Estonian Innovation to International Film Stars at PÖFF!
This November tree Estonian success stories PÖFF x ÄIO x tilk! are joining forces at the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, introducing international jury members to award-winning skincare powered by sustainable biotechnology.
As PÖFF celebrates its 30th anniversary, international jury members will receive a special gift showcasing Estonian science, sustainability and innovation: tilk! Skin Booster Bio-Fermented Serum, featuring ÄIO’s fermentation-derived FERMIRA™ RedOil. Inside this bottle is a story of scientific discovery, biotechnology, sustainable ingredients and successful collaboration between two Estonian companies. And the best part? This is not science fiction. It is already a commercially available, internationally award-winning skincare product.
PÖFF30: Bringing the world to Estonia
The 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival takes place from 6. – 22. November 2026, bringing filmmakers, producers, actors, critics and cinema enthusiasts from around the world to Estonia. Founded in 1997, PÖFF has grown into one of Northern Europe’s leading film festivals. Since 2014, it has held FIAPF accreditation as an A-category international film festival, placing it alongside internationally recognised festivals such as Cannes, Berlin and Venice. For three decades, PÖFF has introduced Estonian audiences to world cinema while giving Estonian filmmaking talent an international platform.
This year, we are delighted to contribute another dimension to the story of Estonian creativity: innovation emerging from our laboratories and reaching consumers through sustainable products.
A special gift for international film professionals
During PÖFF30, international jury members will have the opportunity to discover this Estonian innovation firsthand. Together with tilk!, ÄIO has prepared the award-winning Skin Booster Serum as special festival gifts. Each gift will also include a personal message from ÄIO’s Co-founder and CEO, Dr. Nemailla Bonturi, introducing the science and vision behind our ingredients.
Through this cooperation, we introduce international filmmakers and jury members to a different side of Estonia: a country where scientific discoveries become commercial products, deeptech companies think globally and sustainability meets creativity. We believe innovation deserves to be experienced and what better audience than people whose work is built around discovering, evaluating and sharing remarkable stories?
An award-winning serum made in Estonia
Estonian natural skincare brand tilk! was among the first companies to work with ÄIO’s RedOil during its development. Together, we took the ingredient from early formulation trials to a commercially available skincare product. The result is the Skin Booster Serum with Bio-Fermented ÄIO RedOil, Hyaluronic Acid, Algae and Black Currant Seed Oil, launched in April 2026. The serum combines ÄIO’s fermentation-derived RedOil with carefully selected skincare ingredients, demonstrating how biotechnology can become part of everyday beauty routines. The product has already received international recognition at the 2026 Global Green Beauty Awards, the tilk! Skin Booster Serum won GOLD in the Best Natural Moisturiser category.
The award recognises the finished formulation and its performance. Iit is an important milestone demonstrating that novel fermentation-derived ingredients can be successfully integrated into award-winning consumer products. Our collaboration has since expanded with a second commercial product, the Skin Booster Face Cream, combining FERMIRA™ RedOil and ZymaLipid Complex. These launches demonstrate how Estonian research, biotechnology and cosmetic formulation expertise can work together to bring new ingredients to the market.
About ÄIO – Turning Science into Sustainable Ingredients
ÄIO is an Estonian biotechnology company developing a new generation of sustainable fats and oils through fermentation. Founded in January 2022 as a spin-off from Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) by Dr. Nemailla Bonturi and Professor Petri-Jaan Lahtvee, ÄIO was created with a clear mission: to offer sustainable alternatives to conventional plant-based, animal-derived and mineral oils.
Our technology: ÄIO uses proprietary, non-GMO yeast and precision-controlled fermentation processes to transform industrial side streams, including residues from the wood, agricultural and food industries, into valuable fats and oils. Our technology is substrate-agnostic, meaning we can use different raw materials depending on their availability. This approach supports circular production, reduces dependence on conventional agricultural resources and creates new value from materials that would otherwise be underutilised.
Our products: ÄIO has developed three functional cosmetic ingredients:
- FERMIRA™ RedOil: a carotenoid-rich oil with antioxidant properties, supporting skin hydration and barrier function.
- ZymaLipid: a high-purity fatty acid complex that provides structure, texture and a luxurious skin feel.
- Encapsulated oil: a multifunctional lipid powder containing lipids, proteins and other valuable compounds.
All three ingredients have achieved COSMOS, Vegan and NATRUE certifications, supporting their use in certified natural and organic cosmetic formulations. Beyond cosmetics, ÄIO is developing innovative fat and oil ingredients for food applications.
In less than five years, ÄIO has progressed from laboratory research to pilot-scale production, industrial-scale validation and its first commercial products.
- 2022: ÄIO was founded in Tallinn.
- 2024: Raised €6.1 million in seed funding to support technology development and industrial scale-up.
- 2025: Reached a major production milestone with its first one-tonne manufacturing run.
- 2026: Expanded its international distribution network, advanced commercialisation and introduced its first consumer products in cooperation with Estonian cosmetic brands, including tilk! and JOIK. The ingredients are already being tested and formulated by more than 50 companies.
Estonian innovations red-carpet moment
PÖFF brings international culture and storytelling to Estonia. tilk! transforms innovative ingredients into high-quality skincare. ÄIO develops new ways of producing the fats and oils that industries depend on. Each works in a different field, but we share the ambition to create something meaningful in Estonia and bring it to an international audience.
Our sincere thanks go to the PÖFF team for welcoming this collaboration and supporting Estonian innovation, and to tilk! for continuing to turn our scientific developments into products people can experience.
We wish all filmmakers, jury members, guests and festival organisers an inspiring 30th edition of PÖFF!
Discover more:
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival – PÖFF30