FILMIST Studio took place this year in London, Bradford and Leicester. Young people of Estonian descent from New York and England joined students from Kinomaja Film School in Estonia.
The short documentaries created together tell stories of three Estonian Houses in the UK, which have served as a bridge to the homeland for local Estonians throughout history, as well as of the Estonian Church, which has united Estonians abroad over the years.
These houses were once the only contact that refugee families had with their people and culture, and many heartfelt and important stories are connected to them. These stories will fade into the shadows of history when their narrators are gone. FILMIST Studio UK therefore focused on people who still remember the early days of the houses, as well as those whose growing up and development the houses have played a major role in.
The project was led by documentary filmmakers Madli Lääne, Liina Särkinen, Ranno Kasemaa, Marko Lillemägi and Jon Gill from the UK. What makes FILMIST Studio special is that folk dance is woven into the filmmaking and storytelling process, led by David Truusa and folk musician Kertu-Liis Õnnis. This is why our film screenings always have a slightly more special introduction: the films are introduced by the mentors and the young authors themselves.
The FILMIST Studio project was founded in 2024 by the Estonian Arts Centre KESKUS in Toronto and Kinomaja Film School.
This year’s FILMIST Studio was supported by the National Archives of Estonia, the Estonian Students’ Fund in the USA, Canon Overall, Hollyland, the London Estonian House, the Integration Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
FILMIST Studio took place this year in London, Bradford and Leicester. Young people of Estonian descent from New York and England joined students from Kinomaja Film School in Estonia.
The short documentaries created together tell stories of three Estonian Houses in the UK, which have served as a bridge to the homeland for local Estonians throughout history, as well as of the Estonian Church, which has united Estonians abroad over the years.
These houses were once the only contact that refugee families had with their people and culture, and many heartfelt and important stories are connected to them. These stories will fade into the shadows of history when their narrators are gone. FILMIST Studio UK therefore focused on people who still remember the early days of the houses, as well as those whose growing up and development the houses have played a major role in.
The project was led by documentary filmmakers Madli Lääne, Liina Särkinen, Ranno Kasemaa, Marko Lillemägi and Jon Gill from the UK. What makes FILMIST Studio special is that folk dance is woven into the filmmaking and storytelling process, led by David Truusa and folk musician Kertu-Liis Õnnis. This is why our film screenings always have a slightly more special introduction: the films are introduced by the mentors and the young authors themselves.
The FILMIST Studio project was founded in 2024 by the Estonian Arts Centre KESKUS in Toronto and Kinomaja Film School.
This year’s FILMIST Studio was supported by the National Archives of Estonia, the Estonian Students’ Fund in the USA, Canon Overall, Hollyland, the London Estonian House, the Integration Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The short documentaries created together tell stories of three Estonian Houses in the UK, which have served as a bridge to the homeland for local Estonians throughout history, as well as of the Estonian Church, which has united Estonians abroad over the years.
These houses were once the only contact that refugee families had with their people and culture, and many heartfelt and important stories are connected to them. These stories will fade into the shadows of history when their narrators are gone. FILMIST Studio UK therefore focused on people who still remember the early days of the houses, as well as those whose growing up and development the houses have played a major role in.
The project was led by documentary filmmakers Madli Lääne, Liina Särkinen, Ranno Kasemaa, Marko Lillemägi and Jon Gill from the UK. What makes FILMIST Studio special is that folk dance is woven into the filmmaking and storytelling process, led by David Truusa and folk musician Kertu-Liis Õnnis. This is why our film screenings always have a slightly more special introduction: the films are introduced by the mentors and the young authors themselves.
The FILMIST Studio project was founded in 2024 by the Estonian Arts Centre KESKUS in Toronto and Kinomaja Film School.
This year’s FILMIST Studio was supported by the National Archives of Estonia, the Estonian Students’ Fund in the USA, Canon Overall, Hollyland, the London Estonian House, the Integration Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Info
Rating
(none)
Production year
2026
Global distributor
--
Local distributor
Koolifilm
In cinema
11/1/2026