Animator Priit Pärn, composer Sven Grünberg, both from Estonia, plus Icelandic director Hilmar Oddsson were the recipients.

Oddsson, 69, is one of the film-makers who helped put Icelandic cinema on the world map in the 1980s. His most recent film, "Á Ferð með Mömmu" ("Driving Mum"), which involved Estonian film-makers, won PÖFF's grand prix in 2022. Awarding him is also a nod to the Nordic auteurs the festival began with in 1997 — Oddsson was one of them, and his film "Tár úr steini" ("Tears of Stone"), which brought him to Tallinn 29 years ago, screens again in the anniversary program "PÖFF tähistab" ("PÖFF celebrates").

Grünberg, who turns 70 shortly, was honored for his contribution to Estonian film music. He has scored nearly 130 Estonian and foreign films, seen by tens if not hundreds of millions of people. His credits include "Hukkunud Alpinisti hotell", "Leiutajateküla Lotte", and "Naksitrallid"," and the series "Wikmani poisid".

Pärn, who recently turned 80, was honored for his contribution to Estonian animation and is Estonia's most internationally known film-maker. This is his 13th lifetime achievement award. His 1987 film "Eine murul" remains one of the deepest portraits of the oppressive Soviet everyday, and his own teaching system has produced a generation of animators in Finland, Estonia and beyond.

The 30h annual PÖFF festival got underway on Friday and runs until Sunday, November 22, with 230 feature films and 259 shorts from 87 countries being screened during that time.

You can read more about PÖFF here.

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