Ilmar Raag, a multifaceted Estonian media executive, actor, screenwriter, and film director, was born on May 21, 1968, in Kuressaare, Estonia.
Raag received his high school education from Aleksander Mui secondary school No 2 in Kingissepa, and later graduated from the University of Tartu in 1997 with a degree in screenwriting. He furthered his education by earning his Master of Arts degree in screenwriting from Ohio University's School of Telecommunications in 1999.
Raag's professional journey began with internships in Hollywood development departments, including New Regency and Phoenix Pictures. He then transitioned to television management, serving as the Head of Acquisitions for Estonian National Television before being promoted to Chairman of the Board.
In addition to his management roles, Raag has also pursued a career in the arts. He staged a play at the Ugala theater in Estonia and consulted on Estonian feature scripts. He wrote two TV feature scripts, one of which, August 1991, was directed as a made-for-TV movie for Estonian Television. His other script, One More Croissant, won the third prize at the Hartley Merill International Screenwriting Competition and received support from the MEDIA New Talent program.
Raag's passion for filmmaking led him to quit his CEO position at Estonian Television and direct his first feature film, The Class, in 2007. Since then, he has shot a feature film in France, Une Estonienne à Paris, starring Jeanne Moreau and Laine Mägi, and has also worked on films in Estonia, including Kertu, released in 2013, and I Won't Come Back in Russia.
