Tallinn Black Nights Stars Names 10 Actors for 2026 Edition
The 10th edition of the talent showcase runs Nov. 16-21 inside the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival's industry program.
Black Nights Stars has unveiled the 10 actors selected for its 2026 edition, which will run in Tallinn from Nov. 16 to Nov. 21, according to hollywoodreporter.com. The showcase sits within the Discovery Campus at the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival's Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event.
The 2026 program marks the 10th anniversary of Black Nights Stars. For the first time, applications from Iceland and Norway were invited, and more than 200 submissions arrived through the casting platform etalenta.
Participants will meet international casting directors, talent agents, producers and directors, and will take part in workshops and discussions. Each selected actor receives the Black Nights Stars Discovery Campus ICDA Award.
The group was chosen by an international jury of casting directors: Pauline Hansson, Nina Haun, Yngvill Kolset Haga, Anders Nygaard and Lana Veenker. Talent agents Janey van Ierland and Richard Cook also served on the jury.
Among the selected performers are Estonian actor Joonas Koff and Lithuanian actress Rūta Jonikaitė. Koff was cast in a leading role in the feature film The Fencer at age 13 and later appeared in Sisu 2: Road to Revenge and in Estonia's 2027 international Oscar submission Our Erika. Jonikaitė, after her first major screen role in Night Screening, was nominated in 2024 for Lithuania's Golden Stage Cross Award for best young actress for Victor, or Power to the Children.
Quick answers
When does the 2026 Black Nights Stars program take place?
It runs in Tallinn from Nov. 16 to Nov. 21, 2026.
Which actors were selected for Black Nights Stars 2026?
Ten actors were chosen, including Estonian actor Joonas Koff and Lithuanian actress Rūta Jonikaitė.
Who selected the 2026 Black Nights Stars?
An international jury of casting directors Pauline Hansson, Nina Haun, Yngvill Kolset Haga, Anders Nygaard and Lana Veenker, plus talent agents Janey van Ierland and Richard Cook.