The French Institute of Estonia was founded in 1992 in Tallinn to promote cultural, scientific, academic and language cooperation between France and Estonia.
The main mission of the French Institute of Estonia is to promote French culture in Estonia. To this end, it sets up numerous cultural and artistic cooperations, particularly in the fields of contemporary music, theatre, cinema, design, architecture, urban planning and, more generally, in all creative industries. The French institute organizes each year the Night of Ideas under the high patronage of the French Institute and the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. It also supports a wide variety of events in Estonia, like the venue of French artists to Estonia or annual events. Concerning music, it has supported Jazzkaar, Viljandi Folk Festival and also Guitar, Piano and Clavecin festivals. For movies, several events are supported by the French Institute: the Documentary Film Festival in Pärnu et Matsalu, DocPoint in Tallinn, Wilcom in Viljandi, PÖFF in Tallinn, HÖFF in Haapsalu or the Tartu World Film Festival are supported yearly. The French Institute also works with the Estonian national broadcaster in order to promote French cinema in Estonia.
Promotion of french and francophone literature
An online media library is available to the public since 2014: Culturethèque. This digital portal provides access to many resources in French throughout Estonia. The Institute works closely with translators and publishing houses wishing to translate and publish French literature. Translators can submit an application for a grant from the Centre national du livre that will allow them to stay in France to carry out a translation project.
French language
The teaching of French as a foreign language represents an important part of the Institute's activity; there are nearly 1000 registrations each year. The French Institute offers language courses for all levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, from A1 to C2. The Institute is an accredited official examination centre where it is possible to pass and obtain a French language certification such as DELF-DALF. The teaching of French at the Institute is certified by the Estonian Ministry of Education. The Institute has relations with all Estonian schools that teach French. For Tallinn, this includes:
The Institute helps Estonian students and researchers when they are conducting research in France. A space is dedicated to Campus France, in the premises of the IFE; it is an information centre for higher education and French courses in France. A performance is held every week.
Digital cooperation
The creation of a digital innovation cooperation in 2016 has made it possible to implement a strategy to promote French expertise in the field of digital and bring together decision-makers and civil society of the two countries. This strategy has three objectives:
Raise awareness among the Estonian public of French expertise on promising digital issues in both countries
Facilitate cooperation between French and Estonian decision-makers
Bring civil societies closer together and facilitate their cooperation
Directors of the French Institute of Estonia and cultural advisor
