Movie magic comes to town!

It was announced at the European Film Awards in Berlin last night that Tallinn has been given the honour of hosting the event in 2010. The city's hotels and night spots will undoubetedly ooze with glitz the likes of which they have never seen before as the cream of European cinema descends upon them in their thousands. The grey of early December will never have seemed so colourful. Etcetera.

PÖFF director and European Film Academy member Tiina Lokk says that winning the right to host the awards is fantastic news. "The event will give Estonia's film lovers the chance to get up close and personal with the film stars of Europe and will bring with it all the glamour of such a gala," she said, or words to that effect, tapping into one of the most virulent commercial obsessions in the country at the moment. (Absolutely everything is 'glamorous'.)

On the practical side, the 'European Oscars' are sure to attract a great number of influential people from the industry to Tallinn as well as hundreds of international press, which if nothing else will see the city and country mentioned in the media for something other than its alcohol and health problems and strained relations with Russia for a change. The awards are also broadcast in more than 60 countries, which will presumably raise Estonia's profile in a way that hasn't been seen since it hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002.

The organising committee will undoubtedly be keen to 'exchange experiences' - which they bang on about here all the time - with 2006 and 2008 hosts Warsaw and Copenhagen in order to make the most of the chance being the organisers of the away game offers them (Berlin hosts the event every other year). Given that it will take place less than a month before Tallinn adopts the title of European Capital of Culture, it is, I suppose, rather a big deal.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I guess I should give myself a pat on the back for the fact that Tallinn was successful in its bid: it was yours truly who translated the "please pick us for the following reasons" letters sent to the European Film Academy by City Hall and whoever else. Maybe they'll give me a free pass to the gala ceremony?