Biography
Moonika Siimets, born on May 7, 1980, is an Estonian film director known for her acclaimed documentaries, TV series, and short films. In 2010, she was honored with the Cultural Endowment of Estonia for her works World Champion and Trendy Dog. Her debut feature film, The Little Comrade (Seltsimees laps), topped Estonian box offices for five weeks, drawing an audience of 100,000.
Hailing from Tartu, Siimets graduated from Forselius High School in 1999 and pursued Estonian literature and folklore at the University of Tartu. Beginning in 2002, she studied directing at Tallinn University's Department of Audiovisual Art, graduating in 2006. Concurrently, she participated in the Erasmus Programme at the University of Central Lancashire and later completed studies at Judith Weston Studios in Los Angeles.
Starting in 2004, Siimets contributed to numerous documentaries at Estonian Television and directed the series Selgeltnägijate tuleproov (Psychic Challenge) in 2008. Her documentary portfolio includes Report: Green Estonia (2007), World Champion (2009), Trendy Dog (2010), Another Dimension (2012), Is It You? (featured at the Stockholm Film Festival, 2013), and Pink Cardigan (2014).
Her first feature, The Little Comrade, premiered at the 2018 Busan International Film Festival, winning the BNK Busan Bank Award, and was subsequently showcased at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
