[9] The first Estonian documentary was created by Johannes Pääsuke in 1912 that was followed by a short film Karujaht Pärnumaal (Bear Hunt in Pärnumaa) in 1914.

[11] Luts was also responsible for directing the only Estonian sound feature made before Soviet era, an Estonian-Finnish co-production Päikese lapsed (1932).

In late 1930s, Academy Award nominated Miliza Korjus best known for a role in The Great Waltz (1938), daughter of an Estonian lieutenant colonel in the Imperial Russian Army and later Chief of Staff to the War Minister of Estonia, had a successful career in Hollywood film industry[12] The first Estonian animated short film Kutsu-Juku seiklusi was made in 1931.

The movie set the absolute box office record for the entire Soviet Union at the time by selling 44,9 million tickets.

The film also influenced Estonian literature: 2 short stories listed for the Friedebert Tuglas award in 1970-75 included references to the Last Relic.

Another milestone in Estonian Cinema released in 1969 was Arvo Kruusement's Kevade (Spring) based on Oskar Luts popular novel.

The most prominent female director Leida Laius who emerged during the era is best known for her Kõrboja peremees (1979) and Naerata ometi (1985) receiving at the Berlin International Film Festival UNICEF Award in 1985.

Production of Minu Leninid (All My Lenins) (1997) a parody of Soviet Revolution by Hardi Volmer marked a turnaround for Estonian feature films.

Since then, the trend has also been towards joint film productions such as Peeter Simm's Head käed (Good Hands) (2001) a joint Estonian-Latvian coproduction that in 2002 won the Manfred Salzgeber Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Golden Olive Tree Lecce Festival of European Cinema in Italy.

The most commercially successful Estonian film in 2002 was Nimed marmortahvlil (2002) (Names in Marble) by Elmo Nüganen and in 2003 a comedy by Rando Pettai Vanad ja kobedad saavad jalad alla (Made in Estonia) that in Estonia topped the international blockbuster The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers with its box office results.

[11] In 2004, two young directors emerged Jaak Kilmi and René Reinumägi with their Sigade revolutsioon (Revolution of Pigs) that won the Special Jury Prize and was nominated for Golden St. George at the Moscow International Film Festival, and for Grand Prix Asturias at the Gijón International Film Festival.