What Joonisfilm does

Joonisfilm (legal name Eesti Joonisfilm) is an Estonian animation studio established in 1994 following the independence of the Tallinnfilm animation department. The studio specializes in producing animated short films, feature-length films, and TV series, with a catalog of 75+ numbered productions spanning from 1992 to present. Its core content includes the internationally recognized Lotte franchise — a young dog-girl character featured across multiple feature films (Lotte from Gadgetville, Lotte and the Moonstone Secret, Lotte and the Lost Dragons), a TV series (Lotte Journey South), and supporting media — alongside artistic shorts such as Eeva, Operation LARP, Kyiv Cake, Top 10 Things to See, Luna Rossa, and the in-production Facade.

The studio employs multiple animation techniques, including classical drawn animation, stop-motion/puppet animation, digital cutout animation, sand animation, 3D computer animation, and experimental methods such as direct-on-film drawing (used in Dialogos, 2008). Key creative figures include Priit Pärn and Olga Pärn, whose work has shaped both Estonian and international animation, alongside producer Kalev Tamm. The studio collaborates with international co-producers including Miyu Productions (France), National Film Board of Canada, Rija Films (Latvia), YLE (Finland), and Adriatic Animation (Croatia).

Revenue is generated through a combination of one-time licensing of completed films, co-production partnership agreements, transaction fees from theatrical/DVD/VOD distribution, and licensing royalties from TV broadcast deals. End customers span international film festivals, Estonian cinemas, regional broadcasters (ERR), and DVD/VOD distributors, with funding sourced from co-production partners and Estonian public cultural institutions including the Estonian Film Institute, Estonian Cultural Endowment, and Estonian Ministry of Culture. No direct consumer pricing model applies; the studio is grant- and license-financed rather than subscription- or transaction-based with end consumers.

Name

Joonisfilm

Legal name

Eesti Joonisfilm

Website

https://joonisfilm.ee

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Joonisfilm is an Estonian animation studio producing animated short films, feature films, and the internationally recognized Lotte franchise for film festival, theatrical, TV broadcast, and home video distribution markets since 1994.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animated Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Short-Form Animation (Shorts, Web Series) (MPADACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animated Series Production (TV/Streaming) (MPADACAG), Character & Creature Animation (MPADACAE)

Keywords

• Animated film production
• 2D animation studio
• Feature film animation
• TV series animation
• Animation co-production

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Film Production Services: Production of animated films for theatrical release, television, and digital distribution. Studios produce both short films and feature-length animated content.
2. Co-production Partnerships: Joint production agreements with international studios including Miyu Productions (France), National Film Board of Canada, Rija Films (Latvia), YLE (Finland)
3. Film Distribution Rights: Theatrical distribution in cinemas, DVD/VOD release, and television broadcast licensing

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Joonisfilm (Eesti Joonisfilm) is an Estonian animation studio that produces animated short films, feature-length films, and TV series for theatrical release, television broadcast, and DVD/VOD distribution. The studio is best known for the internationally recognized Lotte character franchise and collaborates with international co-producers on major projects. It employs multiple animation techniques including classical drawn animation, sand animation, digital cutout, stop-motion, 3D computer animation, and direct-on-film drawing.

Product overview

Joonisfilm (Eesti Joonisfilm) is an Estonian animation studio established in 1994 after the independence of the Tallinnfilm animation department. The studio specializes in creating animated short films and feature-length productions, particularly the internationally recognized Lotte franchise including Lotte From Gadgetville, Lotte and the Moonstone Secret, and Lotte Journey South. The studio produces works reflecting Estonian culture and animation art innovation, with a portfolio spanning short films, feature films, and TV series across various animation styles including classical drawn animation, 3D animation, cutout animation, and puppet animation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lotte From Gadgetville Feature-length animated kids and family movie about Lotte, a young dog girl living in Gadgetville, where her inventor father Oskar competes in annual invention contests.
• Lotte and the Moonstone Secret Feature-length animated adventure film where Lotte and Klaus discover mysterious moonstones and must find two other stones while being pursued by strangers.
• Lotte Journey South Animated TV series following Lotte and her inventor father Oskar on a journey south to reunite a baby bird with its flock.
• Lotte and the Lost Dragons Feature-length animated film continuing Lotte's adventures in Gadgetville.
• Eeva Animated short film by Morten Tšinakov and Lucija Mrzljak about a sad day at a funeral, featuring dreams that fill in narrative gaps. First Estonian film in the Berlinale Short Film Competition (2023); Oscar shortlist (2023); Emile Award 2024.
• Luna Rossa Animated film by Priit and Olga Pärn exploring themes of observation, love, and the moon, produced in collaboration between Eesti Joonisfilm and Miyu Productions (France). EFTA Best Animated Film Award Nomination 2025.
• Operation LARP Animated short film by Mattias Mälk about a vengeful huntress searching for her husband's lover in a LARP camp while military searches for a lost missile.
• Kyiv Cake Animated short film by Mykyta Lyskov depicting a Ukrainian family's struggles and the challenges they face when a new crisis hits.
• Top 10 Things to See Animated short film by Mihkel Reha following a guided tour group through a seaside old town with world-famous attractions.

Quantifiable outcome

• First Estonian film to reach Berlinale Short Film Competition (Eeva, 2023)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Miyu ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024French animation studio co-producer of Luna Rossa (2024) with Priit Pärn and Olga Pärn. Partnership involves joint creative development and production of animated feature.
• Adriatic AnimationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-producer of Eeva (2022), an animated short film by Morten Tšinakov and Lucija Mrzljak.
• National Film Board of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Co-production partnership for Pilots on the Way Home (2014), a sand animation film by Priit and Olga Pärn. Canadian national film board provided production support.
• Rija Films (Latvia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Latvian co-producer for Lotte feature films including Lotte from Gadgetville (2006) and Lotte and the Moonstone Secret (2011).
• YLE Finnish Broadcasting CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Finnish broadcaster co-producer of Tom & Fluffy series and Karl and Marilyn feature film.
• Estonian Film InstitutecoreOthersGovernment cultural institution providing production funding and support for Estonian film industry including Joonisfilm productions.
• Estonian Cultural EndowmentcoreOthersEstonian government cultural foundation providing funding support for film productions.
• Estonian Ministry of CulturecoreOthersGovernment ministry providing cultural funding and production support for Estonian animation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Miyu Productions: French independent animation studio producing short films and co-produced features. Direct peer as an active co-production partner on Luna Rossa and a structurally similar small-to-mid independent animation outfit with festival orientation.
• Laika: US-based independent stop-motion animation studio producing feature films (Coraline, Kubo, Missing Link). Comparable as an independent studio with signature animation techniques and festival/award-recognized features, though operating at substantially larger scale.
• Breakthru Films: Polish animation studio producing stop-motion features and shorts (Peter & the Wolf, Loving Vincent). Comparable to Joonisfilm as a small Eastern European independent animation studio with international co-productions and award recognition.
• Folimage: French independent animation studio producing animated features, shorts, and TV series (e.g., Raining Cats and Frogs, The Little Prince). Comparable to Joonisfilm as a European independent animation studio with a mixed short/feature/series output and festival focus.
• Cartoon Saloon: Irish independent animation studio producing hand-drawn animated feature films and shorts with multiple Oscar nominations (Wolfwalkers, Song of the Sea). Directly comparable in business model — a small independent studio with strong festival recognition and feature-length ambitions.
• Aardman Animations: UK-based independent animation studio producing stop-motion short films and animated features (e.g., Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep). Comparable to Joonisfilm as an independent studio with a long-running character franchise, festival pedigree, and international co-production model.
• Rija Films: Latvian animation studio and long-running co-production partner for the Lotte feature films. Direct peer as a regional independent animation studio in the Baltic region with overlapping co-production relationships and feature film experience.

Emerging players

• Studio Ponoc: Japanese independent animation studio producing hand-drawn animated features (Mary and the Witch's Flower, Modest Heroes). Comparable to Joonisfilm as an independent animation studio focused on hand-crafted features rather than large-scale industrial production, with festival positioning.

Broad incumbents

• National Film Board of Canada: Canadian public film producer with a renowned animation studio and a major co-production partner on Joonisfilm's Pilots on the Way Home. Comparable as a producer of short animated films with experimental techniques and international festival reputation, but operating at much larger scale as a national institution.

Regional players

• Pannonia Film Studio: Hungarian animation studio with a long history of animated feature films and TV series. Comparable to Joonisfilm as a regional European animation studio with a diversified output across shorts, features, and series, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/loominguline1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Joonisfilm