The general chart is topped by the Oscar-winning Latvian animation Flow, directed by Gints Zilbalodis and produced by Latvia’s Dream Well Studio in coproduction with Sacrebleu Productions (France) and Take Five (Belgium), with 76,010 admissions, closely followed by Fränk with 73,000 admissions, Paddington in Peru (43,991 admissions) and Babygirl (41,981 admissions).
The strong first quarter of 2025, anchored by a standout domestic title, may signal a turning point for Estonia's theatrical landscape, where local productions are no longer outliers, but drivers of the box office.
A coming-of-age drama released by HeaFilm on 18 March 2025, Fränk attracted considerable attention from its very first days in cinemas, drawing 6,221 viewers during its opening weekend. By the end of its first week, the audience count had already risen to 14,555. The momentum continued into the second week, with a total of 30,295 admissions recorded. Within its first month, the film reached an impressive milestone, amassing a total of 64,328 admissions. Till 23 April 2025, the film has drawn over 70,000 viewers, making it the most-watched Estonian title of the year so far, surpassing Jan Uuspõld Goes Home (34,739) and Rebel with a Bow Tie (24,380).
Beyond audience appeal, the growing popularity of Fränk may represent a crucial turning point in the trajectory of Estonian cinema.
The first quarter of 2025 proved an overall positive shift in cinema-going habits across Estonia. According to data from the Estonian Film Institute, national film theatre attendance rose by 1.6 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 653,318 admissions. This growth reflects both an interest for cinema and a much needed encouraging turnout for domestic productions, which accounted for 23.13 percent of all viewers.
"Three consecutive weekends of growth is virtually unheard of in Estonia. It speaks volumes about the film’s power to engage and spread through word-of-mouth," noted EFI analyst Eveli Raja. "It's even more gratifying to see that the audience is increasingly driven by an Estonian story."
Despite higher attendance, box office revenue slightly dipped by 3.9 percent, totaling 4.75 m EUR. This is largely due to the popularity of family-friendly fare, including children’s and youth films, which are typically priced at a discount. The average ticket price fell from 7.68 to 7.27 EUR year-on-year.
