‘Pop Pop,’ ‘Kidney’ and ‘Sounds of the Desert’: Tallinn Sets Rebels With a Cause, Critics’ Picks Programs

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has revealed the Rebels With a Cause and Critics’ Pics Competition programs for its 30th edition, taking place Nov. 6-22, including its Baltic Film Competition. The 2026 Rebels With a Cause Competition will screen nine world premieres that explore “unconventional approaches to filmmaking,” organizers of the Estonian fest said on Wednesday. Curated by Javier Garcia Puerto, the program has been celebrating filmmakers who challenge cinematic conventions, bringing together emerging voices and established directors. Among this year’s lineup is Lithuanian filmmaker Emilija Škarnulytė’s Sounds of the Desert, a Lithuanian-Norwegian co-production, which extends the presence of Baltic cinema beyond PÖFF’s regional competition, and Dylan Stephen Levers’ debut feature Pop Pop from the U.S. The latter is described by the festival as “a mash-up of viral meme culture and social media references, set in a makeup digital environment with a retrofuturistic aesthetic, [that] makes us dive into the complex layers of toxic masculinity, cancel culture, and radical positioning, going beyond the standards of black comedy.” Meanwhile, curated by Nikolaj Nikitin, the Critics’ Picks Competition will present 10 world premieres from emerging and established filmmakers. The section is designed to highlight “films with a clear artistic vision that explore genre conventions while engaging in dialogue with film history.” This year’s selection features productions and co-productions from Japan, China, Morocco, Mexico and Uruguay, alongside European titles. Estonia is represented by Eeva Mägi’s Mo Amor. Check out the full lineups for the PÖFF Rebels With a Cause and Critics’ Picks Competition below. Critics’ Picks Competition Apart (Cyprus, United Kingdom, Greece) – dir. Stelana KlirisIOU (China) – dir. Steven Zhang ZhonghuaJimoto Loop (Japan) – dir. Masaya TsutsumiKidney (India) – dir. Aakarsh Sansanwal, Agrim SansanwalMo Amor (Estonia) – dir. Eeva MägiOne Month (Bulgaria, Romania, Spain) – dir. Maya Vitkova-KosevRahma (Türkiye, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy) – dir. Faysal SoysalThe Great Family (Mexico, Italy) – dir. Matías MeyerUntil Dawn (Morocco) – dir. Mohamed Zineddaine, Rachida Saadi, Matilde BonnesWhen I Existed (Uruguay, Spain) – dir. Alejandro Damiani, Martin Avdolov Rebels With a Cause Aroma (Republic of Korea, USA, France) – dir. Xue MaArrow for a Stone Heart (Brazil) – dir. Luiza CalagianBeril_XXX (Türkiye) – dir. Can EvrenolIrreparable (Colombia) – dir. Klych LópezLamb (Spain) – dir. Christian Checa, Sol PicóNight Vision (Belgium) – dir. Christopher YatesPop Pop (USA) – dir. Dylan Stephen LeversSounds of the Desert (Lithuania, Norway) – dir. Emilija ŠkarnulytėThe Two Hornets (Slovakia) – dir. Dominik György