Estonia as a Testbed for the Future of Film and Media 

The article was originally published in Baltic Film magazine. 

The global film and media industry is undergoing a deep structural transformation. Long development cycles, rigid production pipelines, and opaque licensing systems are increasingly misaligned with how content is created, distributed, and consumed today. At the same time, AI-assisted production, interactive formats, and new storytelling models are scaling rapidly — making experimentation not optional, but essential. 

Recent moves by Netflix illustrate this shift clearly. While strengthening its storytelling legacy through iconic IP such as Warner Bros., Netflix is simultaneously investing in future-facing technologies by acquiring the Estonian startup Ready Player Me, focused on digital identity and cross-platform user experiences. Together, these decisions reflect a broader industry logic: the future of film and media is shaped not only by content, but by the tools, platforms, and technologies that redefine how stories are created, distributed, and experienced. 

This is where Estonia has quietly become highly relevant. With its strong technology culture, fast experimentation cycles and startup-driven mindset, Estonia offers a practical testbed where new film and media solutions can be developed, tested and validated in real production environments before scaling internationally. What makes this context distinctive is the close integration of creative production and technological innovation. 

At the centre of this ecosystem is the Tehnopol Startup Inkubaator Film & Multimedia Accelerator. As part of IDA Hub, a film innovation centre whose unique concept brings together the region’s largest film studios, a film industry incubator training production-support professionals, and a film and multimedia accelerator driving technological innovation, the programme connects filmmakers, technologists, and entrepreneurs working at the intersection of storytelling, production, and technology. 

This approach is already visible in the startups active within the accelerator’s portfolio. Alongside SyncHub, rethinking music discovery and licensing for audiovisual content, and IRIS, an AI-powered casting agent streamlining auditions and feedback loops, teams are also addressing everyday production realities. StudioStack helps filmmakers and freelancers move away from spreadsheets and paperwork. At the same time, FilmLink shows how up to 80% of pre-production can be handled in a few clicks when teams and service providers work on a single platform — giving producers back time, budget clarity, and control. These startups are not optimising legacy workflows; they are redesigning core industry mechanics in close connection with real production environments. 

For international studios, platforms, investors, and industry partners, this creates a clear opportunity: direct access to a testbed where new technologies can be piloted, collaborations launched, and future-facing production models explored in practice. 

The Tehnopol Film & Multimedia Accelerator is looking for ambitious new teams eager to contribute to innovation in the film and multimedia industry. 
More information and applications: https://www.startupincubator.ee/en/film-multimedia-accelerator/  

The activities of Tehnopol Startup Incubator’s Film and Multimedia Accelerator are funded by the European Union.