Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival: Misericordia Wins Grand Prix Award (Complete Winners List)

At the Award Ceremony of the 27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), awards were presented to the winners of the festival’s five competition programmes and PÖFF’s youth and children’s film sub-festival Just Film.

The jury of the Official Selection Competition, headed by Trine Dyrholm, selected Emma Dante’s drama Misericordia as their favourite, handing the film the Grand Prix for Best Film. 

Dante adapted her own play of the same name, telling the story of three prostitutes who live in the wasteland by the sea, where a village of outcasts has emerged. Its star Simone Zambelli also scooped the Best Actor Award.


The jury commented on the film with the following statement: “A powerful film about how to stay supportive and, above all, exhibit humanity in a marginalised environment. Beautifully directed, shot and acted, the Best Film Award goes to Misericordia.” 

The Best Director Award went toManuel Martín Cuenca for Andrea’s Love.
The jury praised the director “for his ability to direct a human story told with respect, heart and flair for its characters and their circumstances.” The film also received the Best Script Award.

More from Deadline

Complete winners list here:

OFFICIAL SELECTION – COMPETITION

Grand Prix for the Best Film
Misericordia | Italy, 2023. director: Emma Dante; producer: Marica Stocchi

Best Director
Andrea’s Love | Spain, 2023. director: Manuel Martín Cuenca

Best Cinematography
Goert Giltay for Natasha’s Dance | Netherlands, 2023. director: Jos Stelling

Best Script
Manuel Martín Cuenca (director) & Lola Mayo (screenwriter) for
Andrea’s Love |Spain, 2023

Best Actor
Simone Zambelli 
for Misericordia | Italy, 2023. director: Emma Dante

Best Actress (shared)
Lubna Azabal for 
Amal 
| Belgium, 2023. director: Jawad Rhalib

Kim Higelin for 
Consent | France, 2023. director: Vanessa Filho

Best Original Score
David Van Keer, Birger Embrechts
 for 
The Magnet Man | Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Netherlands, 2023. director: Gust Van den Berghe

Best Production Design
Patient #1  | Georgia, 2023. director: Rezo Gigineishvili

FIRST FEATURE COMPETITION

Best Film Award
The Moon is Upside Down | 2023, New Zealand, director: Loren Taylor; producers Philippa Campbell and Georgina Conder. 

Special Jury Prize #1
Mo Mamma | 2023, Estonia, director: Eeva Mägi

Special Jury Prize #2
Tentigo | 2023, Sri Lanka/India, dir: Ilango Ram

REBELS WITH A CAUSE COMPETITION PROGRAMME

The Award for Best Film
award for Director and Producer
Five and a Half Love Stories in an Apartment in Vilnius, Lithuania | 2023, Lithuania, Ireland, Latvia, director: Tomas Vengris, producer: Uljana Kim

The Award for Best Director
I Trust You  | Argentina, 2023. director:  Agustín Toscano

Award for Best Rebel with a Cause Short Film
Element | director: Will Niava. Côte d’Ivoire, 2023.

Audience Award
Once Again (For The Very First Time) | US, 2023. director Boaz Yakin

CRITICS’ PICKS COMPETITION PROGRAMME

The Award for Best Film
award for director and producer

The Land Where Winds Stood Still | Kazakhstan, 2023,  director:  Ardak Amirkulov

The Award for Best Director
Great Sertão |  Brazil, 2023,  director:  Guel Arraes

Special Jury Mention
The Milky Way | Israel, France 2023,  director: Maya Kenig  

BALTIC FILM COMPETITION

The Award for Best Baltic Film
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood | Estonia, France, Iceland 2023,  director: Anna Hints; producer: Marianne Ostrat

The Award for Best Baltic Producer for Co-production
Slow Lithuania, Spain, Sweden, 2023, director and producer: Marija Kavtaradze

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.