This year, we are proud to honor an individual who has played a foundational role in the Finnish animation community. For nearly three decades, Eija Saarinen has served as a mentor, lecturer, and producer of student films. She is widely celebrated for transforming Finland into an international hub for auteur, indie, and stop-motion filmmaking.
As the long-time Principal Lecturer and leader of the Turku Animation School (Turku Arts Academy) since its founding in 1994, her visionary leadership shaped what the global festival circuit came to call the "Turku School" style — a distinct aesthetic defined by surrealism, hand-drawn mastery, and dark, poignant humor. Alongside Estonian master Priit Pärn, she designed a curriculum that prioritized artistic authorship over commercial formulas, nurturing generations of award-winning directors and animators along the way. Under her guidance, the program was twice named the best animation school in the world at major festivals, building an elite ecosystem of talent that elevated Finnish cinema on the world stage.
Twice named the best animation school in the world.
She has consistently supported emerging directors, empowering distinctive and deeply personal artistic voices to grow. This sustained commitment to cultivating the work of others has been crucial in strengthening the entire artistic ecosystem of Finnish animation — and it is exactly why her peers across Finland hold her in such high regard.
Besides teaching, Saarinen has been a vital force as an independent producer of acclaimed short films and an active figure across international festivals, juries, and professional networks. She has bridged the gap between graduation and the international film festival circuit, turning the Turku Arts Academy into a globally recognized powerhouse and proving that independent, short-form art could command major international prestige. Student films produced under her guidance have routinely swept awards at prestigious festivals like Annecy, Animafest Zagreb, and Stuttgart. Notably, films produced under her mentorship have also been warmly embraced by the Fredrikstad Animation Festival itself, winning numerous prizes here and underscoring her direct, enduring connection to our own festival's history.
Through her lifelong commitment to empowering distinctive, deeply personal artistic voices, Eija Saarinen has built an enduring legacy. It is with gratitude and respect from her peers across the Nordic region that we celebrate her contributions to the art of animation.
A Turku Arts Academy Retrospective film program will be featured at FAF 26 highlighting some of the best student work to come from the school during her time as leader of the program.