PÖFF side-festival KinoFF will take place for the second time in three cities in the prominently Russian-speaking region Ida-Virumaa in Eastern Estonia. The region is on the eastern border with Russia, thus marking the eastern border of the European Union with Russia. Ida-Virumaa is also the historic centre of the country’s controversial oil shale mining industry - the central source of energy for the country.
Festival KinoFF holds special focus on Russian cinema. The programme will consist of around 15 films and the festival will invite some of the filmmakers to present their films in person or due to Covid-19 via internet. The programme, curated by the programmers at the Black Nights Film Festival, is currently under consideration.
From the 13th until the 29th November KinoFF holds screenings in the Apollo cinema of Narva, Concert Hall of Jõhvi and Cultural Center of Kohtla-Järve. Ida-Virumaa has seen the launch of several initiatives to boost film production: in 2013 the county launched Estonia’s first cash rebate initiative, the Viru Film Fund and a few years ago OBJEKT startup business incubator opens its doors, currently also offering studio facilities for post-production services.