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Collecting Diaspora Stories for Over a Decade

Brother and sister team, Tom Mae and Reet Mae, from Mae Productions Inc., have worked together for many years on numerous creative film/video projects. For over a decade, in collaboration with the Estonian Studies Centre, they have been collecting stories of our elders, in Canada, and the US East coast, who were born in free Estonia, and fled during the WWII years, most in the Suurpõgenemine/Great Baltic Escape of 1944. In this multi-film series “In Search of Our Fathers/Meie isade otsingul” (ISOOF) we look more broadly at the men’s stories from WWII in the Baltic nations as well as how these are reflected in the Russian war in Ukraine, starting with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-out invasion on Feb. 24, 2044, Estonian Independence Day.

 Together they have won a number of awards for their work in film and mental health, in addition to Tom’s work in commercials, including the following:

Awards

We have received numerous awards

  • Best Editing 2023 ONYKO Awards Odessa Tom J. Mae Feature Doc. “Maestro Roman Toi Beautiful songs I dedicate to you”

    2023
  • “Raising the Flag”, OFFICIAL SELECTION, Parliament of the World’s Religions Film Festival, 2023

    2023
  • “Raising the Flag”, OFFICIAL SELECTION, Kala Samruddhi International Film Festival, 2019 2019

    2019
  • “Raising the Flag”, Silver Remi Award - WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival - 2018

    2018
  • “Raising the Flag”, OFFICIAL SELECTION, TMFF - The Monthly Film Festival – 2018

    2018
  • “Raising the Flag / Lipu heiskamine”, Award of Distinction was presented at Canada Shorts - Canadian International Short Film Fest. – 2017

    2017
  • Bronze Remi “Patterns of Freedom” WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival - 2015

    2015
  • “Patterns of Freedom”, OFFICIAL SELECTION - Los Angeles CineFest - 2015

    2015
  • “Patterns of Freedom”, It was the Gala Opening Film at the Toronto Estonian Documentary Festival Event of the EstDocs 2014 Festival

    2014
  • Silver Remi "Be Nice Clear your Ice" WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival – 1991

    1991
  • Clio Awards Ceremony, TV Commercials, 1989 “VISA Summer Olympics”, Mae Studios Toronto

    1989
  • Best Editor Tokyo International Cinema Awards 2023 Tom J. Mae “Maestro Roman Toi Beautiful songs I dedicate to you”

    2023
  • “Patterns of Freedom”, OFFICIAL SELECTION, Parliament of the World’s Religions Film Festival, 2021

    2021
  • “Raising the Flag”, Semi-Finalist - Columbus International Film Animation Festival – 2019

    2019
  • “Raising the Flag”, Semi-Finalist - Los Angeles CineFest – 2018 Documentary Short

    2018
  • “Raising the Flag”, OFFICIAL SELECTION - WRPN.TV Short Tight and Loose Global Film Festival Competition - 2018

    2018
  • Cultural Endowment of Estonia KULKA, Estonia's Annual Award in the field of Folk Culture for 2015 “Patterns of Freedom / Vabaduse mustrid”

    2015
  • “Patterns of Freedom”, OFFICIAL SELECTION - The IndieFEST Film Awards – 2015

    2015
  • “Patterns of Freedom”, OFFICIAL SELECTION - Accolade Global Film Competition- 2015

    2015
  • International Television Association Awards ITVA Gold Ontario Ministry of Health “Hepatitis B is a Real bad Rap” 1995, Mae Prod. Inc.

    1995
  • Gold Remi “VISA Summer Olympics” WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival – 1989

    1989
  • Houston International Festival Bronze for Kraft "Cheese Whiz hamburger/personality” 1989

    1989