Ilmar Raag

Kuressaare, Estonian SRR, USSR [now Estonia]

Ilmar Raag (born May 21, 1968 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian media executive, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his socio-critical film The Class. He has served as CEO of Estonian Television from 2002 to 2005. He is a well known columnist in many prestigious Estonian newspapers (Postimees, Eesti Päevaleht). He has written many scripts and directed critically acclaimed films, notably August 1991 and The Class.

He received his high school education from Aleksander Mui (:et) secondary school No 2 of Kingissepa. He graduated from University of Tartu in 1997 and received his M.A. degree in screenwriting from Ohio University, the School of Telecommunications (1999). He made internships in Hollywood development departments (New Regency, Phoenix Pictures). His further career took him to the TV management. After being the Head of Acquisitions for Estonian National Television, he was promoted to the Chairman of the Board of the same TV company. In 2002, he staged a play in one of the Estonian theaters (Ugala). At the same time, he started to consult and doctor Estonian feature scripts. In 2004, he wrote two TV feature scripts. He directed one of them - August 1991 as made-for-TV movie for Estonian Television and the other, One More Croissant got the third prize at Hartley Merill International Screenwriting Competition and the support from MEDIA New Talent program.

Eager to continue his filmmaking career, he quit as CEO of Estonian Television and made his first feature film The Class in 2007. Since then he shot a feature in France Une Estonienne à Paris with Jeanne Moreau and Laine Mägi in leading roles, back in Estonia Kertu that was released in 2013 and in Russia I Won't Come Back.