Three countries, Finland, Estonia
and Latvia, forming one alliance,
one joint film region
Whole new level of audiovisual
services for GLOBAL filmmakers
Magnificent seven
1. DIVERSE AND UNIQUE NATURE
The region's pristine nature is one of Europe's best-kept secrets. In fact, its wild beaches in Latvia and Estonia, snowy fells and primeval birch forests are brimming with never before-used natural locations just waiting to be discovered. With five distinct seasons, including Estonia's unique flat relief flood season, the region has a setting for every shot.
What's more, nearly round the clock sunlight in summer can grant extra shooting time up to 5 "magic hours" and winter darkness can set the perfect mood. Finnish Lapland's guaranteed snow makes scheduling winter shots more reliable, too.
2. ARCHITECTURE FOR EVERY SCENE
Thanks to a rich history of Russian and Nordic influence, the NSFA region has an architectural backdrop for every scene. It offers everything from medieval towns and Tsarist cathedrals to gritty Soviet-era sites and contemporary cities, which are perfect for period films and modern Russian scenes alike.
3. EXCELLENT TRANSPORTATION
As the European hub for travel to Asia, Helsinki offers the most direct flights to and from Asia, as well as easily accessible flights to Europe, Africa, and North America. Riga airport is another hub in the region offering over 100 direct flight destinations. Fantastic transport links within the region via train, plane and car make travelling fast, easy and reliable, too. On top of that, Finland, Latvia and Estonia all welcome ships into their capital city docks daily, with the Port of Tallinn serving over 10 million passengers a year.
4. AMAZING FILM PROFESSIONALS
Estonia, Finland and Latvia are home to highly educated, skilled professionals committed to their craft. Local companies offer 360° production, which puts a vast array of skills at the fingertips of the filming guest. And if even more flexibility is needed, it's no problem-the ability to use additional capacity from regional partners means there are always skilled pros nearby to fulfil the needs. What's more, the region's English fluency makes it easy to work with the local workforce and highly effective work attitude grants sudden troubleshooting for every challenge.
5. COST-EFFECTIVE PRODUCTION
All three countries feature a competitive cost base. Parts of the region are significantly cheaper to film in than many other parts of the world, and fantastic incentives make filming even more affordable. Finland, for example, offers eligible productions a 25% cash rebate, while Estonia offers up to 30% back. Latvia, meanwhile, offers up to 50% in co financing. Participants will get their rebates back within a month to be used for example for post-production processes. Happily, getting a shooting permit is a simple, hassle-free process with minimal red tape and bureaucratic hoops to jump through.
6. WORLD-RENOWNED PEACE AND QUIET
Finland, Estonia and Latvia, which all belong to the European Union, are among the world's safest and most politically stable countries. In fact, the World Economic Forum has even named Finland the world's happiest country two years in a row. Cities are safe and easy to navigate, and if you're looking for peace and quiet for a secret shoot, you've found it-with small populations and plenty of space, all three countries offer lots of locales away from the bustle of busier hubs.
7. TOP-NOTCH TECHNOLOGY
The NSFA region is a world-leader when it comes to technology and home to the world's best drone pilots, making it perfect for bird's-eye shots. Internet speeds are among the fastest and most reliable in the world and the entire region has incredible telecommunications. You can expect 4G coverage even in the middle of an untouched forest, and 5G network is already launched in major areas. It's no wonder the region is famed for its efficient digital culture and why the countries are on international top level for business environment.
PARTNERS:
Content Link Block
Finland:
Main partner: City of Helsinki
Associate partner and cash rebate organisation: Business Finland
Latvia:
Main partner: Riga City Council
Associate partner and cash rebate organisation: National Film Center of Latvia
Associate partner: Film Service Producers Association of Latvia