(24.02.1953 – 12.03.2026)

Peeter Simm graduated from VGIK (Moscow State Institute of Cinematography) in 1976. From 1975 to 1993, he worked at Tallinnfilm as a director of feature films, and in 1993 he was one of the founders of Lege Artis Film, Estonia’s first private film studio.

Peeter Simm made a name for himself already in the early 1980s with the film Ideaalmaastik (“Ideal Landscape”), which is often regarded as one of the greatest Estonian films of all time. He later won the hearts of several generations of children with Arabella, mereröövli tütar (“Arabella, the Pirate’s Daughter”). His work was also pioneering at international film festivals: Inimene, keda polnud (“A Man Who Never Was”) became the first Estonian feature film selected for the program of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, and Head käed (“Good Hands”) was the first Estonian feature to participate in the Berlin International Film Festival, where it also received an award.

During a career spanning nearly fifty years, Peeter Simm created 11 full-length feature films, 19 documentaries, 7 short fiction films, and 3 theatre productions. The subjects of his documentaries ranged from sensitive social issues to portraits of cultural figures and top athletes, becoming an important part of Estonia’s cultural memory. In addition, he worked on newsreels and television programs and served as a dubbing director for children’s and animated films.

Teaching also played an important role in Peeter Simm’s life. For many years he worked as a lecturer at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School of Tallinn University, where students valued him both as a demanding mentor and an inspiring thinker. From 2014 to 2016 he served as Chairman of the Board of Eesti kinoliit.

Peeter Simm’s creative work and contribution to Estonian culture were recognized on numerous occasions. In 2001 he was awarded the 5th Class Order of the Order of the White Star, and in 2021 he received the annual prize of the Audiovisual Arts Endowment of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia for the feature film Vee peal (“On the Water”). In 2024 he was presented with the lifetime achievement award at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and in 2025 he received the National Cultural Lifetime Achievement Award for his long-standing creative work.