Farooki shared the news recently on his official Facebook account, and the official website of the festival has also added him as one of the Jury members alongside four of his co-jurors in the Official Competition section: British film festival consultant and writer-reviewer Mark Adams (United Kingdom), producer and member of the European Film Academy Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik (Poland), theatre and film actress Ester Kuntu (Estonia) and renowned Director of Photography with double Oscar nominations for “L.A. Confidential” and “The Insider” and BAFTA nominee, Dante Spinotti (Italy).
"This is one festival I have always wanted to be in. Heard many great things about this festival from friends! So when the offer came to be on their Official Competition Jury, I didn't take much time to say "yes"!," Farooki wrote on Facebook.
Expressing his gratitude, he added, "Thank you PÖFF | Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival for having me! Looking forward to watch the films and work with my co-jurors!"
Started in 1997, the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has grown into one of the biggest film festivals in Northern Europe and busiest regional industry platforms, hosting more than 1,000 guests and industry delegates and over 160 journalists. The festival screens around 250 features and more than 300 shorts and animations, and is joined by 80,000 people on average annually.
As of 2014, the festival holds the FIAPF accreditation for holding an international competition programme which puts the festival into the A-category of film festivals, alongside other 14 festivals in the world.