The film industry needs technology and your idea could be the next big breakthrough. Apply now to the Film and Multimedia Accelerator!

The Tehnopol Film and Multimedia Accelerator, which is part of the IDA Hub film campus being developed in Jõhvi, is looking for new and ambitious teams who want to drive innovation in film production and multimedia work.

The news last week that the building contract for the Jõhvi film campus had been signed was very exciting for us and for our partners. The doubters who said that Ida-Virumaa could not be a base for new technology and a major platform for cinematic advances have been shown to be mistaken. Technology develops so fast that a technological approach can achieve a great deal without anyone needing to go anywhere near Hollywood.

Head of the Tehnopol Film and Multimedia Accelerator programme Olga Kurdovskaja is convinced that IDA Hub can be not just a film studio but also a real platform for technological innovation and for developing startups, and many experts in film and technology agree with her. A panel at the JobFair 2025 organised by kood/Jõhvi in Jõhvi identified a lot of key points that must be grasped by those who want to do more than just dream and want to take the development of film into their own hands.

The famous producer Madis Tüür of Münchhausen Film drew a parallel between the startup world and film production, emphasising that Estonia already has experience of working on large international projects. There is no sense in thinking about building a new Hollywood in Estonia though.

“That would be unrealistic and unnecessary and our main opportunity lies in offering something different. The Baltics have their own strengths in our nature, our industrial architecture, our new technological solutions and our flexibility. We don’t need to build some pointless studio as an exact copy of Los Angeles, but we should create something that Hollywood and the other big international film markets need”, he explained.

Olga Kurdovskaja is certain that development in the technology sector is not only the future of cinema, but also gives new perspectives to young people. Young people have said that they want to work in an innovative environment with attractive salaries and modern working conditions. “We are not directly creating jobs but we are providing the knowledge, tools and support that can help people launch their own projects and find a place in the new technological ecosystem. We are already offering the opportunity of attending the accelerator programme in Ida-Virumaa, learning from the best mentors and experts, and breaking into international markets”, she said.

“I have been asked what the point is in creating new solutions when there are already so many out there. It is hard to agree with that opinion though. There are a lot of solutions out there, just as there are a lot of films, but not every film will win an Oscar. Our programme is up and running, the application round is open, and your idea may be the one that makes the next leap forward in the film industry. Applications to the accelerator are open until 16 March”, she commented, adding that the key criteria for selection are that there must be a technological idea and a team of at least two people with a prototype of their solution, though the prototype does not have to be fully functional.

“We have tested and updated the accelerator programme and we now have seven modules instead of six as we have added training in artificial intelligence because we see that the new technology is entirely changing the rules and the processes. There is no way we can ignore AI. It is important that we understand how it works and also the opportunities, challenges and risks it brings”, she stressed.

The programme lasts six months and contracts can be extended for a further six months. Each team has a dedicated mentor, access to experts in the field and the international connections they bring, and the chance to massively increase the scalability of their product.

“It is important to understand that the Estonian market is very small and so as soon as our teams are ready for investment or to to enter foreign markets, we help them in every way we can”, explained Kurdovskaja.

She underlined that the Tehnopol accelerator programme is not only for launching startups, as it is also an excellent chance to learn, to gain new skills and to make contacts in the industry.

“Salaries are high in the technology sector, and it is a great benefit that technology companies are being established in our region. We can only gain from training successful people and professional specialists, and indeed the whole economy gains from it”, she observed.

The mentors and experts at the Tehnopol film and multimedia accelerator are highly experienced and have international connections that can help lift your startup to the next level. Those experts include Tiina Lokk, the founder of PÖFF; Esko Rips, producer at Nafta Films; Indrek Kasela, an angel investor; Pelle Vellevoog, a film and multimedia expert; Katre Valgma, marketing director of Acme Film Eesti; Maarit Mäeveer-Eller, founder of Votemo; Kaspar Kallas, a film and multimedia expert; and Lev Dolgatsjov, an angel investor.

IDA Hub brings together film, technology and business, providing knowledge and skills, and access to international networks to help make your startup firm into a global phenomenon.

Apply now and take your startup into a new dimension.

The Tehnopol Film and Multimedia Accelerator is funded by the European Union.