Since 2021, Black Nights Film Festival and Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event have proudly partnered with the renowned Marché du Film event "Goes to Cannes" to spotlight exceptional international film projects in post-production.

CALL FOR PROJECTS: PÖFF GOES TO CANNES

Application deadline: February 20, 2026

Black Nights Film Festival invites producers to submit works-in-progress fiction feature films for PÖFF Goes to Cannes, to be showcased during the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival.

Selected projects will be presented in a 110’ market screening slot at Palais K (147 seats) on Friday, May 15 (16:15–18:05), and in the Online Market screening.

About the projects

PÖFF Goes to Cannes is intended for films that are finishing shooting or in post-production and will be completed for international premieres from late summer to early autumn 2026.
Projects do not need to be completed by the Cannes official selection deadline and are not expected to premiere at Cannes.

Eligibility

• Full-length fiction features only (no documentaries or animation)
• Projects in late production or post-production
• Films with international market potential, seeking a sales agent
• Projects not previously presented at other works-in-progress pitchings
• Open to projects from all countries and all genres

Presentation format

• 1–3 scenes from the film (total 10 minutes)
• Short pitch about the project (no Q&A)
• Scenes must have English subtitles
• No trailers, teasers, or promo reels

Priority consideration will be given to projects previously presented at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, Script Pool, or European Genre Forum.

Awards

Selected projects compete for:
The Goes to Cannes Award(Sideral Cinema): €10,000 MG
Ciné+ OCS Award: €15,000, for French co-productions securing a French distributor within three years of Cannes 2026

Awards will be presented during the PÖFF Goes to Cannes Lunch (Monday, May 18 – time & location TBC).

Practical information

Submission deadline: February 20, 2026
One Marché du Film market badge provided per project
Travel and accommodation at the participants’ own expense

For questions, please contact: triin.tramberg@poff.ee

FILL IN THE SUBMISSION FORM HERE

During the submission process, you will be asked to log in with your Black Nights Film Festival account or sign up if you do not already have one.

When submitting the project you will be asked to fill in the following lines:

• Clips for project evaluation: A rough cut selection of at least 3 scenes, minimum total duration 10 minutes. Work-in-progress material is accepted. Scenes must include English subtitles.
• Short synopsis
• Filmmaker bio
• Pitch deck
• Promotional video clips (for marketing use):
• 3 short video clips per project, each 5–10 seconds, in .mp4 or .mov format. These clips will be used for PÖFF Goes to Cannes promotional content, including Instagram.
• Promotional still
• One high-quality still from the film, suitable for use in marketing and communication materials.
• Social media links – Links to the film’s and/or production company’s social media accounts, so we can tag and cross-promote selected projects.