BFM and Tehnopol Film and Multimedia Accelerator join forces: Entrepreneurship practice enters film education

The Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (BFM) of Tallinn University and the Tehnopol Science and Business Park are launching a collaboration to bring entrepreneurship and innovation practices into film education. As part of a new pilot project, BFM’s crossmedia bachelor students will have the opportunity to complete their internship by participating in the Tehnopol Startup Incubator’s Film and Multimedia Accelerator program, IDA Hub. There, they will develop their ideas in a real-life business environment and earn academic credits for their work.

The collaboration between BFM and Tehnopol allows students to combine creative thinking with entrepreneurial skills and to build their own company during their studies. Students will go through the accelerator program under the same conditions as all other startups – they must have a team, a scalable business idea in the field, a legal entity, and at least an MVP or prototype. No exceptions are made in the entry requirements or in the level of commitment expected.

“Collaboration with IDA Hub reflects exactly what we aim for with the BFM Entrepreneurship Hub – it’s the intersection of creativity, collaboration, and innovation that builds a bridge between students and industry professionals. This kind of partnership is an ideal breeding ground for new ideas and ventures,” said Professor Ulrike Rohn, Head of the BFM Entrepreneurship Hub.

According to Alessandro Nanì, Associate Professor of Crossmedia at BFM, student interest in entrepreneurship is steadily increasing. “The cooperation with the IDA Hub accelerator offers our entrepreneurially minded students an excellent opportunity to experience what an entrepreneur’s everyday life looks like and to start building and developing a company alongside their studies,” said Nanì.

The six-month accelerator program helps uncover the business potential of creative ideas, enabling startups to reach market readiness faster and get closer to securing investment. The practical program includes regular mentoring from an experienced lead mentor, a seven-part training series, access to expert mentors, community events, and open office space in Tallinn or, in the future, Jõhvi. Students completing the program will receive the same number of credits as for a traditional internship, but with significantly more responsibility – instead of following instructions, they take full ownership in building their own company.

“BFM is a place full of creative ideas and energy, but students often lack knowledge about entrepreneurship and how to build a company based on a tested idea or prototype. The film and multimedia sector is evolving rapidly, and our goal is to help young creators think big, experiment boldly, and see their ideas not only as artistic expressions but also as potential sources of business and impact,” said Olga Kurdovskaja, Program Manager of the Film and Multimedia Accelerator.

Anne-Liisa Elbrecht, Head of the Tehnopol Startup Incubator, added that Tehnopol was created to support innovation and technology entrepreneurship. “Our collaboration with BFM helps bring those values into the creative sector, transferring startup knowledge and networks to students full of ideas and potential. This pilot project introduces a completely new form of internship while also bringing new skills and connections to the region, building a bridge between Tallinn’s creative education and the developing entrepreneurial ecosystem of Ida-Viru County,” said Elbrecht.

The Film and Multimedia Accelerator operates as part of IDA Hub’s film innovation center in Ida-Viru County, which aims to unite creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship. The program’s activities are supported by the European Union’s Just Transition Fund to help diversify the economy of Ida-Viru County and boost regional development. The partners of the IDA Hub film innovation center are the Ida-Viru Investment Agency and the Ida-Viru Entrepreneurship Center.