TALLINN, Estonia — Since it was launched more than a decade ago, the Baltic countries have been conspicuously absent from one of Europe’s most influential co-production funds: France’s Aide aux cinémas du monde (ACM). This was openly acknowledged by Michel Plazanet, deputy head of international affairs at France’s National Film Board (CNC), as he opened an industry session at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in the Estonian capital.
“So far the Baltic states haven’t been that successful, but I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of potential,” Plazanet said. “We are doing our best to encourage co-production with France. And of course, one of the best tools is cinémas du monde.”
In an effort to move things forward, the CNC will host an international co-production workshop in Paris in February 2026, welcoming nine Baltic projects – three from each country. The program will pair regional producers with French co-producers and advisors, to guide applicants through ACM’s demanding requirements. The initiative follows the launch of the CinéBaltique festival in Paris in February 2025, which brought some 25 short and feature films to the French capital, marking the first-ever Baltic film event of its kind.
For Baltic producers, the upcoming workshop is a significant opportunity: the fund is among the most competitive and prestigious in Europe, and often serves as a launchpad to A-list festivals.
Founded in 2012, Aide aux cinémas du monde supports feature-length international co-productions involving a French partner. Originally co-run with the Institut Français – a cultural branch of the Foreign Ministry – the program will be fully administered by the CNC from 2026, with a budget increase expected in the coming cycle. Its influence is substantial: of nearly 700 films supported since its creation, two-thirds have premiered in Cannes, Venice, Berlin or Locarno, including 184 titles in Cannes alone.
With a budget of €7 million ($8 million) in 2025, ACM supports around 65 films each year, including approximately 45 production grants and 20 post-production awards. Maximum support reaches €300,000 ($345,000) for production – with average amounts of €150,000 ($172,000) for fiction and €80,000 ($92,000) for documentaries – and €70,000 ($80,000) for post-production, where the average grant is €45,000 ($52,000). Half of all awards are reserved for first and second features through a dedicated selection committee for emerging filmmakers.
To qualify, a project must have a French co-producer and commit to a French theatrical release. Applicants must also submit a finished script in French, a procedural hurdle that has discouraged some international producers but remains non-negotiable. “It is funded by France,” said Plazanet, “and it is a fund for diversity of culture and languages, which means the respect of culture, so we request a script in French, and that’s the first important job of the French co-producer.”
The role of the French partner’s is also key in the selection process, which includes a 20-minute hearing in which only the French co-producer is present. “We don’t want the French co-producer to be just a letterbox – that’s a waste of money,” Plazanet said. “We want them to be on board as early as possible and bring a real input to the film.”
Committees evaluate artistic merit, how early the French partner joined, and the creative or technical contribution of the collaboration.
For the Baltic region, the Paris workshop signals a shift. It comes amid rising cultural visibility of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in Europe since the start of the war in Ukraine.
On the sidelines of the event, Edith Sepp, the head of Estonia’s Film Institute, who moderated the session, told Variety, “We are a priority now because of the political situation,” noting that the geopolitical moment is unsettling but has pushed European institutions to pay closer attention to Baltic filmmakers.
That urgency was echoed by Estonian producer Ivo Felt (“Not Made for Politics,” “Lioness”), who stressed the symbolic weight of cultural cooperation. “Unfortunately, unfortunately, we are really on the border here and we feel that we are getting more attention compared to before the war [in Ukraine] started. This is right because, here, we are basically on the front line. Our weapon is culture, it is filmmaking. And it is very important that we are not left alone here – there are bigger countries in Europe and in the European Union. We are all in this together. It’s not only us on the border,” he said.
Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, which ran alongside the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, wrapped on Nov. 21.
variety.com
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