The new column of the BFM blog “Alumni” lets us meet different BFM alumni and their thoughts. Describe your life just after graduating BFM, how did you manage in the field of film business? For most of my school time I was already active in the film business. My brother had a production company and I was part of it. Before I started studying in BFM I had already made a music video with the Film Arts and Media department students. So I ended up working together with older courses on their school film projects and partly with projects that were not related to BFM. In a way I had a weird feeling as I was everywhere but school. I think everyone will have this feeling of alienation after graduation –it is no longer OK to be totally broke all the time, the school was kind of a comfortable cocoon, but soon you will find a need for a real job. I am telling this through the eyes of a film director. Gaffers and camera crew or just any technically skilled youngster will have it differently. After finishing BFM I was definitely not in a good spot financially. I worked on small random projects and I was looking for something that had to do with film business, but would also provide me with a stable income. One year ago, I was part of the management team at the Sleepwalkers Film Festival. From there, my “festival career” started. That did not make me rich, but offered me times where I could watch a lot of films and get paid as well. So if I had spare time I could work on my own project and of course I was able to pay my rent. This system still works, I manage my financial stability and I get to work on my projects as well. Where you stand as a film maker in this business? Can't really say, I think you are only as good as your last work. What is the most precious film that you have made and how did the audience take it? I think its “May”. It is a very personal film and it went down really well at festivals. I got a lot of prizes and good feedback from it. It touched the audiences and the juries as well. The best thing that one young woman said to me was: “After watching “May” I have 112 on my speed dial.” And I would also bring up my last music video that really in a way was a small film. All the people involved were very pleased and got me feeling I'm doing a good job. What do you dream about? All sorts of things all of the time. I would say I should dream less and do more, but then again I work so hard that sometimes I really feel I should sit back, relax, and dream a bit. Share with us some exciting moments from filmmaking. Once I was in Texas at a film festival and I had to run from the cinema to the toilet. It was a really interesting film so I was fast as lightning. On my way back I crashed with Keanu Reeves, and I don't know who was more struck by it – me or him. What did BFM give you? Most of all, contacts. What comes to mind if you think back to your time at BFM? I remember exams that had dates on them from four years earlier. The legendary Kotka film studio, where we froze our butts off and the nights we went through garbage to find props. And of course Merike! She was the most legendary barmaid ever, at least in Tallinn, but maybe even Estonia or the world. Also the first times at the Nova building, where everything seemed a bit too nice compared to the boot camp we came from. What would you recommend to graduating film students? - It is easy to replace all aspects of culture with watching films. But read the news, listen to music, read books, go to art exhibitions. All this will give you the context, to place the films you have seen and make them inspire you with new ideas that will produce a metaphorical map for finding your path in the film industry. - No pain, no gain. If you want something, then give it all you’ve got just to reach that dream. - I was once in big trouble with completing a film and hoped a friend of mine, a talented producer, could help me. He just told me: “That all-encompassing loneliness you’re feeling? Embrace it or flee.” Learn to trust your instincts as soon as possible, and if you can’t hear them, move to a more quiet place – it’s there, you’re just avoiding it. - Whatever the project – preparation is the key to better budget management. - The probability of finding a script writer to help develop your projects or become a “dynamic duo” is quite small, so if you find one like that from your courses at the university, hold on to them. But do not forget that there are a lot of good books on how to write good scripts. Or how do you ever get around the gut-clenching feeling that you will never make it? Or even how did anyone ever pull off making a film? I recently read an interview with Aronofsky, in which he said that getting the budget for any movie he makes has been very difficult and the Black Swan was rejected by almost all studios. Kind of inspiring, right? It’s all out there! - Do your research. Do you like Kubrick’s work and wish to emulate it? Learn everything you can about it. You will only get credit if people can see the research behind the work. And if you’ve done your homework, you will get so many additional ideas for doing things and make the ideas work for the outcome. Finally, what is your favourite movie scene, and why? There are so many! I could write about the ending of the first part of Godfather – the way the door closes and we know that Michael lied – he becomes the new Godfather, his signet ring is kissed and the closing door leaves behind his wife, who is then cut off from his life for good. There is nothing to explain here! Or the scene in Swiss Army Man, where the viewer is made to think one thing, but it then it turns out that Manny’s boner works as a compass. Or should I answer with a scene from one of the films shown at PÖFF this year – the Greasy Strangler. A group of people are in front of a vending machine trying to get snacks, which then get stuck in the machine. They then talk for ten minutes about what flavour the chips were supposed to have, but as one of them can’t say ‘potato’, the conversation loops around and around. It is the stupidest scene I’ve ever seen, and you know what? You have to see it! Maria Reinup Director