Estonia Launches a Joint Financing Scheme for Low-Budget Features

16-01-2015

Estonia Launches a Joint Financing Scheme for Low-Budget Features

By Martin Aadamsoo

TALLIN: Estonia has launched a new financing initiative for low-budget features, that will for the first time systematically bring on board private TV channels. The scheme is going to provide funding to the tune of 120,000 euros each for three low-buget features with expected premieres in 2016.

The new scheme is jointly financed by the Estonian Film Insitute, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Public Broadcasting and two of the largest private channels in the country: Kanal2 and TV3.

The scheme’s novelty lies in the fact that private channels in Estonia have no legal obligation to help finance domestic content production and hence have played a minimal part in backing Estonian films. The three projects will be chosen by a panel consisting of representatives of all five parties. Each film will have its theatrical release before TV screening, with each channel acquiring rights to one of the three financed films.

The new scheme is aimed at increasing confidence in domestic productions and involving local channels in contributing to production.

Sources: Estonian Film Institute, kultuur.err.ee

Published in Estonia