The popular Estonian film “Fränk” opens the 8th season of the highly acclaimed Boston Baltic Film Festival on February 27, 2026 at the historic Paramount Theater in downtown Boston. Tõnis Pill, the film’s director and Edith Sepp, CEO of the Estonian Film Institute, will introduce the film.
“Fränk” was the most watched film in Estonia in 2025 and is making its North America Premiere in Boston. It is the story of a 13-year old boy, who having been abandoned by his parents, comes to live with his uncle and in an attempt to fit in with the other boys, makes one bad decision after another. However, his seemingly inevitable downfall is thwarted by a strange disabled man.
The Boston Baltic Film Festival is proud to present 23 films in the original languages and with English subtitles (8 from Estonia). The in-theater screenings will be held Friday, February 27 to Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the ArtsEmerson Paramount Center in Boston.
Estonian films that can be viewed in the theater are “Fränk”, “Rolling Papers” (Pikad Paberid) and “Aurora”. The film directors Tõnis Pill, Meel Paliale and Rain Tolk will be present to discuss their filmmaking and answer audience questions.
Virtual screenings will follow for three weeks starting March 2 – March 23, 2026. These can be viewed across the United States and Canada. The line-up includes three documentaries: “The Arvo Pärt Trilogy (And Then Come The Evening And The Morning, Preludes For A Fugue, Even If I Lose Everything”); “Only Music Matters: Neeme Järvi”; and “The Story of the Baltic University”.
Totally new this year is the Estonian TV detective series “Von Fock” where 8 episodes can be viewed. Other films that can be seen in your homes is the restored “Smile at Last” (Naerata Ometi) from 1985 and the absurd comedy “Tree of Eternal Love” (Kiik, Kirves ja Igavese Armastuse Puu).
More information and individual tickets/passes can be found on the festival website: https://www.bostonbalticfilm.org/ or writing to mariferentinos@gmail.com
