Tartuff is organized by the same team behind the annual Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival "Pöff", and is to see the largest open-air cinema in the Baltic States on Raekoja plats in Estonia's second city.

Eleven of the movies will be shown outdoors, with the remainder in the Athena Center.

Organizers say that the festival will follow all coronavirus guidelines, including seating dispersion and making disinfectants available, at a time when the city has seen a significant COVID-19 outbreak, centered on several nightspots.

Tartuff this year sets art as the thematic focus, in the context of the city's Pallas art school turning 100 last year, and its art museum celebrating its 80th birthday this year.

"We want to raise art into the societal role as an instigator of social processes and as the philosophical trailblazer. Tartu is getting ready to become the European Capital of Culture (in 2024) and its banner "The Art of Survival" is socially and ecologically more relevant than ever before", said head of festival Kristiina Reidolv. 

The event runs from Monday, August 10 to Saturday, August 15, with many movies available to watch online, for the first time ever, for those inside Estonia.

The festival is to kick off with Brazilian movie "The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão", the 2019 Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard Best Film award winner directed Karim Aïnouz, which tells the tale of two sisters separated by a turn of events brought about by their conservative father, then following their fates in hoping to be reunited one day.  

Other offerings include Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival "Yalda, A Night For Forgiveness, directed by Massoud Bakhshi, comedy-drama "The Wheel of Fortune", directed by Ferzan Ozpetek and filmed in Italy, and South Korean coming-of-age drama "House of Hummingbird", which has garnered over 50 awards internationally, including the best film awards at Tribeca and Berlinale Generation.  

Other documentaries include "Marcel Duchamp: Art of the Possible" which looks at the artist's influence on the evolution art and features comment from Jeff Koons, Marina Abramović and the late David Bowie. 

A series of art-themed events are being run in tandem with the movies, including exhibitions. performances, symposiums and excursions. 

The program is organised in cooperation with Tartu Art Museum (Tartu Kunstimuuseum), Tartu Art College "Pallas" (Kõrgem Kunstikool Pallas), the Estonian National Museum (ERM), the Voronja Gallery, street art festival Stencibility and many more. 

Online movies  are provided by festival partner Elisa, via its Elisa Stage platform. 

The festival's website is here.  

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