Filming is currently underway in Tallinn for Ivan Pavljutskov's debut feature film "Morten" — a youth film being made by young filmmakers. "Morten" is also one of three Estonian film projects being shot at home.

"For someone's very first movie, the filmmaker should have the freedom to choose the environment and their team, and that's possible with a smaller-scale film," said Kopli Kinokompanii film producer Anneli Ahven.

Of the six feature films being funded by the Estonian Film Institute (EFI) this year, three are being shot abroad — either partially or entirely in Latvia and Lithuania.

"It isn't possible to raise funding for a slightly more ambitious film just from Estonia, so it's necessary to apply for financing from other countries and make use of their tax incentives," explained EFI feature film expert Maria Ulfsak.

For example, Evar Anvelt's psychological thriller "Something Real," which explores masculinity in a consumer society, was shot in Lithuania this spring.

"Our film's budget required more resources than we were able to raise in Estonia," acknowledged Andreas Kask, a film producer at Nafta Films. "Around 50 percent of the film's funding comes from public funds; the rest the producer has to pull together from elsewhere. There are different options for this. One is to collaborate with various foreign countries; another is to bring in private financing."

Nafta Films' next project will also be made outside Estonia.

"In October, we'll be starting filming for 'Serafima' in Latvia, directed by Veiko Õunpuu," Kask noted. "It's based on the [Vahur Afanasjev] novel 'Serafima and Bogdan.'"

It's standard industry practice to hire the technical crew from the country where the film is shot, while the creative team and actors are brought in from Estonia. For viewers, it makes no difference where a film was shot — but for the filmmakers and Estonia's economy, it does.

"According to a film-related regulation, if filmmakers receive money from Estonia as the lead producer, they are required to spend 50 percent of that money in Estonia," Ulfsak explained.

While Estonian filmmakers are increasingly looking to neighboring countries when planning new films, fewer and fewer foreign productions are coming to Estonia. That means local filmmakers aren't producing films at home, and foreigners aren't coming here either.

The EFI believes the cash rebate fund that previously attracted major Hollywood projects as well as Nordic movies and series to Estonia needs to be reevaluated and possibly revamped.

"Compared to the peak years, when there was constantly a line at our door, things have clearly changed," said film cash rebate fund chief Nele Paves.

"Funding has gone down and become more uncertain, both in Europe and worldwide," she explained. "On top of that, Estonia has gotten really expensive. That's put us at a disadvantage compared to our neighbors — we're just not competing at the same level as we used to."

International co-productions are an integral part of the film world. What matters most for Estonian film is that the country's own filmmakers get enough work and opportunities to practice their craft.

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