Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival unveils its 2026 Black Nights Stars cohort for the program’s landmark tenth anniversary

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has officially announced the ten emerging actors selected for the 2026 edition of its Black Nights Stars talent showcase. Taking place from November 16 to 21 in the Estonian capital, the program serves as a cornerstone of the festival’s Discovery Campus, which is hosted under the umbrella of the Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event. This year marks a decade of the initiative, which has consistently functioned as a vital bridge between regional talent and the international film market.

A Decade of Cultivating Baltic and Nordic Talent

Since its inception ten years ago, the Black Nights Stars program has evolved from a local showcase into a significant professional development hub for actors working across the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions. For the 2026 edition, the festival expanded its reach by opening applications to performers from Iceland and Norway for the first time, signaling a broader strategic commitment to pan-Nordic cultural integration.

The selection process was rigorous, drawing over 200 applications submitted via the professional casting platform etalenta. The final ten participants were chosen by a high-profile international jury of casting directors and industry experts, including Pauline Hansson (Sweden), Nina Haun (Germany), Yngvill Kolset Haga (Norway), Anders Nygaard (Denmark), and Lana Veenker (USA), president of the International Casting Directors Association (ICDA). Joining them were talent agents Janey van Ierland from the Netherlands and Richard Cook from the United Kingdom.

The 2026 Cohort: Profiles and Professional Trajectories

The selected actors represent a diverse range of artistic backgrounds, spanning film, television, and avant-garde theater. Their work reflects the evolving nature of European cinema, moving between Sámi-language dramas, gritty crime thrillers, and independent experimental projects.

Joonas Koff (Estonia)
Koff is a recognizable face in Estonian cinema, having made his mark as a child actor in the feature film The Fencer. His career trajectory has since matured through roles in Sisu 2: Road to Revenge and his performance in the 2027 Oscar-contending Estonian film Our Erika. Currently, Koff is focusing on theater, working with Ene-Liis Semper at the Ekspeditsioon company to explore new modes of performance.

Rūta Jonikaitė (Lithuania)
Recognized for her breakout role in the feature drama Night Screening, Jonikaitė was a 2024 nominee for the Lithuanian Golden Stage Cross Award. Beyond her screen work, she has pivoted toward the performance art world, specifically cabaret, where she integrates movement, music, and storytelling to push the boundaries of traditional acting. Her latest film, Oblivion, is set to premiere at this year’s PÖFF.

Gunnbjörn Gunnarsson (Iceland)
As the first Icelandic actor to join the program, Gunnarsson brings a unique perspective on storytelling. Having written and starred in the acclaimed short film Showers, he is currently preparing for the release of Torpedo, a film exploring the complex, often dark realities of youth violence in contemporary Reykjavík.

Mina Dale (Norway)
Dale’s portfolio is extensive, featuring roles in the vampire series Heirs of the Night and the romantic documentary feature The Cycle of Love. Her recent commitment to the Norwegian medical drama LIS saw her undergo intensive immersion training with emergency medical staff, a testament to the methodological approach common among this year’s cohort.

Jarmo Reha (Estonia)
A staple of the "MO" movement of unscripted, low-budget films, Reha won the 2026 Estonian Film and TV Award for his role in Mo Papa. His latest collaboration with director Eeva Mägi, Mo Amor, is set to premiere at PÖFF in the Critics’ Picks program, marking his transition into more nuanced, gender-diverse storytelling.

Hubert Miłkowski (Poland)
With a filmography that includes Netflix’s The Woods and the award-winning Norwegian Dream, Miłkowski is one of the most commercially established actors in the group. His upcoming projects demonstrate a high level of physical versatility, ranging from an alpinist to a fighter pilot, further expanding his international profile.

Kathy Etoa (Switzerland/Germany)
Based in Berlin, Etoa has appeared in high-profile projects such as the Netflix film 23,000 Lives. She is currently focused on work that interrogates historical and social memory, particularly through her upcoming stage production Drei Geister oder: Der Fall Schwerte, which addresses post-WWII historical guilt.

Samuel Kujala (Finland)
A Jussi Award winner for his role in the music dramedy A Light That Never Goes Out, Kujala is a prominent figure in Nordic cinema. His upcoming participation in the crime thriller Dead Women Talking suggests a continued focus on prestige television that reflects contemporary social anxieties.

Estrid Gustafsson-Fjellheim (Sweden/Norway)
A bilingual performer with roots in the Sámi community, Gustafsson-Fjellheim has gained recognition for her work in the International Emmy-nominated series Oro jaska — Shut Up. Her upcoming role in the film Porslin continues her commitment to Indigenous storytelling within the Scandinavian film landscape.

Eduards Johansons (Latvia)
Johansons has demonstrated notable range, from portraying Joseph Stalin in the surrealist thriller The Year Before the War to more traditional Shakespearean stage work. His involvement in upcoming Latvian streaming miniseries signals a strategic move into the burgeoning digital media market in the Baltics.

Strategic Objectives and Industry Impact

The Black Nights Stars program is not merely an accolade; it is an intensive professionalization exercise. The selected actors will engage in curated workshops, masterclasses, and networking sessions with international casting directors and producers. The objective is clear: to facilitate a transition from regional recognition to international mobility.

"The goal is to provide these actors with the tools to navigate the global market," noted one festival organizer. "By connecting them directly with those who hold the keys to international casting, we are shortening the distance between talent and opportunity."

For the participants, the program offers a rare chance to step outside their national industries. As Samuel Kujala noted, "Every country develops its own assumptions about acting. Spending a week with fellow actors from different production cultures helps identify which habits are universal and which are merely local."

The Significance of the Tenth Anniversary

The tenth-anniversary edition arrives at a time of significant shift for the European film industry. With the rise of international streaming platforms, there is an increased demand for authentic, non-English-speaking talent that can command a global audience. The inclusion of Nordic and Baltic actors in programs like Black Nights Stars has proven to be a reliable pipeline for spotting the next generation of European crossover stars.

The awarding of the Black Nights Stars Discovery Campus ICDA Award serves as a seal of quality, recognized by casting directors worldwide. As the program enters its second decade, its impact is increasingly quantifiable through the professional success of its alumni, many of whom have gone on to secure major roles in international streaming productions and award-winning festival features.

Conclusion: A Launchpad for the Future

The 2026 cohort represents a generation of actors who are as comfortable in the intimate, unscripted environments of avant-garde cinema as they are in the high-stakes world of Netflix thrillers. By fostering these connections in Tallinn, the festival ensures that the creative energy of the Baltic and Nordic regions continues to influence the global cinematic conversation. As these ten actors converge in Estonia, they carry with them not only their individual ambitions but the potential to redefine the reach of their national film industries on the world stage.