the festival are: Human Interest, Social Issues, Arts, Music, Survival of Native Cultures, Docs for Kids, Docs by Students, Portraits of Great Persons in Arts and Science.
We were the first and are still today the only film festival where the whole of our nation can watch most outstanding docs and vote for the winner. It happens thanks to Estonian Television broadcasting competition of 5 most outstanding docs nominees for the very desired prize – The Estonian People’s Award. This trophee – an ethnic handwoven Estonian blanket was won by such stars of film art as Agnes Varda, Kersti Ubo, Nicolas Philibert etc. Nobody knows who will bocome the next in 2024…
The XXXVIII Pärnu Film Festival will take place:
The Festival Palace in Pärnu and on air of Estonian TV October 6th–13th,
The Estonian National Museum ERM in Tartu and Estonian Art Museum KUMU in Tallinn on October 13 – 20, 2024.
Only docs of high artistic and scientific value, recording human activities in social, historical or ecological context are accepted for competition screenings. Newest forms of audiovisual expression are preferred.
We don’t accept films which are against human values or encourage hatred and discrimination between races, neighbours, nations. All copies of docs selected for the festival program will be kept in the video library of the Museum of New Art, Pärnu, for educational use.
The official language of the festival is English.
The festival is supported by Estonian Film Institute, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Town of Pärnu, the Port of Pärnu, Hotel Victoria, Museum of New Art in Pärnu.
History In Pictures
Boat trip to Manija Island in 1987, with Asen Balikci in the center. 
Guests of the First Film Festival conquering Manija Island in 1987. 
Lennart Meri ja Mark Soosaar wrapping winner of the first festival, Asen Balikci, in the Grand Prize - an authentic Estonian ethnographic blanket, in 1987. 
In 1988, the II festival took place and the winner Jon Jerstad (Norway) takes winner of the first festival - Asen Balikci (Canada) - into his new blanket. 
Heimo Lappalainen (Finland) won the Grand Prize for his TAIGA NOMADS in 1993. 
Kersti Uibo (Estonia/UK) took her blanket to London after receiving Estonian People's Award with the film EDVARD'S ACRE in 1995. 
Wen Pu Lin (China) won the Grand Prize of our festival in 2000 with essay-type documentary IN SEARCH OF SHANGRI-LA . 
Agnes Varda (France) received the Estonian People's Award of 2001 for her documentary CLEANERS AND I in Estonian embassy in Paris.
Maciej Adamek (Poland) with I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU and Ulrika Bengts (Finland) with NOW YOU ARE HAMLET won the Grand Prix. Both received the red hand-woven Estonian blanket in 2003. 
In 2003 Estonian People's Award was received by Nicolas Philibert (France) for the film TO BE AND TO HAVE. 
Johan Palmgren (Sweden) earned the title of best film of the festival with his love story EBBA AND TORGNY. 
Lars Westman (Denmark) with wonderful film DO YOU LOVE ME? won the Estonian People's Award in 2005. 
Kazuyo Minamide (Japan) was awarded for the best scientific documentation for her film CIRCUMCISION IN TRANSITION in 2006. 
Yoram Honig (Israel) was the winner of the Estonian People's Award in 2007, with dramatic documentary FIRST LESSON OF PEACE. 
Andrzey Dybcak (Poland) received prize in 2008 for the best artistic achievement with his film GUGARA. 
In 2009, the prize for the best environmental film was received by the director of TOXIC PLAYGROUND, film maker William Johansson (Sweden) and shared the award with his co-author Lars Edman. 
In 2010, the best Estonian film OLD MAN AND THE MOOSE was created by Joosep Matjus. 
Mika Hotakainen (Finland) received the Grand Prize of the festival for his and Joonas Berghäll's documentary STEAM OF LIFE. 
The Grand Prize of 2011 for the best artistic achievement was received by Jerzy Sladkowski (Sweden), author of VODKA FACTORY. The prize was shared with TEACHER IRENA by Itamar Chen (Israel). 
Swedish film makers Håkan Pienikowski and Kåge Jonsson won the Estonian People's Award with the film ONCE THERE WAS LOVE. The blanket was large enough to heat two men together. 
Hanna Polak (Poola) võitis 2015.aasta Eesti Rahva Auhinna filmiga "Midagi paremat on tulekul" Hanna Polak (Poland) won the Estonian People's Award for her doc SOMETHING BETTER TO COME in 2015. 
Knutte Wester (Sweden) was a winner of the Estonian People's Award in 2017, for his documentary animation A BASTARD CHILD 
Main character dr. Erik Erichsen of the film THE REBEL SURGEON by Erik Gandini (Sweden), received Estonian People's Award in 2018.
AWARDS OF THE PÄRNU FILM FESTIVAL
Winners of the GRAND PRIZE – the best film of the festival:
2023 – !AITSA vy Dane Dodds (Denmark)
2022 – THE WAKEFUL SLEEPER by Boris van der Avoort (Belgium)
2021 – A MAN AND A CAMERA by Guido Hendrikx (The Netherlands)
2020 – ANIMAL IMAGE by Perttu Saksa (Finland)
2019 – SUMMA by Andrei Kutsila (Belarus/Poland)
2018 – OF FATHERS AND SONS by Talal Derki (Germany/Syria/Lebanon/Qatar)
2017 – DEAD WHEN I GOT HERE by Mark Aitken (Mexico/UK)
2016 – WEDDING: A FILM by Mohammadreza Farzad (Iran)
2015 – THOSE WHO FEEL THE FIRE BURNING by Morgan Knibbe (The Netherlands)
2014 – RAMIN by Audrius Stonys (Latvia)
2013 – THE LAST STATION by Cristian Soto and Catalina Vergara (Chili)
2012 – WITH FIDEL WHATEVER HAPPENS by Goran Radovanovic (Serbia)
2011 – TEACHER IRENA by Itamar Chen (Israel);
VODKA FACTORY by Jerzy Skladkowski (Sweden);
2010 – STEAM OF LIFE by Joonas Berghäll and Mika Hotakainen (Finland);
2009 – LEFT BEHIND by Fabian Daub and Andreas Gräfenstein (Germany);
2008 – GUGARA by Andrzej Dybczak and Jacek Naglowski (Poland);
2007 – THE SEEDS by Wojsiech Kasperski (Poland);
2006 – BEFORE FLYING TO THE EARTH by Arunas Matelis (Lithuania);
2005 – THE 3 ROOMS OF MELANCHOLIA by Pirjo Honkasalo (Finland);
2004 – EBBA AND TORGNY by Johan Palmgren (Sweden);
2003 – NOW YOU ARE HAMLET by Ulrika Bengts (Finland);
2002 – I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU UNTIL I DIE by Maciej Adamek (Poland);
2001 – KUSUM by Jouko Aaltonen (Finland);
2000 – IN SEARCH OF SHANGRI-LA by Wen Pu Lin (China);
1999 – THE ARTIST’S LIFE by Lasse Naukkarinen (Finland);
1998 – GAIA’S CHILDREN by Bente Milton (Denmark);
1997 – PORTAL TO PEACE by Thomas Stenderup (Denmark);
1996 – PARADISE by Sergei Dvortsevoy (Russia);
1995 – EVALD’S ACRE by Kersti Uibo (Estonia/UK);
1994 – LIVING ON THE AGANO RIVER by Makoto Sato (Japan);
1993 – TAIGA NOMADS by Heimo Lappalainen (Finland);
1992 – A VISIT by Kari Happonen (Finland);
1991 – THE ALLOTMENT GARDEN by Lise Roos (Denmark);
1990 – SONG OF HARMONICS by Hugo Zemp (France);
1989 – CROSS-STREET by Ivars Seleckis (Latvia);
1988 – VIDAROSEN by Jon Jerstad (Norway);
1987 – WINTER IN ICE CAMP by Asen Balikci (Canada).
Winners of the Estonian People’s Awards:
2023 – NO HERO AT ALL by Michal Kawecki (Poland)
2022 – TALES OF A TOY HORSE by Ulyana Osovska (Ukraine/Estonia)
2021- THE SCHOOL OF HOPE by Mohamed El Aboud (Morocco/Finland)
2020 – MY DEAR MOTHER by Paul-Anders Simma (Finland)
2019 – BUDDY by Heddy Honigmann (The Netherlands)
2018 – REBEL SURGEON by Erik Gandini (Sweden)
2017 – A BASTARD CHILD by Knutte Wester (Sweden)
2016 – MUSSA by Anat Goren (Israel)
2015 – SOMETHING BETTER TO COME by Hanna Polak (Denmark)
2014 – MERCY MERCY by Katrine Riis Kjaer (Denmark)
2013 – ROMAN POLANSKI: A FILM MEMOIRE by Laurent Bouzereau (Switzerland)
2012 – ONCE THERE WAS LOVE by Kage Jonsson and Hakan Pieniowski (Sweden)
2011 – VILLAGE WITHOUT WOMEN by Srdjan Sarenac (Serbia);
2010 – A GOOD MAN by Safina Uberoi (Australia);
2009 – FLYING WITH ONE ENGINE by Josuha Weinstein (USA);
2008 – MOTHER by Antoine Cattin (France) and Pavel Kostomarov (Russia);
2007 – FIRST LESSON IN PEACE by Yoram Honig (Israel);
2006 – THE DEVIL’S MINER by Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson (Germany);
2005 – DO YOU LOVE ME? by Lars Westman (Sweden);
2004 – MY FLESH AND BLOOD by Jonathan Karsh (USA);
2003 – TO BE AND TO HAVE by Nicolas Philibert (France);
2002 – NARROW IS THE GATE by Kersti Uibo (Estonia/UK);
2001 – CLEANERS AND I by Agnes Varda (France);
2000 – GRANDFATHERS AND REVOLUTIONS by Peter Hegedus (Australia);
1999 – SALTMEN OF TIBET by Ulrike Koch (Switzerland).
On the photo: Ville Niemi (on the left), author of ″World´s Fire″, one of the two Best Student Docs and Paul-Andres Simma, winner of the Estonian People´s Award for his film ″My Dear Mother″
Winners of the 34th Pärnu Film Festival
NATIONWIDE COMPETITION ON ESTONIAN TELEVISION
Theme: Human Rights Naked
MY DEAR MOTHER by Paul-Anders Simma (Finland)
The Estonian People´s Award as voted by the TV-audience
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
ANIMAL IMAGE by Perttu Saksa (Finland)
Grand Prize of the festival as the best artistic achievement
THEN COMES THE EVENING by Maja Novaković (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Special Mention of the International Jury
THE TOUGH by Marcin Polar (Poland)
Best Short Doc in the category of Between Life and Death
PRIPYAT PIANO by Eliška Cílková (Czech Republic)
Special mention in the category of Between Life and Death
Members of the International Jury:
Andrei Kutsila
Jaan Tootsen
Kersti Uibo
Liis Nimik
Lukas Berger
Mário Gajo de Carvalho
Mark Aitken
COMPETITION FOR THE BEST ART DOCUMENTARY
ASAK by Mahdi Zamanpour Kiasari (Iran)
Best Art Doc
Members of the Jury from the Estonian Art Museum KUMU:
Mare Pedanik
Sirje Helme
Eda Tuulberg
COMPETITION FOR THE BEST SCIENTIFIC DOCUMENTARY
WHAT IF BABEL WAS JUST A MYTH? by Sandrine Loncke (France)
Members of the Jury:
Kira Jääskeläinen
Garri Raagmaa
Karl Pajusalu
COMPETITION FOR THE BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY
WORLD’S FIRE by Ville Niemi (Finland)
FUCK, IT’S BIOLOGY by Veronica Andersson (Sweden/Poland)
Best Doc by Student (both)
As voted by the students of Baltic Film and Media School