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Silent City Driver Photo: Courtesy of Poff Mongolian drama Silent City Driver won the Grand Prix for best film in Tallinn Black Nights' Official Selection yesterday. The film, directed by Sengedorj Janchivdorj follows a hearse driver as he navigates his life.

The best director prize went to Nir Bergman's Israeli drama Pink Lady, which charts a marriage in an ultra-orthodox community that is rocked by a revelation, while Turkish drama Empire Of The Rabbits, by director Seyfettin Tokmak, won the cinematography and screenplay awards.

German director Steve Bache took the best first feature award for his coming-of-age drama No Dogs Allowed, with the prize for best Baltic film going to Lithuanian drama The Southern Chronicles, directed by Ignas Miškinis. Indian drama Pyre from director Vinod Kapri won the audience award. Diego Figueroa won the prize for best director in the First Feature section for his Chilean thriller A Yard of Jackals.

The 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has announced its winners, with Silent City Driver from Mongolian director Sengedorj Janchivdorj taking home the Grand Prix for best film in the official selection, along with the best production design honor for Munkhbat Shirnen.

The film follows a 32-year-old man who, after serving 14 years in prison for his involvement in a murder case, emerges to face societal rejection and health challenges from a prison beating, finding solace only in caring for stray dogs. The festival jury praised Silent City Driver as “a dark fairy tale from Mongolia” that broke new ground with its unique cinematic style.

German drama No Dogs Allowed by director Steve Bache took the best feature award, with Southern Chronicles from Lithuanian helmer Ignas Miškinis winning the prize for best Baltic film. Indian drama Pyre from director Vinod Kapri scooped the festival’s audience award.

Pirjo Lonka and Elina Knihtilä...

By Milani Perera

Vinod Kapri, renowned for his powerful portrayal of society’s overlooked individuals, returns with a profound meditation on love, loss, and isolation in “Pyre“. Kapri’s latest work shines with a poignant intensity that echoes his impactful films “1232 KMs” (2015) and “Pihu” (2016). Premiering at the 28th Black Night’s Film Festival, “Pyre” is a moving exploration of an elderly couple’s fragile existence in a remote Himalayan village, delving deep into the depths of their love and the weight of their loss.

Pyre is screening at Tallinn Black Nights

Padam Singh (Padam Singh) and Tulsi (Heera Devi), an 80-year-old couple, remain in a world that the younger generation has abandoned. Their days pass in quiet routines, their loneliness masked by fleeting moments of humour. Haunted by the absence of their son, their hope is reignited by a letter promising his return. When he finally arrives, the reunion shatters their expectations,...

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) has selected a further 14 features, including 11 world premieres, to complete the lineup of its Official Selection Competition.

The new titles include the world premiere of Serhii Kastornykh’s Ukrainian feature The Mousetrap. Shot during a break between Kastornykh’s military service periods, the film follows a soldier trapped alone in a bunker on the frontline of the Russian war.

Scroll down for the full list of Poff Official Selection Competition titles

Also selected is the world premiere of Juris Kursietis’ third feature The Exalted, in which a world-renowned German organist uncovers her Latvian husband...