TALLINN, Estonia — The Baltic states have been conspicuously absent from France’s Cinéma du Monde (ACM), one of Europe’s most influential co-production funds since its creation more than a decade ago. This was publicly acknowledged by Michel Prasanet, Deputy Director of International Affairs at the French National Film Commission (CNC), during an industry session at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia’s capital.
“So far, the Baltic states have not been very successful, but I am convinced that they have a lot of potential,” Prazanet said. “We are doing our best to promote co-productions with France, and of course one of the best tools is the Cinema du Monde.”
In an effort to move things forward, CNC will hold an international co-production workshop in Paris in February 2026, welcoming nine Baltic Sea projects, three from each country. The program pairs regional producers with French co-producers and advisors to guide applicants through ACM’s stringent requirements. The initiative follows the Cine Baltic Festival held in Paris in February 2025, which brought around 25 short and feature films to the French capital, making it the first-ever Baltic film event of its kind.
The upcoming workshop is an important opportunity for Baltic producers. The fund is one of the most competitive and prestigious in Europe and often serves as a springboard to A-list festivals.
Founded in 2012, Aide aux cinémas du monde supports full-length international co-productions with French partners. The program was initially run jointly with the Institut Français, the cultural department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but from 2026 it will be fully managed by the CNC, with an expected increase in the budget next term. Its influence is so great that of the approximately 700 films it has supported since its inception, two-thirds have premiered in Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno, including 184 in Cannes alone.
With a budget of 7 million euros ($8 million) in 2025, ACM supports approximately 65 films each year, including approximately 45 production grants and 20 post-production awards. The maximum support amount reaches 300,000 euros ($345,000) for production costs, with the average amount being 150,000 euros ($172,000) for fiction, 80,000 euros ($92,000) for documentaries and 70,000 euros ($80,000) for post-production, with an average grant of 45,000 euros. ($52,000). Half of all awards are allocated to first and second films through a dedicated selection committee for new filmmakers.
To be eligible, the project must have a French co-producer and be committed to a French theatrical release. Applicants also have to submit their completed scripts in French, a procedural hurdle that has deterred some international producers from participating, but remains non-negotiable. Plazanet said: “Because it is funded by France and it is a fund for cultural and linguistic diversity, that is, respect for culture, we have requested a script in French, and that is the first important task of our French co-producers.”
The role of the French partner will also be key to the selection process, which will involve a 20-minute hearing with only the French co-producer present. “We don’t want the French co-producer to be just a mailbox. That would be a waste of money,” Plazanet said. “We want them to be involved as soon as possible and bring a real voice to the film.”
The committee will evaluate the artistic merit, how early the French partner was involved, and the creative or technical contribution of the collaboration.
For the Baltic region, the Paris workshop signals a change. This took place amid the growing cultural visibility of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in Europe since the beginning of the Ukraine war.
On the sidelines of the event, Edith Sepp, head of the Estonian Film Institute, who moderated the session, told Variety: “Due to the political situation, we have a priority right now,” noting that despite the volatile geopolitical times, European institutions are urging filmmakers in the Baltics to be more careful.
Estonian producer Ivo Felt (Not Made for Politics, Lioness) echoed that sense of urgency, emphasizing the symbolic weight of cultural cooperation. “Unfortunately, unfortunately, we are really on the border here, and we feel that we are getting more attention than we were before the war (in Ukraine) started. This is the right thing to do, because here we are basically on the front lines. Our weapons are sentences. And it’s very important that we don’t stand alone here. We’re all in this together, we’re not alone in Europe and the EU,” he said.
The Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, held in parallel with the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, ended on November 21st.
