Nukufilm Estland

The animation studio Nukufilm was founded in Tallinn in 1957 by animation pioneer Elbert Tuganov with the filming of Peetrikese unenägu (Peter’s Dream). The studio gained international recognition with films such as Metsamuinasjutt (Forest Fairy Tale, 1960) and Ott Kosmoses (Ott in Space, 1961). In the 1980s, Nukufilm experienced a creative resurgence, as a new generation of talented animators such as Riho Unt and Hardi Volmer shaped the studio. After Estonia’s independence in 1991, Nukufilm was privatized and has since had a significant impact on the international animation scene with over 200 films and numerous awards.

Kerdi Kuusik-Oengo, born in Tartu, Estonia, has been an executive producer at Nukufilm since 2003, where she has (co-)produced more than 50 animated short films and two international feature films. Her best-known projects include Vana mees tahab koju (The Old Man Wants to Go Home, 1991), Den sidste viking (The Last Viking, 1997), and Taevalaul (Heavenly Song, 2010).

Veljko Popović (1979) graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Department of Painting, in 2003. He has worked in computer graphics since 1998 and co-founded Lemonade3d, a CG and animation studio that later became Prime Render Studios. Since 2012, he teaches animation at the Arts Academy in Split. His films have been screened and awarded at numerous film festivals worldwide, including Annecy, Animafest Zagreb, Clermont Ferrand, Aspen, Hiroshima, Leeds, Stuttgart. He was a jury member at several film festivals.