Priit Pärn, a renowned Estonian cartoonist and animation director, was born on August 26, 1946, in Tallinn. Prior to his illustrious career in animation, Pärn worked as a plant ecologist. His foray into animation began when he accepted Rein Raamat's proposal to create a design for Kilplased in 1974. After a brief apprenticeship at Joonisfilm, Pärn directed his first film, Is the Earth Round?, in 1977.
Pärn's most notable 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). His distinctive style is characterized by black humour, playful surrealism, and a unique graphic style. Pärn's work departed from the overtly serious and moralizing films of Rein Raamat and the Disneyesque style promoted by Soyuzmultfilm.
Pärn's influence can be seen in the work of numerous new generation Estonian filmmakers, including Ülo Pikkov and Priit Tender. His graphical style has also been emulated in commercial animated series such as Rugrats and AAAHH!!! Real Monsters! directed by Igor Kovalyov.
Throughout his career, Pärn has received numerous accolades, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Animated Film Association in 2002 and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb in 2008. His co-directed film, Divers in the Rain (2010),became the most successful Estonian animated film of all time, winning 18 awards at the KROK International Animated Film Festival in Ukraine.
In addition to his work in animation, Pärn has taught animation at the Arts Academy of the Turku University of Applied Sciences in Turku, Finland since 1994 and currently teaches at the Estonian Academy of Arts.
