The Order of Academic Palms is one of the oldest civilian medals in the world, established in France in 1808 for achievements in scientific, cultural and educational activities. At first it was meant only for French teachers and professors, but in time it spread on foreign cultural and educational personalities who significantly contributed to French education and culture or promotion of French culture across the globe.

Edo Lukman is the founder of Čakovec Animation School (ŠAF) and has been pursuing cinema consistently throughout almost four decades. As a film workshop facilitator he established his own workshop model and held over 150 workshops of animated film in Croatia and internationally, several times also in France. The medal was presented to him for the development of cultural collaboration between France and Croatia and the quality of work, friendliness and personality.

Lukman also made the animated film Well Done Job (1989), animated opener for the festival in Laon, France (1994), animated parts in Zoran Tadić’s narrative Ne daj se Floki (2000) and commissioned films about human trafficking (2004). He was a member of numerous juries at animation festivals, in Bourg-en-Brese, France (1992, 1996), Animafest Zagreb (2002), Gold Fish Festival in Moscow (2003, 2005) and ROSHD festival in Iran (2003). Since 1982 he is a member of ASIFA.

Title photos: www.hfs.hr