Mongolian drama Silent City Driver wins Grand Prix at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024

24 November 2024 | Source

Mongolian film Silent City Driver won the Grand Prix at the 2024 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Estonia). Directed by Sengedorj Janchivdorj, the drama also earned Best Production Design. Israeli and Palestinian films received awards, while Lana Gogoberidze was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Catalonia will be the 2025 Country in Focus.

The 2024 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) in Estonia concluded with a poignant awards ceremony, crowning Silent City Driver by Mongolian director Sengedorj Janchivdorj as the Grand Prix winner for Best Film. The jury praised the film’s originality, calling it a “dark fairy tale” that captivated them from its opening frame. The €20,000 prize was shared by the director and producers Ganbaatar Narantsetseg, Naranbat Bayasgalan, and Bold Ganbat. Production designer Munkhbat Shirnen also received the Best Production Design award for his work on the film.

Set against the backdrop of contemporary Mongolia, Silent City Driver tells the story of a hearse driver who seeks redemption by aiding the daughter of a blind coffin maker. The film premiered in the festival’s Official Selection Competition.

Conflict Reflected in Awards Speeches:

This year’s festival highlighted the ongoing global conflicts, with award speeches echoing themes of hope and solidarity. Israeli director Nir Bergman won Best Director for Pink Lady, a film about the complex relationships within an ultra-Orthodox Jewish marriage. In his acceptance speech, Bergman called for the release of Israeli hostages and an end to the Gaza war. His sentiments were mirrored by screenwriter Mindi Ehrlich, who accompanied him on stage.

Farah Nabulsi, awarded the Dennis Davidson Spotlight Award for The Teacher, used her platform to address the crisis in Gaza. Nabulsi described the situation as a “genocide” and commended the festival for showcasing art with urgent political relevance.

Other Major Winners:

Best Script and Cinematography: Turkish drama Empire of the Rabbits by Seyfettin Tokmak won two prizes.
Best Actress: Finnish stars Elina Knihtilä and Pirjo Lonka shared the Best Actress award for 100 Liters of Gold.
Best Actor: Hyo Je Lee was recognized for his role in South Korea’s The Loop.
First Feature Competition: German film No Dogs Allowed, directed by Steve Bache, took the top prize for its sensitive exploration of online grooming.

Baltic filmmakers also received recognition. Lithuanian-Estonian co-production The Southern Chronicles won Best Baltic Film, while Drowning Dry earned Laurynas Bareisa the Best Baltic Director award.

Political and Historical Context:

96-year-old Georgian filmmaker Lana Gogoberidze received the Lifetime Achievement Award. In her speech, she emphasized the importance of solidarity amidst geopolitical tensions, referencing Russia’s ongoing influence in Ukraine and Georgia. The ceremony ended with an announcement of Catalonia as the 2025 Country in Focus.

Complete List of Awards: Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024

Official Selection Competition

Grand Prix for Best Film:
"Silent City Driver" (Mongolia) / Sengedorj Janchivdorj

Best Director:
Nir Bergman for Pink Lady (Israel)

Best Production Design:
Munkhbat Shirnen for Silent City Driver (Mongolia)

Best Score:
Alyana Cabral, Moe Cabral for Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (Philippines-Italy-Singapore)

Best Actress:
Pirjo Lonka and Elina Knihtila (shared) for 100 Liters of Gold (Finland-Italy)

Best Actor:
Hyo Je Lee for The Loop (South Korea)

Best Script:
Seyfettin Tokmak for Empire of the Rabbits (Turkey-Mexico-Croatia)

Best Cinematography:
Claudia Becerril Bulos for Empire of the Rabbits (Turkey-Mexico-Croatia)

First Feature Competition

Best Film:
"No Dogs Allowed" (Germany) / Steve Bache

Best Director:
Diego Figueroa for A Yard of Jackals (Chile)

Jury Special Prize for Director:
Edgardo Pistone for Ciao Bambino (Italy)

Jury Special Prize for the Cast:
"Mongrels" (Canada) / Jerome Yoo

Baltic Film Competition

Best Film:
"The Southern Chronicles" (Lithuania-Estonia) / Ignas Miskinis

Best Director:
Laurynas Bareisa for Drowning Dry (Lithuania-Latvia)

Rebels with a Cause

Best Film:
"Protected Men" (Germany) / Irene von Alberti

Best Director:
Ruiqi Lu for Contact Lens (China)

Short Film:
"Additional Scenes" (Ukraine) / Romain Khimei, Yarema Malashchuk

Critics’ Picks

Best Film:
"The Brothers Kitaura" (Japan) / Masaki Tsujino

Special Mention:
"Fishgirl" (Ecuador) / Javier Cutrona

Best Director:
Dechen Roder for I, The Song (Bhutan-Norway-Italy-France)

Doc@PÖFF

Best Film:
"The Watchman" (France-Belgium) / Victoire Bonin, Lou de Pontavice

Special Jury Prize:
"Black Gold" (Portugal) / Takashi Sugimoto

Best Cinematography:
Linas Ziura for Murmuring Hearts (Lithuania-France-Norway)

JustFilm

Junior Jury Best Film:
"Niko – Beyond The Northern Lights" (Finland-Germany-Ireland-Denmark) / Kari Juusonen

Children’s Jury Best Film:
"I Accidentally Wrote a Book" (Hungary-Netherlands) / Nora Lakos

Youth Jury Best Film:
"Kontra" (Denmark) / Jonas Risvig

Young Filmmakers Jury Award:
"40 Days For Inge" (Estonia) / Betra Kasper

ECFA Award Jury:
"Living Large" (Czech Republic-France-Slovakia) / Kristina Dufkova

International Jury:
"Kontra" (Denmark) / Jonas Risvig

Other Awards

Audience Award:
"Pyre" (India) / Vinod Kapri

Dennis Davidson Spotlight Award:
"The Teacher" (UK-Qatar-Palestine) / Farah Nabulsi

Fipresci Award:
"Mongrels" (Canada) / Jerome Yoo

Lifetime Achievement Award:
Lana Gogoberidze (Georgia)