The increased sum was proposed by culture minister Tiit Terik (Center) and will be added to an existing one-off payment for 2022.

Terik said that the current, difficult political situation and the need to protect European values was a major consideration behind the move.

Terik said: "Cinema is one of the most effective means of creating cultural dialogue. Film is also by its very nature particularly international. The fact that foreign producers have opted to come to Estonia to make movies, and that interest in our country has skyrocketed, demonstrates that it is safe to do so here. We must amplify this message by all means available."

"Film Estonia aids this by creating high-quality jobs and bringing foreign investment urgently needed to head of crises, to the Estonian economy," Terik went on.

The additional funding will bring Film Estonia's support via the one-off payment for 2022 to €5.4 million.

In most years, funding has stood at around €2 million, but this has risen in more recent years for the reasons given above, as well as rebooting the industry as a whole following the effects of the Covid pandemic.

The boosted funding will bring an extra €11.4 million gross to the economy, or at least €8 million net, it is reported.

Such reimbursement programs are one of the most common mechanisms used worldwide to attract foreign investment, revitalize local tourism and, naturally, the film industry itself, and in turn the entire economy.

One of the most famous movies to have received support via the same fund in Estonia in recent years is the Christopher Nolan-directed "Tenet", filmed in several locations in Tallinn in summer 2019 and premiering the following summer.

Film Estonia falls under the remit of the Estonian Film Institute (Eesti Filmi Instituut), a QUANGO which in turn is under the Ministry of Culture's auspices.

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