Paul Driessen

Who is Paul Driessen?

Paul Driessen is a Dutch film director, animator and writer. His short films have won more than fifty prizes all over the world, including the Life Achievement Awards at both Ottawa and Zagreb animation festivals, and an Academy Award nomination for "3 misses". His films: 3 Misses and 2D or Not 2D were included in the Animation Show of Shows.

After studying graphic design and illustration at the Art Academy in Utrecht, Driessen began animating TV-commercials in the Netherlands in the 1960, although he had no training in that art at all. When George Dunning, in search for talent, found Driessen at the Cine Cartoon Centre in Hilversum, he hired him as an animator for his feature animation film Yellow Submarine. He also helped Driessen to emigrate to Canada where he became a member of the National Film Board of Canada in 1972.

Driessen's unique style can be easily recognised by the delicate quality of his ever-moving and wiggling lines, as well as by the fluid but awkward movements of his characters. His storytelling sometimes splits up the screen into three or even six different parts, with all actions nicely woven into each other.

In the 1980s Driessen taught animation at the University of Kassel, Germany, after Jan Lenica. Two of his student's films, "Balance" by Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein, and Quest by Tyron Montgomery and Thomas Stellmach, won Academy Awards.