If your February–March plans could use a little more European cinema (and a little less scrolling), this one’s for you. The Europa! Europa Film Festival is back — and this year’s program includes films with strong Estonian connections screening in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
Running from 19 February to 19 March 2026, the festival brings together 43 films from 22 countries, offering audiences a beautifully curated snapshot of contemporary European storytelling — visually rich, emotionally layered and very good at lingering in your thoughts on the walk home.
Among the standout selections are two films connected to Estonia, both exploring that tender, messy space between youth and adulthood — where big feelings, bad decisions and unexpected beauty tend to collide.
Where and when to watch
🎬 Dates: 19 February – 19 March 2026
📍 Cities & venues: Melbourne: Classic Cinemas (Elsternwick), Lido Cinemas (Hawthorn), Cameo Cinemas (Belgrave)
📍 Brisbane: Angelika Cinemas (Woolloongabba)
📍 Sydney: Ritz Cinemas (Randwick)
🎟️ Tickets & full program: https://www.europafilmfestival.com.au/
“Rolling Papers” (Pikad paberid)
Estonia’s submission for the 2026 Academy Awards Best International Feature, Rolling Papers (2024) is a raw, free-wheeling coming-of-age story set in Tallinn, following a group of friends navigating that famously awkward stage between adolescence and adulthood.
Sebastian works a monotonous job at a grocery store, until a chance encounter with the effortlessly chaotic Silo sparks dreams of escape — specifically, sunny Brazil. But when Sebastian meets Nora, the idea of leaving Estonia suddenly feels less straightforward. Partying, talking, smoking, dancing, yearning — it’s all here, rendered with warmth, restraint and an eye for the beauty of ordinary moments.
Directed by Meel Paliale, who also wrote, edited and composed the film’s dreamy synth score, Rolling Papers has already collected major accolades at home, including Audience Award wins and Estonia’s Film of the Year.
“The Southern Chronicles” (Pietinia Kronikas)
A Lithuanian–Estonian co-production, The Southern Chronicles (2024) shifts us to the early 1990s, where 17-year-old Rimantas hustles through post-Soviet Lithuania on rugby, Eurobeat and black-market schemes — until he meets Monika, whose love of literature and poetry opens the door to an entirely different world.
Based on a bestselling novel, the film became the highest-grossing Lithuanian movie of all time, swept the Lithuanian Oscars, and won Best Baltic Film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. It’s nostalgic, charming and unexpectedly tender — with bonus points for period outfits and a strong Eurodance soundtrack.
Whether you’re there for the Estonian connections, the Baltic storytelling, or simply an excuse to leave the house on a weeknight, Europa! Europa is a reminder that European cinema is thriving — and worth seeing on the big screen.
Read more
Learn more about films screening at the festival
Explore the festival program
Festival Instagram @europafilmfest
Festival Facebook Europa! Europa Film Festival
Read in Estonian, details on Rolling Papers in the Estonian Film Database
Acknowledgement
Thank you to Europa! Europa Film Festival organisers and Marc Repse for this information and posters.
