Priit Pärn receives Lotte Reininger Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Emile Awards
Skwigly
Estonian animation legend Priit Pärn received the lifetime achievement award at the Emile gala of the prestigious European Animation Awards at the beginning of the week.
Image via Eesti Joonisfilm
The highlight of the award ceremony of the Emile European Animation Awards, which recognized the best animated films of the year, held on Monday, was the handing over of the most prestigious Emile Lotte Reiniger Lifetime Achievement Award. With the award, the European Animation Awards Association pays tribute to one of the most outstanding creators of European animated cinema, whose lifetime contribution to the art of animation and top-level films are exceptional.
’Traditionally the Emile’s lifetime achievement award goes to an animator for their outstanding contribution to the animation world. Tonight’s recipient is both an educator who has guided many young animators at the beginning of their careers, and an animator who has produced an impressive body of work. Although this lifetime achievement award is based on his body of work, I’m sure he will be creating more wonderful animation. I am pleased and honored to present this award to Estonian animator Priit Pärn.
-said journalist and animation historian Nancy Denney-Phelps when presenting the award.
The films of artist and animation director Priit Pärn have received recognition and success among both critics and audiences. Animators belonging to the Pärn’s school can be found all over the world, he is loved and appreciated by many students and followers.
“Thank You, People!” said Pärn modestly on receiving his tenth lifetime achievement award.
The Emile Awards made their highly anticipated return after a four-year hiatus, arriving in Greece for the first time. The prestigious award ceremony, marking a new chapter for the legendary European animation awards, was held at the historic Apollon Theatre in Ermoupolis, Syros, on Monday, 23 September, as part of this year’s ANIMASYROS powered by PPC Festival.
Following two highly successful editions in Lille, France, in 2018 and 2019, the European Animation Awards, named in honor of French pioneers Émile Reynaud and Émile Cohl, are being revived by a distinguished group of animation professionals from across Europe. Vassilis C. Karamitsanis, president of ANIMASYROS, serves as the president of the Awards’ organizing committee.
The grand celebration of European animation returns to award the best films of the year, honor the talent and achievements of creators and professionals from more than 30 countries, and highlight the diversity and creativity of the large European animation community.
Before Priit Pärn, two British legends received the lifetime achievement award – in 2017, animator and The Animator’s Survival Kit author Richard Williams, and in 2018, animation critic, Channel 4 chief editor and author of several books on animation Clare Kitson.
The Emile awards is the brain child of Didier Brunner and Peter Lord and the European Animation Awards association members. The event is deeply inspired by the famous Annie Awards in the US. Its goal is to celebrate the vibration and intensity of the European animation creativity. The EAA is a non-profit organisation.
Charlotte “Lotte” Reiniger (1899-1981) was a German film director and a pioneer of silhouette animation. His best-known works include The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), the oldest existing full-length animated film, and Papageno (1935). In addition, he also contributed technologically to the field of animation. During his career, Reiniger worked on more than 40 films.