Monthly Archives: April 2025

In the 2025 spring application round, Tartu Film Fund has decided to support five audiovisual projects — four feature films and one documentary. The films are largely set in Tartu and Southern Estonia, and many of the creators and filming locations are directly tied to the region. The combined investment into the local economy exceeds €600,000.

Supported Projects

1. “Seatapp” (O’Slaughter)

Genre: Feature film
Producer: Downtown Pictures
Director: Ove Musting
Synopsis: A darkly humorous story about a young veterinary inspector who is sent to his home village before Christmas to investigate a possible outbreak of swine fever. Soon, the entire village is drawn into a chaotic situation involving pig slaughter and strained family relations.
Regional spend: approx. €120,000
Regional link: Filming took place entirely in Põlva and Võru Counties. The director is from the region. Local services were used for accommodation, livestock handling, and transportation. Catering was provided by a Tartu-based company. Several actors from the Vanemuine Theatre participated.
Support granted: €40,000

2. “Musta pori näkku” (Dirt in Your Face)

Genre: Feature film
Producer: Taska Film
Director: Jaak Kilmi
Synopsis: A coming-of-age rock story set in 1987 Tartu. A group of rebellious teens embarks on a road trip from Tartu to a rock festival in Võru, searching for fame and identity.
Regional spend: €145,458
Regional link: Five filming days are planned in Tartu and Southern Estonia, including locations at the University of Tartu main building and Püssirohukelder. Local actors, extras, and production crew will be involved.
Support granted: €30,000

3. “Morten”

Genre: Feature film
Producer: Kopli Kinokompanii
Director: Ivan Pavljutškov
Synopsis: A visually poetic youth drama about a lonely boy, his inner world, and his first experience with friendship and emotional choice between two very different girls.
Regional spend: €185,400
Regional link: Four shooting days are planned in Tartu, including scenes at an industrial site and a villa. The scriptwriter, Reeli Reinaus, is a well-known author from Tartu. Several regional filmmakers are involved.
Support granted: €25,000

4. “Mind ei ole sinust eraldi” (No Me Without You)

Genre: Feature film
Producer: Filmivabrik
Director: Janno Jürgens
Synopsis: A story of two sisters brought together by a tragic event, exposing buried tensions and the consequences of silence. A profound psychological drama about guilt and forgiveness.
Regional spend: €150,730
Regional link: Four filming days are planned in Southern Estonia. The director and lead actor (Andres Mähar) are from Tartu. The production includes a regional cinematographer, gaffer, makeup artists, extras, technical rentals, accommodation, and catering.
Support granted: €30,000

5. “Aveliina Helm. Rebellion Against Extinction”

Genre: Documentary
Producer: Black Plastic Media Productions
Director: Maria Uppin
Synopsis: A portrait of Tartu University ecologist Aveliina Helm, a passionate advocate for biodiversity and nature restoration. The film follows her from Southern Estonian meadows to international diplomatic arenas, highlighting the role of science in nature conservation.
Regional spend: €5,800
Regional link: Seven filming days in locations such as Tartu city, Alam-Pedja nature reserve, Vastseliina, and local meadows. The protagonist lives and works in Southern Estonia and is affiliated with the University of Tartu.
Support granted: €2,000

The Tartu Film Fund–supported feature project O’Slaughter (Estonian title: Seatapp, directed by Ove Musting, produced by Jaan Laugamõts) has been selected to participate in the Tallinn Black Nights Goes to Cannes showcase at the Marché du Film during the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Curated by the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) in collaboration with the Marché du Film, the showcase will feature five projects from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on stage at the TAG Producers’ Network event on May 16. All selected films are currently in post-production and actively seeking co-financing, sales representation, and festival partnerships.

O’Slaughter is a darkly humorous story set in Southern Estonia’s distinctive landscape. Most of the film was shot in the Tartu Film Fund region.

The Cannes Marché du Film is one of the world’s leading film industry markets, connecting projects with global buyers, festival programmers, and co-production partners.

The Tartu Film Fund is proud to support a project that represents both regional filmmaking and international potential, and we look forward to O’Slaughter reaching wider audiences in the near future.

Estonian auteur short films “Sauna Day” and “The Weight of Light”, supported by the Tartu Film Fund, received a total of four awards at two prestigious international film festivals in early April.

The short fiction film “Sauna Day”, directed by Anna Hints and Tushar Prakash, won Best Short Film at the 29th 2ANNAS International Film Festival in Riga. According to the jury, the film “masterfully captures the delicate balance between masculinity and intimacy, tradition and transformation,” offering “a raw and deeply honest cinematic experience.”

The second film by the same creative duo, “The Weight of Light”, won three awards at the FIFOI festival on Réunion Island: the Best Short Film Award, the Youth Jury Award, and the Domini Special Award for a forward-looking perspective on environmental, social, or cultural issues. The film was described as “a quiet yet powerful cry for those whose stories remain unseen.”

Both films have received recognition at numerous festivals and are available to watch on Telia TV and Elisa Huub. The films were produced by Stellar Film and partners and supported by the Estonian Film Institute, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Tartu Film Fund, and several international funding bodies.

https://tartufilmfund.ee/en/movie/sauna-day

https://tartufilmfund.ee/en/movie/the-weight-of-light/