The Baltics’ largest business festival, sTARTUp Day, will celebrate its 10th anniversary on 28–30 January 2026. Tartu Centre for Creative Industries is an official co-organiser of the festival, and for the second year in a row the focus will be on the audiovisual sector.
On 29–30 January, the TCCI demo area will be open, where this time we will showcase the possibilities of virtual production and special effects. In collaboration with Uppercut Studios’ virtual production studio, visitors can see mocap technology in action, and engineer Neeme Vaino will demonstrate his Oscar-winning fire safety gel, Fireskin 360 Naked Burn Gel, which attendees can safely “try on their own skin” and even let themselves be “set on fire”!
On 29 January at 16:00, Uppercut Studio will host a seminar titled “What It Really Takes to Build a Virtual Production Studio?”
On the festival’s main stage, internationally recognised technology and innovation expert Kaur Kallas will give a talk. His LED lighting solutions have been used in films such as Star Wars: Rogue One, Dune, and The Batman. Kaur will discuss how artificial intelligence enables experimentation with creative solutions and how it is transforming workflows in the film industry.
On 30 January at 11:40, the Creative Industries Pitching Competition will take place on the elevator pitch stage, where top creative companies will have the opportunity to present their 3-minute pitch to an international audience and a professional jury. The jury includes:
- Külli Hansen – Director of the Tartu Centre for Creative Industries
- Rain Rannu – screenwriter, film director, investor, and entrepreneur
- Kati Uusi-Rauva – Director of EIT Culture & Creativity North Region
The grand prize is a development grant worth €3000.