Twenty-five emerging film professionals have been selected for Tallinn Industry Academy and Breaking into the Industry at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event. Joining Discovery Campus for the first time in 2026, the two programmes expand its support for professionals working in producing, distribution, sales, marketing, exhibition and festival programming.
From developing a film project to helping it reach audiences, the programmes focus on different but closely connected parts of the film industry. This November, their participants will come together in Tallinn to learn from experienced professionals, exchange perspectives and build international connections.
Their inclusion brings the number of Discovery Campus programmes to seven, alongside Script Pool, Black Nights Stars, Black Room, Music Meets Film and Frame Within a Frame. Together, they connect emerging professionals across creative and business disciplines, creating opportunities to learn from one another as well as from established industry mentors.
Returning for its third edition, Tallinn Industry Academy welcomes 12 professionals working in film circulation, encompassing distribution, international sales, marketing, exhibition and festival programming.
Taking place from 15–20 November, the programme combines workshops and mentoring with screenings, networking and participation in the wider Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event programme. Participants will explore the challenges facing independent cinema, deepen their understanding of different markets and develop connections with peers and experienced professionals.
Created by the Locarno Film Festival in 2014, the Industry Academy expanded to Tallinn in 2024. Its international network supports a new generation of professionals whose work helps films find audiences across territories and platforms.
The participants of 2026 edition inlcude Aakanksha Jadhav (India), Emilie Bernaud (France), Fanni Földi, Kadi Pajusaar (Estonia), Kätlin Palm (Estonia), Lauma Kaudzite (Latvia ), Marta Luīza Treimane (Latvia), Maximiliano Santana (Mexico), Natasha Jorge-Moore (United Kingdom), Paula Pilauskaitė (Lithuania), Yi Chou (Taiwan) and Zuza Juzek Kopcińska (Poland).
Learn more about the participants and check their professional profiles on Creative Gate.
Breaking into the Industry brings together 13 emerging professionals seeking to develop their producing careers, including those moving into producing from other areas of filmmaking.
Led by Katriel Schory, who brings more than four decades of international film industry experience, the programme takes place from 16–20 November. Through group workshops, individual mentoring and industry activities, participants will explore project development, producer-director relationships and how to present projects to potential funders.
The programme also looks beyond individual projects, encouraging participants to consider their longer-term direction: how to develop a creative identity, build a company and sustain a career in a changing industry. Sessions will be complemented by opportunities to join other Discovery Campus activities and connect with the wider industry gathering in Tallinn.
Breaking into the Industry 2026 participants: Alicja Osiej (Poland), Arda Gökçe (Türkiye), Augustė Puteikytė (Lithuania), Filip Velikov (Bulgaria), Gerard Guillo I Bort (Spain), Kateřina Malečková (Czechia), Kristina Verdo (Latvia / Ukraine), Marianna Clara Thomadaki (Greece), Nora Luīze Semjonova (Latvia), Sezim Adyranova (Kyrgyzstan), Sığla Ünal (Türkiye), Susanna Räim (Estonia) and Uku Pärtel Rand (Estonia).
Meet the participants and explore their professional profiles on Creative Gate.
Discovery Campus is the international education and talent development programme of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, organised in collaboration with international partners. Through dedicated training programmes, workshops and masterclasses, it helps emerging film professionals develop their skills and take the next steps in their careers.