The winner of the Haapsalu competition will move on to the grand finale to compete for the Méliès d’Or, the highest honor in European fantastic cinema.
Organized by the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF), the competition spans 35 festivals across 21 countries. HÕFF has been a proud member of the federation for fourteen years.
A total of 7 films will compete for the prestigious Méliès d’Argent at the 21st Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival.
The Estonian contender, Breadsong, is a haunting historical fantasy centered on the theme of greed. This marks the first time since 2022 that an Estonian film has reached this stage, following in the footsteps of Raoul Kirsima’s (Don't) Look, which eventually reached the European finals.
The lineup features two world premieres: Francesco Gabriele’s British horror Hunger Beneath the Moonlight and William B. James’ German thriller Geist. Both directors will be in Haapsalu to present their work, with James making a highly anticipated return following his 2018 Audience Award win for the revenge-thriller Snowflake.
They are joined by Finnish editor-turned-director Jussi Rautaniemi—well known in Estonia for his EFTA-winning work on The Invisible Fight—who brings his directorial debut, the sci-fi actioner Strive.
Rounding out the competition are Anna Pieri and Pietro Zuercher’s Swiss dark comedy Cherubs, Santi Capuz and Diego Jiménez’s gritty Spanish crime-caper I Owe You One, and Jauffrey Gallé’s French horror short A Cat Under The Wheels.
The winner will be decided by an expert jury comprising director Elis Rumma, distributor Erkki Joasoon, journalist Kaire Reiljan, and Latvian film critic Kristīne Simsone.
Little Nightmares: Best International Short Films
In addition to the Méliès competition, HÕFF presents Little Nightmares, a curated out-of-competition showcase that offers a comprehensive pulse-check on the state of global fantastic cinema.
This year’s programme highlights seven standout works: Kunyu Wang’s sci-fi thriller Kill Ada (China), Albin Glasell’s atmospheric horror drama Tiny Coffin (Norway), Erik Westerström’s suspenseful Breathwork (Sweden), and Thomas Villepoux’s surreal animated escape story Jailbirds (Belgium/France), Jocelyn Charles’ animated God Is Shy (France), Thibault Fauconnet’s high-tension thriller Stretcher (France), and Josef Embring and Philip Sterner’s mystery Like Father, Like Son (Sweden).
The 21st Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival runs from April 30 to May 2, 2026.