The first international Finno-Ugric Film Festival in Estonia - FUFF - will be held from June 4-8 the newly opened Tsiistre Flax Museum, in Misso municipality in Võru County, organizers NISI MASA Estonia and the Prastuli Association said.

Devoted to short films, FUFF aims to raise interest in feature films and experimental films on Finno-Ugric themes - the cultures of many linguistically related nations and several nation-states extending across Europe and Asia.

Both the film-makers and the themes of the 50 films at the festival are Finno-Ugric in origin, with minority peoples such as the Khanty, Vepsians, Ingrian Finns, Udmurts, Setos, Mari and Livs represented. The festival boasts short feature films from Estonia, Finland and Hungary and a selection of experimental films from around the world – from Korea to Germany, while films from smaller Finno-Ugric peoples will go head to head in the competition program.

As part of the festival, there will also be a short film directing and screenwriting workshop led by the Estonian writer Mart Kivastik and Hungarian director Daniel Erdelyi. A traditional music concert can be enjoyed on two of the festival days.

“One of the things that makes the festival special is its location in Võru County, near the Estonian border,” said the festival’s artistic director Edina Csüllög. “The festival will appeal to and welcome people who hold in high regard authentic Finno-Ugric cultural settings and natural environment and who also value the short film genre.”

The festival patron is writer Kauksi Ülle, a champion of traditional Finno-Ugric culture.



