Moonika Siimets is a renowned Estonian film director, born on May 7, 1980, whose impressive body of work includes award-winning documentaries, television series, and short films.
Throughout her illustrious career, Siimets has received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Cultural Endowment of Estonia for her outstanding work on World Champion and Trendy Dog in 2010. Her feature film debut, The Little Comrade (Seltsimees laps),captivated audiences and held the top spot in Estonia for an impressive five weeks, attracting a massive 100,000 viewers.
Born in Tartu, Siimets pursued her education at the Forselius High School, graduating in 1999. She then went on to study Estonian literature and folklore at the University of Tartu. From 2002, Siimets attended the Department of Audiovisual Art at Tallinn University, where she majored in directing in 2006. In parallel, she took advantage of the Erasmus Programme to attend classes at the University of Central Lancashire. Her educational journey culminated with her studies at the Judith Weston Studios in Los Angeles.
Siimets' professional journey began in 2004, when she worked on a series of documentary films for Estonian Television. Her notable works include the documentary series Selgeltnägijate tuleproov (Psychic Challenge) in 2008, as well as documentaries such as Report: Green Estonia (2007),World Champion (2009),Trendy Dog (2010),Another Dimension (2012),Is It You? (Stockholm Film Festival 2013),and Pink Cardigan (2014).
The Little Comrade, Siimets' first feature film, made its debut at the Busan International Film Festival in 2018, where it received the esteemed BNK Busan Bank Award. The film later screened at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, solidifying Siimets' position as a prominent figure in the world of Estonian cinema.
