# Tartuff

Tartuff (originally tARTuFF) is an annual romance film festival held since 2006 every August in Tartu, the second biggest city in Estonia.
Tartuff is organized by the Black Nights Film Festival and it takes place in Tartu Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats), where films are shown on a big screen free of charge. In addition, documentaries are shown in the Athena Center. The film programme is supported by discussions and lectures during the day. Viewers are invited to choose their favourite among the films screened.
Tartuff is the biggest open-air film festival in the Baltics.

## History

Tartuff was created by Black Nights Film Festival together with HÕFF in 2006. The idea came from the founder of PÖFF Tiina Lokk-Tramberg, who based it on a similar film festival in Vienna.
The first Tartuff in 2006 screened 24 films and the TV miniseries Dekalog by Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski. Nearly 10,000 attended the festival, as well as a one-day conference on cultural tolerance. Pedro Almodóvar's Volver was voted audience favourite.
The second Tartuff in 2007 screened 24 films. 10 000 attended the showings and a two-day conference on "The tolerants of religion". Hal Ashby's Harold and Maude was voted audience favourite.
The third Tartuff in 2008 screened 24 films. 16,163 attendees enjoyed the films and a photo contest "Love of Tartu". Taarka by Ain Mäeots, about Seto folk singer Hilana Taarka, premiered and was voted audience favourite.
The fifth Tartuff in 2010 scored 30,428 attendees. Jerzy Sladkowski's Paradise was voted audience favourite.

### Visitor numbers

| Year | Films shown | Visitors |
| 2006 | 24 | 10 000 |
| 2007 | 24 | 10 000 |
| 2008 | 24 | 16 163 |
| 2009 | 24 | 17 100 |
| 2010 | 22 | 30 428 |
| 2011 | 27 | 21 337 |
| 2012 | 26 | 17 930 |
| 2013 | 19 | 22 000 |
| 2014 | 15 | 25 000 |
| 2015 | 16 | 19 500 |
| 2016 | 19 | 18 000 |
| 2017 | 18 | 17 000 |
| 2018 | 16 | 19 300 |
| 2019 | 11 | 15 000 |
| 2020 | 17 | 7 500 |
| 2021 | 17 | 8 000 |
| 2022 | 17 | 11 600 |
| 2023 | 20 | 9 000 |

## Awards

Visitors can vote for their favorite film online. Public's favorite film is awarded Mati Karmin's sculpture "Suudlevad Tudengid" ("Kissing Students"), a copy of a sculpture that lies in the middle of Tartu Town Hall Square.

### Public favourites

| Year | Film | Original Title | Director(s) | Nationality of Director |
| 2006 | Volver | Volver | Pedro Almodóvar | Spain |
| 2007 | Harold and Maude | Harold and Maude | Hal Ashby | USA |
| 2008 | Taarka | Taarka | Ain Mäeots | Estonia |
| 2009 | Glasses | Megane | Naoko Ogigami | Estonia |
| 2010 | Paradise | Paradise | Jerzy Sladkowski | Poland |
| 2011 | Waste Land | Waste Land | Lucy Walker | United Kingdom |
| 2012 | Café de Flore | Café de Flore | Jean-Marc Vallée | Canada |
| 2013 | The Perks of Being a Wallflower | The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky | USA |
| 2014 | Corrections Class | Класс коррекции / Klass korrektsii | Ivan Tverdovskiy | Russia |
| 2015 | X+Y | X+Y | Morgan Matthews | United Kingdom |
| 2016 | Sing Street | Sing Street | John Carney | Ireland |
| 2017 | Tanna | Tanna | Martin Butler | Australia |
| 2017 | Tanna | Tanna | Bentley Dean | Australia |
| 2018 | Becoming Astrid | Unge Astrid / Unga Astrid | Pernille Fischer Christensen | Denmark |
| 2019 | Always and Forever | Immer und ewig | Fanny Bräuning | Switzerland |
| 2020 | The Goddess of Fortune | La dea fortuna | Ferzan Özpetek | Italy / Turkey |
| 2021 | Diana's Wedding | Dianas bryllup | Charlotte Blom | Germany |
| 2022 | Secret Name | La place d'une autre | Aurélia Georges [fr] | France |
| 2023 | The Sales Girl | Khudaldagch ohin | Janchivdorj Sengedorj | Mongolia |
| 2024 | Chainsaws Were Singing | Mootorsaed laulsid | Sander Maran | Estonia |