In the spring of 2025, the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) and its sub-festival Just Film, in cooperation with Kinomaja Film School, launched Estonia’s first film education network. Film is a natural form of expression and a cultural language for young people, something they engage with every day. Yet film education currently reaches schools and hobby schools rather sporadically — often depending on individual enthusiasts, isolated projects, or festivals. To build a stronger and more sustainable foundation, we initiated the Estonian Film Education Network.

The youth and children's film festival Just Film attracted almost 17,000 visitors from all over Estonia last year. The festival featured 168 screenings in Tallinn and Tartu, including 5 world premieres and 6 international premieres. In addition, the program was filled with numerous other amazing films, representing a wide variety of genres and themes. Over 200 film guests attended, and a total of more than 76 films were screened.

At Just Film 2024, the audience's favorite film was Meel Paliale's „Rolling Papers”, which tells the story of Estonian youth dreaming of a better life and searching for their place in a complicated world.

Just Film 2024 gave Saku Gymnasium's 6th grade a thrilling opportunity to step into the world of film critics. 25 students and their teacher Keyt Vainola took part in a true film marathon during the festival.

On Saturday, November 23rd, at the prestigious awards gala of the Black Nights Film Festival held at the Alexela Concert Hall, the jury announced the films deemed the best. For the first time in history, the Grand Prix is awarded to a film where the opinions of the youth jury and the international jury align. Read more to discover this year’s best youth and children’s films, who was named the best "young filmmaker," and who will take home the Grand Prix award worth €3,000!