Ten emerging actors from across the Baltic and Nordic regions are set to receive international attention as the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) announces its 2026 Black Nights Stars selection. Bringing together performers from 10 countries, this year’s showcase coincides with two significant milestones: the programme’s 10th anniversary and the festival’s 30th edition.
Selected from a record pool of more than 200 applications submitted through casting platform etalenta, the ten actors will gather in Tallinn from November 16 to 21, 2026. Their participation forms part of Discovery Campus at Industry Tallinn & Baltic Event, where they will have opportunities to meet international casting directors, talent agents, producers and filmmakers. The 2026 selection also marks a first for Black Nights Stars, with performers from Iceland and Norway invited to apply for the programme for the first time.
The lineup features Mina Dale, Kathy Etoa, Gunnbjörn Gunnarsson, Estrid Gustafsson-Fjellheim, Eduards Johansons, Rūta Jonikaitė, Joonas Koff, Samuel Kujala, Hubert Miłkowski and Jarmo Reha. Their backgrounds span international productions, award-winning independent films, regional cinema and theatre, offering a snapshot of the range of talent working across the Baltic and Nordic screen industries.
One of the distinctive career journeys in this year’s selection belongs to Kathy Etoa, a Swiss German actress born in Cameroon. She moved to Berlin in 2021 to pursue acting after initially training and working in the insurance industry. Her screen credits include the German television series WaPo Berlin, Supermad, The Total Dream and the Netflix film 23 000 Lives. Etoa has also developed her stage experience, playing the lead role in What You’ll Find on the Way to Becoming at Schauspielhaus Zürich in 2025.
Norwegian actress Mina Dale brings experience across film, television and theatre. She made her television debut at the age of 16 in the fantasy drama Heirs of the Night and subsequently appeared in Everything You Love, Requiem for Selina and the feature film Fuckings Bygda. Her recent work includes The Cycle of Love, directed by Orlando von Einsiedel, in which she plays the younger version of Lotta. The documentary feature follows P.K. Mahanandia’s extraordinary bicycle journey from India to Sweden to reunite with his love.
Estonia’s Joonas Koff has an early connection to internationally recognised cinema. At just 13, he landed a leading role in The Fencer, directed by Klaus Härö. The film received a Golden Globe nomination and was shortlisted for an Academy Award. Koff graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in 2026 and has also gained experience working on Sisu 2: Road to Revenge.
Finland’s Samuel Kujala enters the programme after securing one of the country’s notable acting honours. He won the 2026 Jussi Award for Best Leading Actor for his performance in A Light That Never Goes Out. The film premiered in the ACID section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival before receiving an international theatrical release. Polish actor Hubert Miłkowski also arrives with an established screen résumé, including credits in Netflix’s The Woods, Operation Hyacinth and Norwegian Dream. His performance in the latter earned him the Best Actor award at the Iris Prize.
The selection also highlights distinctive filmmaking movements emerging from the region. Estonian actor Jarmo Reha won the 2026 EFTA Award for Best Actor in Film for Mo Papa. He has collaborated with filmmaker Eeva Mägi on three films: Mo Papa, Mo Amor and Mo Hunt. The projects are part of Estonia’s distinctive MO movement, recognised for its super-low-budget and unscripted approach to filmmaking.
Elsewhere in the lineup, Swedish-Norwegian actress Estrid Gustafsson-Fjellheim has appeared in the Sámi-language series Oro jaska – Shut Up. Latvian actor Eduards Johansons featured in Flesh, Blood, Even a Heart, which premiered in PÖFF’s Baltic Film Competition in 2025. Lithuanian actress Rūta Jonikaitė has worked with several leading theatres in her country, while Icelandic actor Gunnbjörn Gunnarsson brings experience in writing, producing and performing in short films.
During their time in Tallinn, the ten selected actors will participate in workshops, discussions and meetings with international casting directors, talent agents, producers and filmmakers. The programme is designed to bring emerging performers into direct contact with industry professionals, giving them an opportunity to present their work and develop international connections. Participants will also receive the Black Nights Stars Discovery Campus ICDA Award.
As Black Nights Stars enters its second decade, its 2026 selection reflects the range of performers working across different languages, cultures and filmmaking traditions. The inclusion of actors from 10 countries, alongside the programme’s record number of applications, underscores the breadth of interest in the initiative. For audiences and industry professionals looking beyond familiar film markets, this year’s ten participants offer an introduction to the talent and stories emerging from the Baltic and Nordic cinema landscape.