"This cow is mine!" 606 Distribution has unveiled an official UK trailer for an Estonian animated comedy called The Old Man Movie: Lactopalypse, originally known as Vanamehe film or The Old Man: The Movie. Based on a popular Estonian web series, The Old Man Movie: Lactopalypse is the most outrageous, crowd-pleasing, stop-motion comedy in years. An outrageous road movie about The Old Man and his three grand-kids in a race against time to stop a milky madman hell bent on killing his prized cow to save the world. The kids and the Old Man have 24 hours to find and milk the rogue bovine before its exponentially expanding udders bring about the "Lactopalypse". Ha. Featuring the voices of Märt Avandi, Reio Blond, & Meriiyn Elge. The film won The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation at Fantasia in 2020, and first opened in Estonia in 2019, finally finding intl. distribution this year. It...
- 3/24/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: A number of Estonia’s top creative talents are partnering with streamer Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent Group) to create the first Estonian Viaplay Original.
Helmed by director René Vilbre and written by Birk Rohelend, the crime drama Who Shot Otto Mueller? will star Jaan Rekkor, Tambet Tuisk and Märt Avandi, and will premiere exclusively on Nent Group’s Viaplay streaming service in Estonia and across the Baltic region.
Vilbre’s recent credits include the hit Class Reunion trilogy, which are among the highest-grossing films in Estonian cinema history. His next film, Estonian Funeral, will be released late summer. Novelist Rohelend is creator of one of Estonia’s biggest TV series, The Pillowclub, currently in its 14th season, along with hit local dramas The Trap, Wicked Girls and Restart.
The series will follow a famous businessman and former Soviet wrestling star who is found murdered in his manor on his 65th birthday.
Helmed by director René Vilbre and written by Birk Rohelend, the crime drama Who Shot Otto Mueller? will star Jaan Rekkor, Tambet Tuisk and Märt Avandi, and will premiere exclusively on Nent Group’s Viaplay streaming service in Estonia and across the Baltic region.
Vilbre’s recent credits include the hit Class Reunion trilogy, which are among the highest-grossing films in Estonian cinema history. His next film, Estonian Funeral, will be released late summer. Novelist Rohelend is creator of one of Estonia’s biggest TV series, The Pillowclub, currently in its 14th season, along with hit local dramas The Trap, Wicked Girls and Restart.
The series will follow a famous businessman and former Soviet wrestling star who is found murdered in his manor on his 65th birthday.
- 4/22/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
MaryAnn’s quick take… The true story of an Estonian sports hero offers a lovely twist on a familiar tale. A cinematic triumph from a nation that’s been missing from the global film stage. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
It’s a familiar sort of tale, but in a setting we haven’t seen before: Reluctant teacher ends up inspiring underdog kids to succeed in a sport they have no prior experience in… in early 1950s Estonia, the Baltic republic annexed by the Soviet Union during World War II and suffering under Stalin’s harsh regime. Endel Nelis (Märt Avandi), in hiding from the secret police (he’s wanted for a completely unjust reason) in the small town of Haapsalu, takes a job teaching phys ed in the local secondary school; it’s...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
It’s a familiar sort of tale, but in a setting we haven’t seen before: Reluctant teacher ends up inspiring underdog kids to succeed in a sport they have no prior experience in… in early 1950s Estonia, the Baltic republic annexed by the Soviet Union during World War II and suffering under Stalin’s harsh regime. Endel Nelis (Märt Avandi), in hiding from the secret police (he’s wanted for a completely unjust reason) in the small town of Haapsalu, takes a job teaching phys ed in the local secondary school; it’s...
- 11/30/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
The Fencer (2015 – directed by Klaus Härö) screens Friday November 17th through Sunday November 19th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts each evening at 7:30pm.
A young man, Endel Nelis (Märt Avandi), arrives in Haapsalu, Estonia, in the early 1950s. Having left Leningrad to escape the secret police, he finds work as a teacher and supervises a sports club for his students. Endel becomes a father figure to his students and starts teaching them his great passion – fencing, which causes a conflict with the school’s principal who starts investigating Endel’s background. Endel learns to love the children and looks after them; most are orphans as a result of the Russian occupation. Fencing becomes a form of self-expression for the children and Endel becomes a role model. The children want to participate in a national fencing tournament in Leningrad, and Endel must make a...
A young man, Endel Nelis (Märt Avandi), arrives in Haapsalu, Estonia, in the early 1950s. Having left Leningrad to escape the secret police, he finds work as a teacher and supervises a sports club for his students. Endel becomes a father figure to his students and starts teaching them his great passion – fencing, which causes a conflict with the school’s principal who starts investigating Endel’s background. Endel learns to love the children and looks after them; most are orphans as a result of the Russian occupation. Fencing becomes a form of self-expression for the children and Endel becomes a role model. The children want to participate in a national fencing tournament in Leningrad, and Endel must make a...
- 11/14/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Fencer screens Sunday, Nov. 6 at 6:30pm at The Plaza Frontenac Theater as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. Ticekt information can be found Here
Endel is on the run as his past affiliations begin catching up to him. Eluding the secret police in Leningrad, Endel finds himself in hapless Haapsalu, Estonia. It is the early 1950s and, in the wake of World War II, Estonia squirms in the iron fist of Stalin’s Soviet empire, with many of the fathers lost to the war or shipped off to prison camps. Endel finds a job running the sports club at a secondary school, where he shares his expertise in fencing with eager young students. But Endel is undermined at every turn by his weasel of a principal, a communist functionary who is suspicious of the instructor’s past and deems fencing non-proletarian. Endel must ultimately...
Endel is on the run as his past affiliations begin catching up to him. Eluding the secret police in Leningrad, Endel finds himself in hapless Haapsalu, Estonia. It is the early 1950s and, in the wake of World War II, Estonia squirms in the iron fist of Stalin’s Soviet empire, with many of the fathers lost to the war or shipped off to prison camps. Endel finds a job running the sports club at a secondary school, where he shares his expertise in fencing with eager young students. But Endel is undermined at every turn by his weasel of a principal, a communist functionary who is suspicious of the instructor’s past and deems fencing non-proletarian. Endel must ultimately...
- 11/6/2016
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Klaus Härö’s tale of a champion fencer on the run from the Kgb who winds up teaching schoochildren has strong performances and is luscious to look at
This Finnish-Estonian-German co-production, directed with vim by Klaus Härö, unfolds in the early 1950s, a period that’s still a raw wound for many who survived Soviet oppression under Stalin. Endel (Märt Avandi), a champion fencer quietly on the run from the secret service in Leningrad, manages to get a post teaching at a provincial Estonian school. Before long, he’s developed a deep affection for his charges, mostly war orphans, and starts coaching them on foil control and legwork at an afterschool club. When several kids show promise and skill, Endel must decide whether to risk taking them to Leningrad for a competition. The set-up is a bit schmaltzy and the only guesswork is how bitter the bittersweet ending will be,...
This Finnish-Estonian-German co-production, directed with vim by Klaus Härö, unfolds in the early 1950s, a period that’s still a raw wound for many who survived Soviet oppression under Stalin. Endel (Märt Avandi), a champion fencer quietly on the run from the secret service in Leningrad, manages to get a post teaching at a provincial Estonian school. Before long, he’s developed a deep affection for his charges, mostly war orphans, and starts coaching them on foil control and legwork at an afterschool club. When several kids show promise and skill, Endel must decide whether to risk taking them to Leningrad for a competition. The set-up is a bit schmaltzy and the only guesswork is how bitter the bittersweet ending will be,...
- 9/29/2016
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
★☆☆☆☆ At first glance The Fencer has a lot going for it. Set in Soviet occupied Estonia, it is the oddball tale - partly based on true events - of a renowned fencer (Märt Avandi, known as Endel in the film) on the run from the authorities who sets up a school fencing club in a backwater town. But although the material has real potential for innovative storytelling and historical insight, in director Klaus Härö and writer Anna Heinämaa's hands it quickly degenerates into a mess of clichés and clunkiness.
- 9/29/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Five of the nine foreign film finalists will become Oscar nominees on January 14th. Here's Jose to talk Finland's Oscar finalist.
Jose here. Klaus Härö’s The Fencer is based on the real life story of Endel Nelis (Märt Avandi), a fencer who escapes Leningrad in the 1950s, and goes into hiding in the town of Haapsalu, Estonia, where he becomes an essential member of the community when he starts a fencing club. Cherished by children, many of whom need a father figure after being orphaned during the Russian occupation, Nelis is also feared and loathed by others who wish he would return where he came from and leave them alone.
Härö’s film is an example of classic storytelling at its best, using gorgeous cinematography, a lush score and featuring a compelling performance by the swoon worthy Avandi, it’s no surprise that Oscar voters were moved to include...
Jose here. Klaus Härö’s The Fencer is based on the real life story of Endel Nelis (Märt Avandi), a fencer who escapes Leningrad in the 1950s, and goes into hiding in the town of Haapsalu, Estonia, where he becomes an essential member of the community when he starts a fencing club. Cherished by children, many of whom need a father figure after being orphaned during the Russian occupation, Nelis is also feared and loathed by others who wish he would return where he came from and leave them alone.
Härö’s film is an example of classic storytelling at its best, using gorgeous cinematography, a lush score and featuring a compelling performance by the swoon worthy Avandi, it’s no surprise that Oscar voters were moved to include...
- 1/2/2016
- by Jose
- FilmExperience
Exclusive: Drama is directed by Klaus Härö and will head to next week’s Cannes Marche.
Ahead of next week’s Cannes Marche, The Little Film Company has acquire the latest feature from Finnish director Klaus Härö, The Fencer.
Härö won the Crystal Bear at Berlin 2003 with his feature debut, Elina: As If I Wasn’t There, and has since made films including Mother of Mine (2005) and Letters To Father Jacob (2009), which sold around the world.
His latest film is about a young Estonian fencer who flees from the Russian secret police and is forced to return to his homeland, where he becomes a physical education teacher at a local school - but the past soon catches up with him.
The Fencer is written by Anna Heinämaa and stars Märt Avandi andß Ursula Ratasepp. The film is a Making Movies production, produced by Kai Nordberg and Kaarle Aho.
London and La-based The Little Film Company is also...
Ahead of next week’s Cannes Marche, The Little Film Company has acquire the latest feature from Finnish director Klaus Härö, The Fencer.
Härö won the Crystal Bear at Berlin 2003 with his feature debut, Elina: As If I Wasn’t There, and has since made films including Mother of Mine (2005) and Letters To Father Jacob (2009), which sold around the world.
His latest film is about a young Estonian fencer who flees from the Russian secret police and is forced to return to his homeland, where he becomes a physical education teacher at a local school - but the past soon catches up with him.
The Fencer is written by Anna Heinämaa and stars Märt Avandi andß Ursula Ratasepp. The film is a Making Movies production, produced by Kai Nordberg and Kaarle Aho.
London and La-based The Little Film Company is also...
- 5/8/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The 23rd European Film Awards Photo credit: Efa/René Velli
Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer triumphed at this year’s European Film Academy’s 23rd European Film Awards. The film, which I have reviewed here, took the best screenwriter, composer, director and the overall film award, at a ceremony on Saturday (04/12/2010) in snowy Tallinn, Estonia – European Capital of Culture 2011. The best animated feature film award went to Sylvain Chomet’s Illusionist – watch this space for a review in the next few days.
Around 1,400 guests were welcomed by German comedy star Anke Engelke and Estonian actor Märt Avandi who were the show’s hosts and over 2,300 members of the European Film Academy are said to have voted at the awards. The individual awards were presented by a line-up of European actors and actresses, among them Efa Ambassador Maria de Medeiros (Portugal), Jean-Marc Barr (France), Hannelore Elsner (Germany), Nikolaj Lie Kaas...
Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer triumphed at this year’s European Film Academy’s 23rd European Film Awards. The film, which I have reviewed here, took the best screenwriter, composer, director and the overall film award, at a ceremony on Saturday (04/12/2010) in snowy Tallinn, Estonia – European Capital of Culture 2011. The best animated feature film award went to Sylvain Chomet’s Illusionist – watch this space for a review in the next few days.
Around 1,400 guests were welcomed by German comedy star Anke Engelke and Estonian actor Märt Avandi who were the show’s hosts and over 2,300 members of the European Film Academy are said to have voted at the awards. The individual awards were presented by a line-up of European actors and actresses, among them Efa Ambassador Maria de Medeiros (Portugal), Jean-Marc Barr (France), Hannelore Elsner (Germany), Nikolaj Lie Kaas...
- 12/6/2010
- by Alison Frank
- The Moving Arts Journal
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.