On 15 November the 23rd edition of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, the key summit for audiovisual professionals in Northern Europe, will kick off. The eight-day programme of nearly 200 lectures, workshops, masterclasses and market meetings will bring together more than 800 professionals in Tallinn and online.

According to Marge Liiske, the Head of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, this year’s event focuses on the role of the cinema. “As the world undergoes profound changes, the role of cinema is more important than ever. At a time when humanity faces environmental challenges, social injustice and unrelenting conflict, our films need to be more than entertainment; they need to be calls to empathy, understanding and action.”

With nearly 200 talks, panels and workshops, 85 of which are open to all, the programme offers guidance and fresh perspectives to move towards a sustainable, inclusive and impactful film industry. In addition, the programme encourages cross-generational collaboration, sharing expertise, mentorship, and welcoming new storytellers. “Together, we can cultivate a culture of mutual learning and respect, where experienced professionals play an active role in nurturing new voices. We’re excited to introduce Shorts Industry Shortcut, a new platform dedicated to emerging filmmakers, a new children and youth film section of our established Baltic Event Co-production Market, as well as the launch of the Tallinn Industry Academy and the AI Atelier,” adds Liiske.

Besides the new additions, the programme also includes established events such as the series-oriented TV Beats Forum (18-19 Nov), which focuses on the needs and trends of the drama series field, and the second edition of Just Film Industry Days (20-22 Nov), the two-day industry event that continues to ride a youthful wave with an eye on international and educational growth.

One of the highlights is the 10th Industry Innovation Forum (20 Nov), a special edition format as an official sidebar of the Tallinn Digital Summit, looking back and looking forward to the future competitiveness of the European audiovisual, content and media ecosystem.

High-quality projects and valued networking opportunities

Over the years, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event has been appreciated for its effective networking scene. This year’s industry programme features 76 films and series projects seeking partners, resulting in hundreds of one-to-one meetings throughout the week.

The TV Beats Co-Financing Market will showcase 10 series projects, celebrating the diversity of today’s episodic storytelling. Meanwhile, the MIDPOINT Institute’s Series Launch will showcase 9 new projects. In 2024, the first-ever TV Beats Screening Day will be launched, featuring the premieres of five high quality series. The Baltic Event Co-Production Market will present 14 projects, including children’s and youth films for the first time with the potential to inspire the next generation of cinema enthusiasts. The Script Pool will showcase five fresh film projects. The 10th European Genre Forum will spotlight eight genre projects, while the 16 Works in Progress projects offer insights into a range of unique story worlds.

Introducing new awards

At its 23rd edition, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event introduces several new awards.

The winner of the TV Beats Co-Financing market will receive the Series Co-Production Development Award, worth 50,000 euros. The best project at Baltic Event Co-Production market will be handed The Eurimages Co-Production Development Award that includes a non-reimbursable subsidy of €20,000. Also, one of the projects of European Genre Forum, celebrating its 10th anniversary, will receive an award of 25,000 euros by ATM Virtual. Just Film Works in Progress projects are competing for a new award by Nafta Films handed out to to accelerate production for the most promising project, valued at 2500 euros.

For the first time, with the support of Yamdu, Public Favourite Awards will be introduced in all project pitching categories (except MIDPOINT Series Launch). The guests can rate all the projects presented with a 5 point system at the voting platform set up by Votemo and the winners will be announced at the awards ceremony.

Additionally, for the first time, the best Estonian project will be selected and awarded by the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency. The award consists of up to 4,000 euros to be used in 2025 to promote the project at film markets in Europe or North America.

Focus on Germany

In 2024 Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event highlights the film industry of this year’s Focus Country Germany, with ten unique projects and the participation of six major German funds: Filmförderanstalt FFA, MBB Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Hessen Film & Medien and MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung. The panel discussion “Germany in Focus: Exploring Federal and Regional Film Funding for Co-Productions” will look closely at the co-production opportunities.

Reflecting a spirit of resilience, the spotlight on Georgia includes the project Aquarium, with a panel discussion “The Edge of Democracy: Surviving as a Filmmaker Amid War, Exile, and Censorship,” exploring Georgia’s current political and cultural landscape.

Nurturing the next generation of film professionals and talents

As mentioned above, this year’s programme encourages learning and upskilling, collaboration, sharing expertise, mentorship and welcomes new storytellers through many initiatives. The global education programme Black Nights Discovery Campus presents 40 young talents as part of five sub-programmes: Frame Within a Frame, Music Meets Film, Black Nights Stars, Black Room and Script Pool. This year’s mentors include Marco Bittner Rosser, Steve Summersgill, Lollo Urbansdotter, Tom Sawyer, Kathleen Wallfisch, Julia Short, Roberto Schaefer, Ville Penttilä, Benjamin Cölle, Patrick Fischer, Graham Ball and Robert Bohman. Besides the closed masterclasses and workshops, the programme includes many events open to summit’s guests that will help talents navigate the international film industry.

Other initiatives for emerging film professionals include Go Long! for short filmmakers, Breaking into the Industry for junior producers, and the previously mentioned Tallinn Industry Academy, which focuses on film distribution, European Genre Forum, and Generative AI Atelier.

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event is held annually in November during the Black Nights Film Festival – one of the largest and only FIAPF-certified competitive feature film festivals in Northern Europe. Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event 2024 is certified by Greentime as a sustainable event, meeting the UN’s global goals for environmental, social and economic sustainability.

About Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Pimedate Ööde filmifestival, PÖFF) first took place in 1997. Since 2014, PÖFF is one of the 15 A-list film festivals accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) alongside the Cannes, Karlovy Vary, San Sebastian, Locarno, Venice, Berlin, Cairo, Mar de Plata, Goa, Tokyo and other film festivals. The accreditation is renewed every year.

The aim of the festival is to present a comprehensive selection of world cinema from the last two years to a local and international audience, offering fresh film production with high artistic value.

Today, the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival with Industry @ Tallinn & Baltic Event and with the two sub-festivals, Just Film and PÖFF Shorts, has grown into one of the biggest film festivals in Northern Europe and the busiest regional industry platforms. The festival is an important meeting point for a rapidly growing number of industry professionals from around the globe.