All films included with the book!
In 2006 the Estonian Academy of Arts launched the project “Priit Pärn back to Estonia”. Initial funds were received from Europe and the very same year EKA established the Department of Animation with the three-year-long Bachelor Studies. A year later the two-year-long international Master’s course was created.
The first film from our department to receive an award at an international film festival was “Light My Fire” by Martinus Daane Klemet. The year was 2008.
In December 2018, ten years later, the number of awards that our student films won at international film festivals reached a hundred. EKA had become a legendary animation school.
In celebration of such a beautiful round number the EKA Department of Animation dedicated this feat to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia and published this catalog.
The popularity of animation is growing. Technological advances make animating much easier than decades ago. Due to this, the number of films sent to festivals has grown massively. Top festivals receive several thousand admissions but accept only 50–70 films to competition. Therefore even making it to the competition program is a cause for celebration let alone winning an award.
The fact that our films have gained such recognition enables us to conclude that our teaching methods really work and our films speak to audiences all over the world.
Clearly, we were correct in establishing the principle: We do not follow trends, we create them.
Of course, festivals have different sizes and importance. The same can be said about specific awards. The prizes won outside of student categories are obviously more important as the competition is between “real” films. On the other hand, it is a great recognition to win best student film at the Stuttgart festival, which is one of the biggest in the world. We have won two of those. We also have two Grand Prix prizes from Fredrikstad, where Scandinavian and Baltic films compete. Winning a Grand Prix there establishes our student film as the absolute best film of the region.
Compiled by EKA Department of Animation
Editor: Mari Kivi
Copy editor (Estonian): Neeme Lopp
Translation: Helo Irik
Design and layout: Stuudio Stuudio
124 pages, in Estonian and English
EKA Department of Animation, 2019
ISBN 978-9949-594-78-8 (print)
ISBN 978-9949-594-77-1 (print + usb-stick)
28 films in web: vimeo.com/showcase/6117898 password: awards_114