Mart Sander

The notable roles for Sander include: directing the operetta Silva (Die Czardasfürstin) at the Estonian National Opera in 2010.[6] At the opening night, as the leading singer suffered an injury on the stage, Sander took over the part.[7][8] In 2014, his production of Ball im Savoy opened at the Estonian National Opera; Sander directed, revised the text, made new orchestral arrangements and provided set and costume design, as well as created the role of Mustafa.[9]

Sander has written stage plays, where he often stars himself, such as Behind the Random Denominator (in Estonian, Juhuslik nimetaja), which was presented to the New York audience in 2015[10] and The Bughouse (in Estonian, Äratõmbetuli), which premiered in Washington, D.C. in 2018.[11] On June 17, 2018, The Bughouse premiered at the Estonian State Drama Theatre.[12]

Sander has directed and acted in films and the short TV movie Berlin 1945: Musik Unter Bomben (2007). He made his feature film debut as Martti in the 1991 Juha Tapaninen-directed Finnish musical-comedy Iskelmäprinssi.[13] In 1998, he had a role in the Rao Heidmets-directed comedy-family film Kallis härra Q (English release title: Dear Mister Moon), based on the 1992 children's book of the same name by Estonian author Aino Pervik.[14] He had roles in the Hungarian film Why Wasn't He There? and in the US made-for-cable production Candles in the Dark, opposite Alyssa Milano and directed by Maximilian Schell.[15]

Sander's Estonian TV appearances include hosting the Eurolaul 1993 and the TV series Tantsud tähtedega (Dancing with the Stars). He also hosted Tähed muusikas (Stars in the Music) from 1997 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2010,[16] as well as the hit show Su nägu kõlab tuttavalt (Sing Your Face Off).[17] In 2012, he was a judge on the fifth season of the TV3 reality series competition Eesti otsib superstaari (Pop Idol Estonia).[18] In 2020, he became the host of the Estonian version of the global TV phenomenon Maskis Laulja (The Masked Singer) [19].

Sander meeting Queen Elizabeth II

In 2015, Sander took his own one man horror drama Behind the Random Denominator (which he wrote, directed and starred in) to the solo theatre festival United Solo in New York, earning him the Best Sound Design award.[20] The film version of the play became Sander's directorial debut feature.[21] The film premiered at the Haapsalu horror and fantasy film festival HÕFF.[22][23] The same festival presented his latest film Actually in 2018.[24] This film won the Award of Excellence at the Global Shorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, USA in September 2018[25] and was awarded The Best Horror Short at the Venice RAGFF Film Festival in December 2018.[26] In January 2019, the film received two awards from Cinema World Fest Awards and in June won the Short Film Factory festival in Romania.[27] Also in 2018, he wrote and directed an ambitious 10-part historical TV series The Whores, which is considered the most internationally successful Estonian TV production,[28] as well as a TV movie The Bughouse (in Estonian, Äratõmbetuli), based on his own stage play.[29] In June 2019, Sander finished producing and directing a short feature, Pas devant les domestiques, based on his own short story.[30] This film premiered at the Seoul International Film Festival in September 2019.[31] Another short, The Spring of Solitude, received its premiere on August 10, 2019.[32] On December 13, 2019, his horror-fantasy anthology Eerie Fairy Tales, based on the short story collection of the same name by Sander himself, opened nationwide in Estonia and in limited cinemas in the Baltic states and Finland, gathering positive reviews.[33] The film has so far won Best Original Score award at the Canadian Cinematography Awards [34] and Best Story award at the London International Film Festival, where Eerie Fairy Tales was nominated in five categories, including Best Foreign Language Feature Film.[35] In April, it won Best Feature Film and Original Score awards at the New York Movie Awards.[36] It is currently nominated in several categories - including Best Film and Best Director - at the Nizza International Film Festival 2020. [37]

In 2000, Sander helped establish, and began to conduct, the Tallinn-based Bel-Etage Concert Orchestra. In 2004, Sander and Bel-Etage released their first album in Great Britain entitled The Monckton Album, with selections from three musicals composed by Lionel Monckton, on the Divine Art Records label.[38] This album won the 'Critics' Choice' Award from Gramophone.[39] It was followed by The Finck Album, dedicated to the music by Herman Finck.[40]

In 2005, Sander established the Swing Swindlers dance orchestra; in 2005, the Swing Swindlers issued an album in the UK called Five-Fifteen: A Tribute to the BBC Dance Orchestra.[41]

In February 2018, The Swing Swindlers visited the US, as part of the celebrations of Estonia's centennial. The mayor of Washington, D.C. declared February 24 official 'Estonia Day', mentioning a concert by Mart Sander in her proclamation.[42] On February 26, 2018, The Swing Swindlers gave a concert at the Kennedy Center, Washington DC.[43]

Self Portrait As A Disappointed Artist, 2010

As of 2018, Sander has written six novels in Estonian and English.[44] Sander's novel Litsid (The Whores) was the best-seller with the book dealer "Apollo" and at number two with the dealer Rahva Raamat for week 32 in 2015.[45] Part II was published in 2017; in the Estonian Libraries Most Checked-Out Books in 2017 list, parts I and II occupied first and second position.[46] Part III was published in December, 2019. Sander has created, scripted and directed a historical drama series based on this trilogy. Season I premiered on Estonia's TV3 in February 2018.[47][48] At the Estonian Entertainment Awards 2018, The Whores was nominated in two categories (Best TV Series Of The Year and Best Actress Of The Year - Merle Palmiste won for her leading role in the series[49][50]). In April 2019, it was announced that the series has been purchased by the US, Russian and Spanish distributors.[51] For the Estonian Film and TV Awards (EFTA) 2019, The Whores was nominated in three categories: Best TV Series, Best Actress (Merle Palmiste) and Best Script (Mart Sander).[52] It won the Best TV Series of 2018 award.[53] In September, 2019, US film and TV site WeAreCult published a positive review of the series, predicting it "could grab a Downton Abbey-esque following due to the period trappings and compelling dramatic through-line".[54]

Sander's collection of short stories Spooky Fairy Tales (with author's illustrations) hit the shelves on May 1, 2019, and finished the first week as #5 on the best seller list, remaining on the Top Ten List for five weeks.[55] It was soon turned into a feature film, which premiered on December 13, 2019.[56] The third book in The Whores - series was launched on December 14, 2019.[57]

His massive historical novel The Goddess of the Devil is scheduled for international release in 2020; the book is currently in the semi-finals for the CYGNUS Book Awards for Science Fiction (winners announced in April 2020).[58]

Sander's first solo exhibition took place in Tallinn in July and August 2008,[59] followed by similar exhibitions in 2009 and 2010. He opened his own art gallery in 2007 in the center of Tallinn.[60] In 2012, Sander's art gallery was involved in a case involving art forgeries; charges were brought against one of the assistants working in the gallery.[61][62] On 21 December 2012, his exhibition Appocalypse Formula opened in Tallinn.[63] He has also had personal exhibitions in Moscow[64] and Saint Petersburg.[65] His painting Urban Hunter made it to the finals of the 10th Annual ARC Salon (2013-2014),[66] the largest and most prestigious competition in the western world for realist artists.[67] His Officer Of the Napoleonic Wars was the finalist of the 14th Salon (2019).[68]

As a teenager Sander became interested in catholic faith, and was baptised. His baptismal name is Martin Laurent.[69]