Estonia is targeting a threefold expansion of its film industry within five years, with two new sound stages under construction forming the cornerstone of a bid to become a full-service hub for international productions, officials said at the Cannes Film Festival.
The ambition was laid out at a Variety Global Conversations panel bringing together Edith Sepp, CEO of the Estonian Film Institute; Nele Paves, film commissioner at Film Estonia; Joonas Tartu, head of Tallinnfilm Studios; producer and Stellar Film partner Evelin Penttilä; and Viljar Lubi, Estonia’s ambassador to France.
Two studio complexes are now under construction: a facility in eastern Estonia scheduled to open later this year and a second, purpose-built complex in Tallinn. Tartu described the Tallinn project as designed by filmmakers rather than driven by real estate interests, framing the new complex as an anchor for the wider Nordic-Baltic region. “Stop just visiting us. Come and stay,” he said.
The Tallinn studio is pursuing LEED Gold certification, incorporating solar panels, geothermal energy and smart water management – efficiencies, Tartu said, translate into lower operational costs rather than additional burdens on productions.
