Priit Pärn (born 26 August 1946 in Tallinn) is an Estonian cartoonist and animation director whose films have enjoyed success among critics as well as the public at various film festivals.[1]
Pärn formerly worked as a plant ecologist; his career in animation began when he accepted Rein Raamat's proposal to make a design for Kilplased (1974). After a brief apprenticeship in Joonisfilm, he directed his first film Is the Earth Round? in 1977.
Pärn's most important films are considered to be Triangle (1982), Breakfast on the Grass (1987), Hotel E (1992), 1895 (co-directed by Janno Põldma, 1995) and Night of the Carrots (1998).
Pärn's style is characterized by black humour, playful surrealism and a unique graphic style. His somewhat crude style marked the departure from both Rein Raamat's overtly serious and moralizing films as well as the Disneyesque style propagated by the directors of Soyuzmultfilm. In his footsteps (and occasionally copying his style to a large degree) have followed numerous new generation Estonian film makers, most notably Ülo Pikkov and Priit Tender.
Divers in the Rain (2010), co-directed with his wife Olga Pärn, became the most successful Estonian animated film of all time with its 18th award at KROK International Animated Film Festival in Ukraine.[1]
Best International Film at FAN International Animation Festival, UK 2003
Special Jury Award from 16th World Festival of Animated Films in Zagreb, Croatia2004
Frank And Wendy (Frank ja Wendy, 2003–2005)[16] (co-authors: P.Tender, Ü.Pikkov, K.Jancis / joonisfilm 7 x 9,5 min)
Estonian Cultural Endowment's Prize for the best Animated Film "Frank ja Wendy" in the year 2005
Newspaper Eesti Ekspress cultural extra Prize of the year 2005
Audience best animated film prize from film festival de Cinema & Video in Portugal, 2006
I Feel Back of My Head (Ma kuklas tunnen 2007) (co-director O.Marchenko / 2 min / 35 mm / short story from animated film Black Ceiling)
Life Without Gabriella Ferri (Elu Ilma Gabriella Ferrita, 2008) [17]
Grand Prix from the 12th Holland International Animated Film Festival, Utrecht, Holland 2008
Grand Prix and the Anoba nomination for the Best Animated Film in the Baltic and Nordic countries from the Animated Dreams Animated Film Festival, Estonia 2008
Scottish Leader Estonian Film Award, Black Nights Film Festival 2008, Estonia 2008
Estonian Cultural Endowment's award for Best Animation, 2008
Jury Special Mention, World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb, Croatia 2009
ANOBA prize, 2009
Grand Prix, I Castelli Animati, Italia, 2009
Jury Special Prize, MONSTRA IAFF, Portugal 2011
Divers in the Rain (Tuukrid Vihmas, 2010) [18] (co-director Olga Pärn )
Silver Jabberwocky prize from the 16th Etiuda&Anima Film Festival, Poland 2009
Don Quixote – International Federation of Film Societies Award from the 16th Etiuda&Anima Film Festival, Poland 2009
Grand Prix from Anima, the International Animation Film Festival of Brussels, Belgium 2010
Grand Prix from the MONSTRA – Lisbon Animation Film Festival, Portugal 2010
Best Sound Track award from the MONSTRA – Lisbon Animation Film Festival, Portugal 2010
Grand Prix from the World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb, Croatia 2010
Hiroshima Prize from the Hiroshima International Animation Festival, Japan 2010
Best Story from Fantoche International Animation Festival, September 2010
Best Sound from Fantoche International Animation Festival, September 2010
Best Short Film award Silver Wolf from Festival du Nouveaux Cinema, Canada 2010
Grand Prix from International Animation Festival Tofuzi, Georgia 2010
Best Nordic and Baltic Short Film award from the Fredrikstad Animation Festival, Norway 2010
Prize for the Best Medium Length Film from the International Animated Film Festival CINANIMA, Portugal 2010
Award for the Best Story from the Animated Dreams, Estonia 2010
Grand Prix from International Animation Festival Anifest, Czech Republic 2011
Best International Short Film from International Animation Festival Anifilm, Czech Republic 2011
Special Distinction for the Best Direction from International Animation Festival Animanima, Serbia 2011
Grand Prix from International Animation Festival Krok, Ukraine 2011
Art exhibitions
Tallinn, Estonia 1982, 1984, 1992
Viitasaari, Finland 1988
Tampere, Finland 1989
Turku, Finland 1989
Helsinki, Finland 1990, 1992, 1995
Stuttgart, Germany 1990
Volda, Molde, Grimstad, Norway 1990
Odense, Denmark 1991
Heidelberg, Germany 1992
Karlsruhe, Germany 1992
Hafnarfjörður, Ísland 1992
Brussels, Belgium 1993
Annecy, France 1993
Genève, Switzerland 1993
Harlem, Holland 1994
Baden, Switzerland 1995
Genève, Switzerland 1995
Notes and references
^Peter Rollberg (2009). Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema. US: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 512–513. ISBN978-0-8108-6072-8.
