Part of the Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) the international short film and animation festival PÖFF Shorts is one of the biggest short film and animation festivals in the region. The festival’s mission is to showcase the best animated and live action short films of all genres from cutting-edge talents and bold visionaries across the world.
An Academy Award qualifying festival, PÖFF Shorts hosts three internationally recognised competition programmes: the international competitions for live action and animation with their respective student competitions called New Talents, as well as the PÖFF Shorts National Competition designed to provide a platform for Estonian filmmakers and animators.
As of the 2019 edition, PÖFF Shorts is a member of the European Film Academy (EFA), choosing one short film from its competition as a candidate for the European Film Awards short film category.
PÖFF Shorts is also a BAFTA-qualifying festival and a part of the Short Film Conference.
Started in 1997, the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has grown into one of the biggest film festivals in Northern Europe and busiest regional industry platforms, hosting more than 1000 guests and industry delegates and over 160 journalists. The festival screens around 250 features and more than 300 shorts and animations and sees an attendance of 80 000 people annually.
As of 2014 the festival holds the FIAPF accreditation for holding an international competition programme which puts the festival into the so- called A-category of film festivals, alongside other 14 festivals in the world.