TALLINN: Lotte and the Lost Dragons / Lotte ja kadunud lohed will have its international premiere in Berlinale’s Generation Kplus programme (7-17 February 2019), same as the previous two instalments of the animation franchise directed by Heiki Ernits and Janno Põldma, Lotte from Gadgetville and Lotte and the Moonstone Secret. The film is already a hit in Estonia.

Estonian films had a breakthrough year in 2018. Domestic films had more than 647,600 admissions, which is an all-time record. In 2017 Estonian films had 282,421 admissions. The success of 2018 is mostly due to the Estonian Republic 100 film programme. Two record-breakers, The Little Comrade / Seltsimees laps directed by Moonika Siimets and produced by Amrion, and Phantom Owl Forest / Eia jõulud Tondikakul directed by Anu Aun and coproduced by Luxfilm and Kinosaurus Film, were both part of the programme.

TALLINN: Estonia, together with Latvia and Finland, is currently analysing possibilities of offering a joint cash rebate for international projects. The path is also clear for Italian/Baltic coproductions.

TALLINN: Eleven new projects from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland were presented at the Baltic works-in-progress showcase on 28 November 2018 at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event at 22nd Tallinn Black Nights Festival. Most are looking for sales agents, distribution and festivals.

TALLINN: Legendary Estonian film director Hardi Volmer is in post-production with a feature film about the first Estonian filmmaker, The Real Life of Johannes Pääsuke / Johannes Pääsukese tõeline elu, who lived in the first half of the 20th century. Pääsuke filmed a documentary in the most southern part of Estonia, Setomaa, in 1913.

TALLINN: The Estonian Film Institute gave 1,654,400 EUR to 42 films between April and October 2018.

TALLINN: Estonian director Vallo Toomla is currently filming a portrait documentary under the working-title Marju Lepajõe. Words of the Days / Marju Lepajõe. Päevade sõnad, which will premiere in 2019.

TALLINN: Estonian director Peeter Rebane started shooting his first feature film Firebird, starring Tom Prior, at the end of September 2018. Shooting will last throughout October mostly in the northeastern part of Estonia, Ida-Virumaa.