Ain Mäeots
- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Ain Mäeots is an Estonian film and theater, television director and producer. He is a 1994 graduate of the Tallin Conservatory (now, the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) in Tallin, under instruction of theatre pedagogue and director Ingo Normet. Following graduation in 1994, Mäeots began an engagement at the Vanemuine theatre in Tartu. From 1994 until 1999, he was both an actor and stage director at the theatre. From 1999 until 2006, he was the head of the Vanemuine's drama department, and from 2006 until the present, he was once again a stage director and actor. He has also appeared onstage as an actor in several other theatres in Estonia, including Old Baskin's Theatre in Tallin, and both the Hansahoovi Theatre MTÜ, and Emajogi River Summer Theatre in Tartu. He has also appeared onstage in productions in Finland; at the Tampere Theatre in 2003 and the Seinäjoki City Theatre in 2015.
Ain Mäeots' first substantial role as a television actor came in 1995, playing the role of Juhan Pukspuu in the 1995 Vilja Palm directed Eesti Televisioon (ETV) period drama mini-series Wikmani poisid (1995). Ain Mäeots' first film role as an actor was a small role in the 2000 Mare Raidma directed short Lunastus, for Faama Film and Eesti Televisioon. In 2005, he appeared in his first feature-length film as Lembitu in the Kaaren Kaer directed comedy Malev (2005).
In 2008, Mäeots made his debut as a film director with the Exitfilm biography Taarka (2008), based on the play of the same name by Ülle Kahusk about the difficult life of Seto folk singer Hilana Taarka. In 2012, he co-wrote and directed his second film, the drama Demons (2012). In 2023, he directed the historical feature film comedy Kuulsuse narrid (2023), adapted from the 1892 story of the same name by Eduard Bornhöhe.
Ain Mäeots' first substantial role as a television actor came in 1995, playing the role of Juhan Pukspuu in the 1995 Vilja Palm directed Eesti Televisioon (ETV) period drama mini-series Wikmani poisid (1995). Ain Mäeots' first film role as an actor was a small role in the 2000 Mare Raidma directed short Lunastus, for Faama Film and Eesti Televisioon. In 2005, he appeared in his first feature-length film as Lembitu in the Kaaren Kaer directed comedy Malev (2005).
In 2008, Mäeots made his debut as a film director with the Exitfilm biography Taarka (2008), based on the play of the same name by Ülle Kahusk about the difficult life of Seto folk singer Hilana Taarka. In 2012, he co-wrote and directed his second film, the drama Demons (2012). In 2023, he directed the historical feature film comedy Kuulsuse narrid (2023), adapted from the 1892 story of the same name by Eduard Bornhöhe.
