02/04/2019 - Besides Moonika Siimets’ film, Ahto. Chasing a Dream, Teofrastus and The Riddle of Jaan Niemand were also among this year’s victors

Director Moonika Siimets picking up the Best Fiction Film Award for The Little Comrade (© Erki Pärnaku/Televeeb)

Yesterday, during a special gala ceremony held in Tallinn, the winners of the Estonian Film and Television Awards were finally announced. The accolades, established two years ago, aim to honour the achievements of national cinema and television, and are organised by the Estonian Film Institute, the country’s Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and Eesti Meedia, the Baltics’ largest private media group. Two 21-person juries selected nominees in 24 categories (12 for film and 12 for television, respectively), whereas in the second round of voting, the winners were determined by both juries. 

This edition saw the triumph of Moonika Siimets’ box-office hit The Little Comrade [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], produced with the support of the Estonia 100 film programme and set in the midst of Stalinism, as well as the success of Jaanis Valk’s debut feature, Ahto. Chasing a Dream [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], a documentary revolving around an adventurer who dreams big and finds himself in the middle of the war and immersed in the turmoil of complex human relationships. For this film, Valk also emerged with the crown of Filmmaker of the Year.

Other notable award-winning productions were Sergei Kibus and Pärtel Tall’s animated flick Teofrastus, and Kaur Kokk’s period drama The Riddle of Jaan Niemand.

Here is the list of the main award winners: 

Best Fiction Film
The Little Comrade [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Moonika Siimets

Best Documentary Film
Ahto. Chasing a Dream [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Jaanis Valk

Best Animated Film
Teofrastus - Sergei Kibus and Pärtel Tall

Best Short Film
Mu liha ja veri - Heilika Pikkov

Best Actress
Ingrid Isotamm - Fire Lily [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Actor
Reimo Sagor - Take It or Leave It [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Director
Moonika Siimets - The Little Comrade

Best Screenplay
Raimo Jõerand, Kiur Aarma and Ari Matikainen – Rodeo [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Estonia/Finland)

Best Cinematography
Joosep Matjus, Atte Henriksson and Janne Henriksson - The Wind Sculpted Land

Best Composer
Tõnu Kõrvits - The Little Comrade

Best Production Design
Pärtel Tall - Teofrastus

Best Sound
Matis Rei - The Riddle of Jaan Niemand

Best Editing
Erik Norkroos, Kersti Miilen and Jaanis Valk - Ahto. Chasing a Dream

Best Costumes
Jaanus Vahtra - The Riddle of Jaan Niemand

Filmmaker of the Year
Jaanis Valk - Ahto. Chasing a Dream

Best TV Series
Litsid: The Whores – Mart Sander

Best TV Actress
Laine Mägi - ENSV

Best TV Actor
Priit Võigemast - Alo 

Best TV Director
Eva Katariina Taimre - Eesti Laul