MOSCOW — The new Estonian coalition government, formed by the Reform Party, which won the parliamentary election earlier this month, has promised to step up state support for the local film industry.
The country’s government has signed a document, which pledges to develop the Estonian film industry’s technical infrastructure and to support the distribution of local films.
Under the agreement, steps would be taken to also improve the population’s access to cinemas in the country’s regions, while financial support to film production is to be planned several years in advance, as opposed to on an annual basis, as it is now.
The document stipulates also the creation of a children’s and youth film fund within the structure of the Estonian Film Foundation.
The Estonian Film Foundation welcomed the signing of the document. “During the past years, the film industry wasn’t a priority [for the government] and also suffered a lot because of the economic crisis,” Eda Koppel, the organization’s spokesperson, told The Hollywood Reporter. “And we hope it will change.”
She added that the amount of the state support to the national film industry this year will depend upon the government’s annual budget, which is to be discussed in April.
Under the previous government’s plans, the sum earmarked to support film production was supposed to amount to €5.5 million this year.
No concrete figures are mentioned in the document signed by the government.
During the election campaign, the Reform Party pledged to spend €23 million on the digital conversion of the country’s film theaters and the development of the production industry.
