PÖFF will continue its film-related training program in Ida-Virumaa in 2025, aimed at people from various professions, who wish to work in the film industry, including on film sets.
The programme welcomes participants with various experiences: builders, electricians, seamstresses, photographers, and other active people without specific professional training but who are interested in technical or administrative work in film crews.
Applications for the training program are open until January 10, 2025. A similar program conducted in 2023 was highly successful.
PÖFF director Tiina Lokk explains that the training program aims to help the people of Ida-Virumaa acquire new skills and knowledge alongside their primary profession while also finding new members for film crews, where technical staff is often lacking. "Ida-Virumaa is an attractive filming location for both international and local filmmakers. It seemed logical to offer local people an opportunity to try their hand in the film industry. After the previous successful training period, we are delighted to continue with new sessions and bring fresh talent into the sector," she adds.
The training sessions are part of PÖFF's Discovery Campus continuing education program, which includes specialized training for technical roles in film crews. Estonia's top experts in their respective fields participate as mentors and lecturers. The project's goal is to provide new development opportunities for Ida-Virumaa companies, improve local employment, present the region—traditionally associated with energy and heavy industry—from a fresh perspective, and foster the development of creative entrepreneurship. Additionally, a unique film campus with a film pavilion will be established in Ida-Virumaa in the coming years, requiring more qualified personnel.
The year-long training will select 2–5 companies and up to 60 individuals from the region, creating a network of film industry collaborators in Ida-Virumaa. Upon completion, the new specialists' details will be added to PÖFF's Creative Gate online platform, a year-round sales and promotional platform for Estonia's film and creative industries, services, and tourism.
The training begins with a general course, “Introduction to Film Production,” led by Anneli Savitski, on January 24–25, 2025, at the OBJEKT creative incubator (Linda 2, Narva). Participation in the course is free, but prior registration is required, and most sessions will be held on-site in Narva in Estonian. People from other regions of Estonia may also join if there are vacancies.
Registration for the training is open until January 10, 2025. Register HERE (in Estonian). You can find the programme schedule and terms HERE (in Estonian)
The PÖFF Creative Gate program in Ida-Virumaa is funded by Just Transition Fund.
Header image: Music video filming at Kreenholm Factory in Narva. Photo credit: Anastassia Volkova