The Ida-Viru Enterprise Centre, in cooperation with the Integration Foundation and with the support of the Swiss-Estonian cooperation programme, is opening the Night Cinema in Ida-Viru County. In autumn, the cinema will offer audiences in Jõhvi and Narva a diverse film programme, featuring the latest documentaries and feature films from Estonia and abroad. Several screenings will be preceded by special meetings with filmmakers, who will take viewers behind the scenes and bring them closer to the world of film.
Film programme:
8–9 October – documentary My Family and Other Clowns (2025). A story about an actor couple, Haide and Toomas, whose clown characters Piip and Tuut are beloved throughout Estonia, but whose family life is like juggling between work and home in search of balance. With English and Russian subtitles. Tickets: Special screening of Viru Film Fund : documentary My Family and Other Clowns and Special screening of Viru Film Fund : documentary My Family and Other Clowns . The films have Russian and English subtitles.
29–30 October – documentaries The Story of Estonian Skateboarding (2025) and Rebel with a Bow Tie (2024). The first of them recounts the fifty-year development of skateboarding culture in Estonia, while the second playfully reveals the end of President Toomas Hendrik Ilves’ term of office and his personal challenges. The films are subtitled so that the screenings are enjoyable for audiences who speak Estonian, Russian, or English. The films have English subtitles.
29 October – Jõhvi Apollo: “The Last Concert of the Geniuses” (concert recording) – An exceptional opportunity to bring a concert recording to Ida-Virumaa and, through it, introduce Estonian music culture. A representative from Apollo Group, the producer, will visit and provide a broader look into the background of large-scale music production recording.
30 October – Narva Estonian State Gymnasium: “The Story of Estonian Skateboarding” (2024). The film tells the history of Estonian skateboarding culture over approximately fifty years – from the first homemade boards with clay wheels in Võru in the early 1980s to today’s youth who find freedom and creative expression through skateboarding. The film highlights both historical conditions and contemporary skateboarders and scene creators. Visiting will be the film’s producer and director, Ivar Murd, who will talk about the background of the film. The film is provided with English and Russian subtitles.
November 12 – Feature film “New Money” – directed by Rain Rannu. The film tells the story of contemporary Estonian society through the lens of personal ambition, relationships, and the pursuit of wealth. It explores the complexities of human behavior and social change in Estonia today.
November 13 – “The Swedish Torpedo” (2025) was produced in cooperation between Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, and some of the filming took place in Ida-Virumaa. The film “The Swedish Torpedo” is in Swedish. The films are provided with Estonian–English or Estonian–Russian subtitles.
12–13 November – youth film Rolling Papers (2024), selected to represent Estonia in the Academy Awards competition. Interspersed with musical interludes, the film follows the life choices and dreams of young people. With Russian subtitles. The films have Russian subtitles.
3–4 December – feature films Aurora (2025) and The Swedish Torpedo (2025). The former intertwines the themes of love and family values, while the latter takes viewers to Sweden before World War II, telling the inspiring story of Sally Bauer, who fought for her dreams and her right to be a mother. The Swedish Torpedo was produced in cooperation between Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, and some of the filming took place in Ida-Viru County. The film Aurora has English subtitles. The film The Swedish Torpedo is in Swedish with Estonian and English or Estonian and Russian subtitles.
3–4 December – At Jõhvi Apollo and Narva Estonian State Gymnasium, the feature film “Long Papers” will be shown. Since the film has been selected to represent Estonia in the international Oscar competition program, we had to change the dates of the meetings with the filmmakers. Visiting us will be young film director and screenwriter Meel Paliale, and artist Jasmin Kulagina.
The activities of the Night Cinema are supported by the Swiss-Estonian cooperation programme, which supports activities that help people of different nationalities and linguistic backgrounds to better integrate into Estonian society. The programme aims to foster a feeling of unity and provide opportunities for participating in cultural and educational activities. Support is provided, for example, for learning Estonian, getting to know Estonian culture, developing digital services and volunteering, and events that bring together people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The activities of the programme help participants to better understand life in Estonia and find their place in society. The programme is implemented by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Integration Foundation and other partners.