MATSALU NATURE FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS
International Competition
🥚 Grand Prix for Best Film (€5,000 grant, including a €1,000 grant from Kvaliteetaken)
🥚 Best Director in the Nature Category (€1,000 grant from Utilitas)
🥚 Best Director in the Man and Nature Category (€1,000 grant from Evecon)
🥚 Best Cinematography in the Nature Category (€1,000 grant from Utilitas)
🥚 Best Cinematography in the Man and Nature Category (€1,000 grant from Evecon)
🥚 Best Editing in the Nature Category
🥚 Best Editing in the Man and Nature Category
🥚 Special Jury Prize in the Nature Category
🥚 Special Jury Prize in the Man and Nature Category
📜 Special Mention in the Nature Category
📜 Special Mention in the Man and Nature Category
Special Prizes
🥚 Audience Award
📜 Special Prize of the Ministry of Climate
📜 Special Prize of Matsalu National Park
📜 Special Prize of the Estonian Fund for Nature
📜 Special Prize of Nurmsi Taluresto
📜 Special Prize of the Estonian Roundtable for Development Cooperation (€1,000 grant)
MAFF 2026 Grand Prix. Autor: Merilin Pedastsaar, foto: Berta Jänes
The MAFF Egg
The egg trophy of the Matsalu Nature Film Festival is the highest recognition for the best filmmakers.
The creator of the awards, Merilin Pedastsaar, says: "The films that reach MAFF are like eggs from the same nest, each telling its unique story on the silver screen for nature lovers. They encourage us to reflect deeply on our daily choices, enriching us with new knowledge and nourishing the soul with the beauty of life. We cannot love what we do not know! For this reason, as a metal artist, I found the egg to be the perfect symbol—a representation of new life beginning.
The creation of MAFF eggs begins in the spring. I coat each egg with copper using the electroforming technique and then let time take its course. This process imparts a unique copper patina to each egg.
The smaller MAFF eggs were born from a workshop at the festival. The idea was to recast empty brass cartridge casings into commemorative MAFF eggs, involving festival guests in metal casting while encouraging them to reflect on the notion that every action has consequences, and that change can happen swiftly. It also highlighted the idea that what one person might consider waste can be a valuable resource for another. To this end, empty brass cartridge casings were collected from shooting ranges, and bronze filings left over from large company lathes were repurposed, giving new life to what was once discarded."
