We know Estonia
3.7.2023 | Culture

Pärnu Film Festival begins today

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Smoke Sauna Sisterhood

Pärnu Film Festival begins todayThe award-winning Smake Sauna Sisterhood is just one of the many documentaries that will be shown at Pärnu Film Festival.

 

Today, July 3, sees the beginning of the week-long Pärnu International Documentary and Science Film Festival. Between now and the end of the festival on July 9, a wide variety of different documentaries will be shown at the festival’s headquarters at Nikolai tänav 26 in Pärnu. Documentaries from the festival will also be shown on the national TV channel, ETV 2.

The festival, which came from an idea by Lennart Meri in 1987, is the oldest film festival in the Baltic States. Organised under the leadership of filmmaker Mark Soosaar, one of its main themes has always been the survival of indigenous peoples and their cultures.

In this spirit, the first two documentaries of the festival come from Ukraine. The XXXVII Pärnu Film Festival will begin this evening with the showing of the documentary “ROSES” by Irena Stetsenko, which will be shown this evening on ETV2 at 22:15. The formal opening of the festival taking place tomorrow evening, July 4, with the showing of Dziga Vertov’s “A MAN WITH CAMERA”.

The programme also includes social reflections on contemporary society, portraits of fascinating people and human relations, as well as films on music and art. In addition, there will be workshops and a programme of children’s and youth film competitions.

Between July 10-16 it will also be possible to watch films from the festival at various other locations around Estonia.

To find out more about the festival and the full programme of films, visit the official website here. Tickets and festival passes are available on Fienta

 

To learn more about this and similar topics
Culture Documentary Film Festival music Pärnu Pärnu Film Festival Science

5.6.2026 | Culture

Stencibility Once Again Creates New Urban Art for Tartu’s Streets

Stencibility Once Again Creates New Urban Art for Tartu’s Streets

Tartu will once again become an international hub of street art when the Stencibility Festival takes place in the university … Read more

5.6.2026 | Culture

Estonian Fashion Festival 2026

Estonian Fashion Festival 2026

The Estonian Fashion Festival is Estonia’s largest annual event dedicated to sustainable fashion. This year it will take place from … Read more

4.6.2026 | Culture

Jewels of the Serlachius Art Collection at the Magnificent Kadriorg Palace

Jewels of the Serlachius Art Collection at the Magnificent Kadriorg Palace

This summer, visitors strolling through Tallinn’s Kadriorg Park may be delighted to see Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s painting “Spring” fluttering on the … Read more

3.6.2026 | Culture

Kings of Leon Live in Tallinn

Kings of Leon Live in Tallinn

Kings of Leon are one of the biggest bands to come out of the early 21st century music scene in … Read more

2.6.2026 | Culture

Joy From Related Languages Across Borders

Joy From Related Languages Across Borders

  “Rõõmu sugulaskeeltest—Sukukielistä riemua”, or in English “Joy From Related Languages”, is a popular non-fiction book published in 2025 about … Read more

1.6.2026 | Culture

Exciting events in Estonia this week

Exciting events in Estonia this week

  1–7 June Baltic Pride 2026, Tallinn A full week of events celebrating Pride Week in the Baltics, with most … Read more

31.5.2026 | Culture

Summer Start Festival 2026

Summer Start Festival 2026

Tartu’s Summer Start Festival is in essence a double festival on 6 June in Tartu’s Song Festival Grounds. During the … Read more

30.5.2026 | Culture

Celebrating Midsummer in Estonia

Celebrating Midsummer in Estonia

Midsummer, known in Estonia as Jaanipäev, is celebrated in remarkably similar ways on both sides of the Gulf of Finland. … Read more