Veiko Õunpuu, a renowned Estonian film director and screenwriter, was born on March 16, 1972, in the picturesque island of Saaremaa.
Best known for his unique and artistic movies, Õunpuu's films often feature slow-paced narratives and eccentric characters.
In 2006, he wrote and directed the independent short film "Empty", followed by the adaptation of Mati Unt's novel "Autumn Ball" in 2007, which won the prestigious Horizon Award at the 64th Venice International Film Festival, a feat that remains unmatched in Estonian film history.
His second feature drama, "The Temptation of St. Tony", premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010 and was selected as Estonia's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards, although it did not make the final shortlist.
Õunpuu's subsequent feature films, "Free Range" (2014) and "Roukli" (2015),premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and Tokyo International Film Festival, respectively.
In addition to his film work, Õunpuu has also ventured into stage direction, having worked at the NO99 theatre in Tallinn, Estonia. His notable stage direction credits include Rainer Werner Fassbinder's "City, Garbage and Death" in 2010 and Bertolt Brecht's "Mother Courage" in 2016.
