The first phase, which will include the construction of the film studios, will be completed in 2022. It will be followed by a second phase, which includes spaces for auxiliary services for film production and offices. The long-term plan includes the addition of an urban space along with residential and commercial buildings.
“The Tallinn Film Wonderland project is an excellent example of successful cooperation between the public and private sectors, which has a positive impact on the local creative economy,” said Tallinn Deputy Mayor Aivar Riisalu. “It’s clear that many international film production companies and directors are very interested in filming in this region. We must seize this opportunity and reap the benefits. Tallinn Film Wonderland is a noteworthy step toward promoting this business sector.”
The City of Tallinn will invest almost 5 million EUR in the project through AS Tallinna Tööstuspargid, with the objective of promoting economic growth and creating new jobs in the cultural field. The next phases will include office space as well as accommodations and eateries.
According to Gren Noormets, the managing director of Tallinn Film Wonderland, the film production complex is the most modern and largest in the region. The total area of the property is 57,000 square metres and the building footprint of the studio complex is about 3,500 square metres. There will be three studios in the building with a total area of 2,900 square metres. The largest of them will be 1,200 square metres in area and the ceiling will be 14 metres high. The City of Tallinn will build the studio boxes and the necessary infrastructure.
According to Edith Sepp, a board member of the Estonian Film Institute, the film complex can also play an important role in the development of the Estonian film industry. “The lack of technical possibilities will no longer be a problem, since the largest studio complex in the Baltics will eliminate any stumbling blocks that have prevented local, as well as foreign, producers from filming their projects in Estonia. Such an undertaking has a positive impact, and provides many totally new possibilities for realising one’s film ideas,” Sepp added. Along with Estonia’s cash rebate system, the opening of the film studio complex has been greatly anticipated and has also been an important sales argument for attracting investments to the region.
