EVENT Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event – Focusing on Resilience

TV Beats Forum welcomes several knowledgeble speakers to discuss the burning topics in the series market.

The 21st Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event continues to present film and series projects and encourages business and networking.

Focusing on Resilience

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event (I@T&BE), the busiest business platform in the region for audiovisual industry professionals, welcomes participants in pre-Christmas Tallinn from 20th to 25th of November 2022.

By Egle Loor Photos by Raul Mee, Janis Kokk and Lilli Tölp

According to Marge Liiske, the head of Industry@Tallinn& Baltic Event, the tendency over the last events is that people are eager to meet and network face-to-face. “Therefore, we will welcome people in Tallinn and focus on the networking part onsite. Nevertheless, professionals who cannot take a trip to Estonia can check out the projects, set up meetings and enjoy the conference program, panels and talks also online.”

With the war in Ukraine, the soaring energy crisis, and a looming economic bubble burst affecting the distribution, exhibition and streaming sector, the European independent industry is potentially heading into a wide-reaching downturn. “Thus, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, in its 2022 edition, will explore and seek solutions for how European independent and small production countries can most effectively address the impending crisis to soften and mitigate its effects. It will explore alternative production, financing, and audience engagement strategies, and take a hands-on approach to sustainability and greening, sharing best practices across the continent. The program will feature case studies and exchanges with industry leaders to reflect on their tools, strategies, and experiences from the last bubble a decade ago. The agenda will also aim to establish highly personalized formats between European creators and innovators to discover solutions for the industry’s ongoing challenges,” Liiske added.

The conference programme of the 21st Industry@Tallinn& Baltic Event includes highly appreciated features such as TV Beats Forum, focusing on getting TV series out there during challenging times, with insightful talks and case studies. Co-financed by the European Commission, Industry Innovation Forum Tallinn 2022 Sustaining Resilience and Foresight for Europe brings together executive-level policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators to explore, debate, and outline new policy and business framework for the audiovisual industry.

The summit also takes a close look at sustainability and green production, the

key principles involved in creating magical films. The Capacity Building Seminar: sustainability in the audiovisual industry, organised by FIAPF, free of charge and open to everyone working or interested in environmental sustainability in the film and TV industry, will take a closer look at sustainability in European audiovisual sector. “Involving the sustainability mindset in filmmaking is growing on us quite fast. I@T&BE is a good place to get to know about the opportunities and technologies that we can use in future projects,” Liiske added.

The programme also includes various roundtables, case studies and presentations on hot topics in the film industry, i.e. a panel on building a film community in exile organized in collaboration with Northern Lights Nordic Baltic Film Festival in Belarus, and a panel

taking a closer look at the current situation of Ukrainian filmmakers, co-organised by the Odessa International Film Festival and the Ukrainian Film Academy.

FIRSTLY, A PLACE FOR BUSINESS As for the last two decades, I@T&BE continues to be a good place for business. The programme includes market activities and one-to-one meetings for several project categories: Baltic Event co-production market, Works in Progress presentations with a special Ukraine Today section, Script Pool competition, TV Beats Co-Financing market, European Genre Forum, and MIDPOINT Series Launch and MIDPOINT Smash Cut.

“We all know the high value of meeting people in person, but in addition to gathering in Tallinn, professionals who are not able to come to the event are invited to set up virtual meetings,” said Liiske.

As this year’s focus country is Israel, I@T&BE welcomes a delegation of Israeli film professionals looking to network and present various film projects in its market section. In addition, there is a presentation and panel discussion featuring Israeli speakers. During The Black Nights Film festival, guests are welcome to enjoy a selection of Israeli films in the cinemas.

BLACK NIGHTS DISCOVERY CAMPUS – NOT ONLY FOR TALENTS Besides market activities and conferences, I@T& BE focuses on continuing education with its Black Nights Discovery Campus - this year focusing on young actors and actresses, costume designers, composers, scriptwriters, directors and producers. Black Nights Discovery Campus gathers together established programmes like Music Meets Film, Black Nights Stars, Black Room and Script Pool under one umbrella, and presents various new talents in the region so film professionals could keep an eye on them. In addition to live events and workshops carried out in Tallinn by award-winning film professionals, available also online, the programme will provide various online courses by well-known mentors throughout the year.

During this edition, Black Room attracts costume designers with workshops and case studies by renowned costume designer Manon Rasmussen who has designed film costumes for more than 85 feature films. Music Meet Film, primarily intended for film-scoring composers and filmmakers, welcomes composer William Goldstein as the main speaker. One of the expected highlights will be an Instant Scoring Concert at the Arvo Pärt Centre,

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event 2022 hosts various talk on hot topics including the Capacity Building Seminar that will take a closer look at sustainability in European Audiovisual Sector.

where Goldstein together with local musicians will create a score for a film on site. For the second year, Music Meets Film hands out an MMF award designed to support and promote talented young composers from all around the world. Script Pool targeted at emerging scriptwriters-directors and producers, consists of different workshops, masterclasses, and fireside chats designed especially for their area of expertise. Fresh cooperation with the International Screen Institute brings three tailor-made workshops to the audience: how to pick the right sales company, tips on sales and distribution agreements, and how to design your festival strategy. Black Nights Stars presents eight talented actors from the Baltic Sea and Ukraine in a three-day program to support young actors on their journey into the international film industry arena. Actors will have meetings with international casting directors and talent agents, and participate in various workshops and panels, all designed to enrich them with new skills, contacts and information, that can give them access to new opportunities in their careers.

The programme of the 21st I@T&BE, involving over 100 lectures, masterclasses and talks, takes a few steps closer to the future, as producers are invited to pitch against AI, film production management web app Yamdu presents the future of film production, and The Tallinn Narrative Planet Retreat discusses how to keep integrity during a crisis, and be a conscious and sustainable agent of change across all the audiovisual/media/ culture ecosystem.

Check out the programme: industry.poff.ee EF