Animation educator who launched Finland's only animation programme in Turku with Priit Pärn in 1994, and later led it for years.

Eija Saarinen is this years guest of honor.

Saarinen studied art history and cultural history at the University of Turku. She worked as the executive director of the Turku-based visual artists’ association Arte and as the exhibition secretary of the artist-run Gallery Titanik. In 1994, she was invited to launch animation education at the Turku School of Art and Communication together with the renowned Estonian animation director Priit Pärn.

The program later continued at the Turku Arts Academy as part of Turku University of Applied Sciences and gained a significant position as the only animation education program in Finland. When artistic director Priit Pärn moved to the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2006, Eija Saarinen continued as the head of the animation program. The education program emphasized personal expression and storytelling, diverse techniques, and supporting each student’s individual orientation within the various fields of animation.