RIINA SILDOS
Producer
Riina Sildos established Amrion Productions in 2003 and is active in development and production of high quality feature films and documentaries for local and international cinema and TV markets. Her productions include internationally awarded drama “The Class” (2007, national Oscar nomination in 20017), the box-office hit “I Was Here” (2008), successful animation features „Lotte from Gadgetville“ (2006) and “Lotte and the Moonstone Secret” (2011), both premiered at Berlinale Generations KPlus and dramas “The Poll Diaries” (2010, Germany-Austria-Estonia) and “Hella W” (2011, Finland-Estonia). In 2012, “Une Estonienne a Paris” (Estonia-France-Belgium) premiered at Locarno FF international competition programme.
The latest productions include features by Ilmar Raag “Kertu. Love is Blind“ (2013 Estonia, nominated for 2014 European Film Academy shortlist), “I Won’t Come Back“ (2014 Russia- Belorussia-Estonia-Finland-Kazakstan, premiered at Tribeca IFF), “Pink Cardigan'' (2014 Estonia), children's film "Erik Stoneheart'' (2022) and feature film “Compartment no. 6” (co-production with Finland) which besides many awards received a Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021.
As the former Head of Estonian Film Foundation Riina Sildos has extensive knowledge and experience in international financing and marketing and is one of the most recognized persons in Baltic film industry. She is a national representative of Estonia at EAVE and a member of ACE and European Film Academy. Riina is also the member of the board of international co-production market Baltic Event and the head of B’EST training program.
In 2008, Riina Sildos was awarded the National Honour, the Order of the White Star for outstanding work in Estonian cinema.
MOONIKA SIIMETS
Director
Moonika Siimets (born 1980) graduated from the audiovisual department of Tallinn University, majoring in directing (2006). Moonika has also studied literature and folklore at the University of Tartu. She has participated in Judith Weston's screenwriting and directing master classes in the USA and been an exchange student at University of Central Lancashire in England. Moonika has managed Sleepwalkers, the student and short film festival of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and assisted the animated film festival Animated Dreams.
Moonika's filmography includes documentary films “World Champion" (2009), “Trendy Dog" (2010), "Another Dimension" (2012), short films “Deus ex Machina” (2005), "As Time Goes on" (2012) "The Last Romeo" (2013), “Is it You?” (2013), and “Pink Cardigan” (2014). Her work has been recognised at film festivals both in Estonia and abroad. Moonika is the laureate of the Jüri Sillart "Püha Jüri" award (2013) and the laureate of the Anri Rulkov award (2014).
In 2010, Moonika Siimets received the annual award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia for the films “World Champion” and “Trendy Dog”. Moonika's first full-length feature film “The Little Comrade” (2018) became a domestic box office hit, premiering at Busan IFF where it was awarded the Busan Bank Audience Award, with three Best Film awards in Estonia. 2022 saw the release of her poetic documentary “Two hours to happiness”. She is currently in post production with her second feature film “The Black Hole”, to be released in 2024.
MARTTI HELDE
Director
Martti Helde is an award-winning writer, director and a playwright, born in Estonia. His first feature length period drama In the Crosswind, completed in 2014, received a wide resonance in international media and was awarded as the Best Estonian Film by the Estonian Film Journalists Association.
In September, the same year, the film was selected for the international Toronto Film Festival, making “In the Crosswind” the first Estonian film included in the festival’s main programme.
To this day Martti Helde’s “In the Crosswind” has been screened in many film festivals across the globe and won numerous awards. Martti Helde is a highly valued young author for his daring ideas and innovative approach to the form and language of the film. His creative handwriting is characterized by tying together complex and diverse mediums; as well as Helde’s passion to play with the dramaturgy and form – attributes that are vividly demonstrated in all of his works.
ANDRIS FELDMANIS
Screenwriter
Andris Feldmanis (born 1982) graduated from the philosophy department of the University of Tartu, majoring in history. He has formerly worked as a journalist, the film editor of the cultural pages of the daily Eesti Päevaleht and copywriter at the advertising agency Tank.
Andris, along with co-writer Livia Ulman, has written scripts for TV series “Dangerous Flight” (ETV), “Revenge Office” (TV3), “Home in the Middle of the City"/"Life in the Middle of the City” (TV3), and “Vortex” (TV3). short film by Moonika Siimets “Pink Cardigan” (Amrion), and feature films “Pretenders” by Vallo Toomla (2016, San Sebastian), the Golden Globe nominated and Cannes Grand Prix winning “Compartment No. 6” (2021) by Juho Kusomanen, and family fantasy adventure “Erik Stoneheart” (2022) by Ilmar Raag. 2023 will see the release of the TV-drama series “Estonia” (2023 TIFF Primetime) which was co-written with writer and director Miikko Oikkonen. Currently Andris, together with Livia Ulman, are working on the series “Yours, Margot” by Juho Kuosmanen. In development are the screenplays for the TV-drama series „The Playground“ and the feature films"Masters of the Sea“,and "The Look of Love".
LIVIA ULMAN
Screenwriter
Livia Ulman (born 1982) graduated from the philology department of Tallinn University and works as a freelance screenwriter. Livia has participated in John Bernstein's story workshop and, in the framework of Baltic Event, the script and pitch workshop POWR Baltic Stories Exchange. Additionally, she has studied in TorinoFilmLab's programme Adaptlab.
Livia mostly works with co-writer Andris Feldmanis. She has written scripts for TV series “Dangerous Flight” (ETV), “Home in the Middle of the City"/"Life in the Middle of the City” (TV3), “Revenge Office” (TV3), “Vortex” (TV3), short film “Pink Cardigan” by Moonika Siimtes (Amrion), and feature films “Pretenders” by Vallo Toomla (2016, San Sebastian), the Golden Globe nominated and Cannes Grand Prix winning “Compartment No. 6” (2021) by Juho Kusomanen, and family fantasy adventure “Erik Stoneheart” (2022) by Ilmar Raag. 2023 will see the release of the TV-drama series “Estonia” (2023 TIFF Primetime) which was co-written with writer and director Miikko Oikkonen. Currently Livia, together with Andris Feldmanis, are working on the series “Yours, Margot” by Juho Kuosmanen. In development are the screenplays for the TV-drama series „The Playground“ and the feature films"Masters of the Sea“,and "The Look of Love".