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.
On March 17, the nominees for the Estonian Film and Television Awards 2025 were revealed. The grand EFTA gala will take place on April 11, where the best Estonian filmmakers and television creators will be honored. A total of 31 awards will be presented—16 in film categories and 15 in television categories.
We are pleased to announce that films co-financed by Tartu Film Fund are represented in 14 categories.
A total of five films supported by Tartu Film Fund have been nominated:
Biwa järve 8 nägu / 8 Views of Lake Biwa – 12 categories Elu ja Armastus – 7 categories Vari – 4 categories Varaküps – 2 categories Pimeala – 1 category
For more details on the nominees and categories, visit: Facebook
The production of Ove Musting’s second full-length feature film, “Seatapp”, has officially wrapped in Southern Estonia! This tragicomic story, seasoned with dark humor, delves into the decline of rural life and fading traditions, featuring absurd situations—all inspired by real-life events from Estonia itself. 🇪🇪
📍 “Southern Estonia is undeniably a hidden gem,” says the film’s director and screenwriter, Ove Musting, who hails from the region. “The landscapes here offer a variety of views that are hard to find elsewhere. During location scouting, we discovered incredible places and even more incredible people, who in turn inspired and enriched Seatapp’s story. Right before shooting, we even added details to the script—details so unbelievable that any rational person would say, this couldn’t have really happened!”
💬 “This is likely the only feature film that portrays life outside Estonia’s capital in such a raw, humorous, and honest way. In fact, Seatapp may also be the last film where we see animals and people working side by side like this. This world is disappearing, and just a few years later, filming Seatapp wouldn’t have been possible anymore.”
🎥 Producer Jaan Laugamõts describes the film as the last breathtaking glimpse of a vanishing way of life. “The mix of brilliant and painfully absurd humor in this film will make audiences laugh, cry, and reflect on what else might disappear along with our deeply rooted culture, which is ingrained in our genes.”
Filming Locations & Challenges 🎞️
The production took place across Estonia, including Siimika village (Lääne-Harju), Tartu, and several locations in Southern Estonia: Valgjärve, Põlva, Võrumaa, and Tsooru.
💬 “The filming period was as challenging as expected,” recalls producer Jaan Laugamõts. “Shooting in winter comes with its own set of difficulties—constant cold and limited daylight make everything more complicated. Adding in large numbers of animals and people creates an extraordinarily complex setting, where every crew member played a crucial role in making it all work. I am endlessly grateful to everyone involved in this film—you are the kind of people I’d go on a secret mission with any day!”
Cast & Premiere 🎭
The film features Aleksandr Bražnik, Taavi Teplenkov, Egon Nuter, Külliki Saldre, Hendrik Toompere Jr., Andres Mähar, Mari Jürjens, Argo Aadli, and more.
The Berlin International Film Festival is one of the most important meeting places for film professionals worldwide. Its Visitor’s Program offers young producers an invaluable opportunity to expand their international network and find co-production partners. Sander Lebreht, a young producer based in Tartu, shares his experience from four intensive days at Berlinale.
100+ Participants, Countless Opportunities This year’s Visitor’s Program brought together over a hundred young producers from around the world. While it was impossible to engage with everyone, structured events such as Consultation Corner helped participants quickly establish common ground and build meaningful connections. Moments like these are priceless for film professionals, as the film industry is, above all, a people-driven business.
“Sitting in a room with producers from different countries, deeper connections formed instantly – someone might be facing similar challenges or offer a solution I hadn’t thought of myself.”
Meetings That Matter The Berlinale is packed with thousands of official and informal meetings, and the four days of the Visitor’s Program meant a fully booked schedule. With ten pre-arranged meetings, two to three have already led to follow-up discussions on potential collaborations.
“Every meeting was different – the film business thrives on personal connections. The most valuable conversations are those where both sides feel a genuine connection and see real potential for collaboration.”
Cinematic Experiences & Sources of Inspiration The days were filled with networking, but the evenings offered a chance to unwind and seek inspiration from Berlinale screenings. Beyond the films, Berlinale’s panel discussions also sparked new ideas. A particularly intriguing topic was the intersection of film and video games, exploring how these two industries increasingly influence each other.
Berlinale – A Must for Every Film Producer The four days in Berlin were undoubtedly exhausting, but they provided a wealth of knowledge, connections, and inspiration. International collaboration is invaluable for the Estonian film industry, and the Berlinale Visitor’s Program opened doors to new partnerships that may soon materialize in upcoming film projects.
Anna Hints’ short film “The Weight of Light” , which was also supported by the Tartu Film Fund, has won both the Grand Prix for Best International Short Film and the Student Jury’s Main Prize at the Paris Courts Devant Film Festival.
“The Weight of Light“ captivated both the main competition jury and the student jury in Paris with its masterful cinematic language and strong emotional impact. “This film stands out for its expert direction, visual beauty, and powerful message. Above all, it deeply moved each of us. It is an honor to recognize a film that is both challenging and illuminating, raw yet poetic,” the jury explained.
The film takes the audience to a community living on the outskirts of Delhi’s garbage dumps and tells the story of a teenage girl named Surya, who discovers a camera that opens her eyes to the untold stories of the women around her.
The film’s international success began at the Tampere Short Film Festival, where it was selected from 6,546 candidates for the competition program. Previously, “The Weight of Light” received the Baltic Producers MEDIA Award at the Baltic Pitching Forum and was acquired by the television channel France 3. Additionally, the film has won the Youth Jury Award at the San Sebastián Human Rights Film Festival and the Grand Prize in the national competition category at this year’s PÖFF Shorts.
On November 19th, the best European promoters of entrepreneurship were recognized at the annual SME Assembly conference, “Shaping Europe’s Future,” organized by the European Commission in Budapest. The Tartu Film Fund won the grand prize in the category “Improving the Business Environment and Supporting the Internationalization of Businesses.” The award aims to highlight best practices and inspire other regions and organizations to create similar initiatives.
This prestigious competition begins with a national selection process, with the best candidates advancing to the European finals. The Tartu Film Fund triumphed among 442 candidates from 29 countries. In the same category, entrepreneurial support organizations from Finland and Ireland were also nominated. Tartu Film Fund was recognized for successfully implementing innovative measures and initiatives that have made the business environment in Estonia and Europe more attractive, particularly focusing on the support of small and medium-sized enterprises.
“This is an incredible and special experience! We are overjoyed!” shared Külli Hansen, Head of Tartu Centre for Creative Industries, expressing her initial impressions from the award gala. “This grand prize is a significant achievement for the Tartu Film Fund, demonstrating that our daily efforts to enhance the attractiveness of Southern Estonia and Tartu, as well as develop local services, are essential and valuable—not just on a local level. After receiving the award, representatives from several countries approached us, expressing interest in establishing similar funds in their regions. A film fund has an economic impact and serves as an investment in regional development. Tartu is setting an example for other European regions,” Hansen emphasized.
“This award is not just recognition for the work of the film fund team, but also for the entire Southern Estonian community and our partners, who have helped the Tartu Film Fund grow and succeed. Our goal is to create a film-friendly environment in Southern Estonia that fosters creativity, entrepreneurship, and collaboration, and this recognition proves we are on the right track. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us on this journey!” added Signe Somelar-Erikson, Development Manager of the Tartu Film Fund.
On November 2, at the “Best Estonian Enterprises 2024” gala, Tartu Film Fund received the Business Promoter Award. Next, TFF will represent Estonia in Budapest at the Europe-wide “European Enterprise Promotion Awards 2024”!
“Winning the Estonian competition alone is very significant for us, showing that the recent efforts of Tartu Film Fund in developing the Tartu and Southern Estonia film region have been recognized and valued. Our participation in the European competition has also started off on a very positive note. We already know that out of 442 candidates, we have been selected as one of the three finalists competing for the grand prize in improving the business environment. We proudly carry the title of ‘European Enterprise Awards Finalist’ and are eager to see how we fare in the finals,” said Külli Hansen, head of Tartu Centre for Creative Indutries.
The Estonian short film “Sauna Day” (“Sannapäiv”) by Anna Hints and Tushar Prakash which premiered during this year’s Cannes Film Festival Critics’ Week, has won the grand prize at the BRNO16 Film Festival in the Czech Republic.
More than 1,000 short films were initially submitted to BRNO16. An international jury selected “Sauna Day” as the winner from a field of 34 films in the competition for the grand prize.
“Spatial intimacy, body interaction and human relationships leave an unmistakable feeling under our skin,” said the jury. “A subtle but subversive emotionality is presented to us in a ritualistic culture, with a touch of history that reveals the ambiguous nature of gradually revealed male desire. The brilliant camerawork and the carefully crafted film language left a mark in our cinematic consciousness.”
The film’s producer Johanna Maria Paulson said that winning the festival’s top prize is a great honor, as the standard is high and the competition fierce.
“The jury was unanimous about the grand prize and for us, what makes this event even more special is that it is the first time that “Sauna Day” has won such a prestigious award. To date, the film has already made it to 14 festivals, including two of the film world’s big guns, Cannes and Toronto, where it has a very low chance of making it. This is a remarkable achievement for an Estonian short film,” Paulson said.
The short film “Cohabitants,” which tells the story of Piirissaare, will premiere in November at one of the world’s largest documentary film festivals, IDFA. The short film, produced as part of the Tartu 2024 Arts of Survival documentary program, has been selected for the festival’s international short film competition.
According to one of the film’s producers, Olga Hartšuk, reaching the competition category of such a prestigious film festival demonstrates that “the story of Piirissaare’s unique community has touched people.”
The director of “Cohabitants” is Viesturs Kairišs. The cinematographers are Wojciech Staroń and Tomek Pawlik, the editor is Andres Hallik, the composer is Juris Vaivods, and the sound director is Leonid Bragin. The film’s producers are Esko Rips and Olga Hartšuk. The production company is Nafta Films (Estonia).
Estonian viewers had the chance to see “Cohabitants” earlier this spring in the short film collection “Wild South,” which premiered in Tartu and has attracted over 1,500 viewers in Estonian cinemas. This collection consists of the visions of four Estonian and four international directors, capturing life in Tartu and Southern Estonia just before the year 2024.
“Cohabitants” was produced with the support of the Estonian Film Institute, the Tartu 2024 Foundation, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, and the Tartu Film Fund.
