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Pre-Berlinale Panel Discussion – Animation & VFX in Baden-Württemberg

Invitation to the Pre-Berlinale panel discussion on Animation & VFX in Baden-Württemberg, taking place on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 on the eve of this year’s Berlinale (February 12 to 22, 2026), at the Vertretung des Landes Baden-Württemberg beim Bund

Over the past years, Baden-Württemberg has developed into one of Europe’s leading hubs for animation and visual effects. International successes, renowned studios, and excellent training and educational institutions have turned the region into a hotspot of creative innovation.

Under the theme “Zurück in die Zukunft: Wohin steuert Deutschlands führender Animations- und VFX-Standort?” (“Back to the Future: Where Is Germany’s Leading Animation and VFX Hub Heading?”), the discussion will focus on key questions shaping the future of the industry: How can Baden-Württemberg maintain its leading position? What conditions are needed to foster an innovative, resilient, and internationally competitive sector? And what role do politics, education, networks, and funding structures play in this context?

On the eve of the Berlinale, these questions will be addressed by the panel guests Arne Braun, State Secretary at the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst des Landes Baden-Württemberg, Carl Bergengruen, Managing Dirctor of the Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (MFG), Stefanie Larson, Manager of the Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS), Gerd Nefzer, special effects artist and multiple Academy Award winner, and Wiebke Wiesner, Deputy Managing Director of the Produktionsallianz.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Dr. Andreas Bareiß, Director of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg.

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 18:00 to 21:30 CET
Venue: Vertretung des Landes Baden-Württemberg beim Bund, Tiergartenstraße 15 in 10785 Berlin 
Organized by Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS) and FMX – Film & Media Exchange

Further information and registration

https://stm.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/vertretung-beim-bund/veranstaltungen-und-gaestehaus/veranstaltungskalender

Please note that seating is limited.

Filmakademie BW establishes the Carl Laemmle Institute for Research & Media Innovation (CLI)

Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH (FABW) is sharpening its profile as an internationally leading institution for education and research in film and media: with the establishment of the new Carl Laemmle Institute (CLI), the academy will consolidate its activities in artistic-technological research, digital innovation, and forward-looking production methods.

The centrally anchored institute within the Filmakademie will be headed by Professor Volker Helzle, who has long served as a key driver at FABW’s Animationsinstitut, where he coordinated research and development. Under his leadership, the institute is set to function as an interdisciplinary platform for applied research and development and to foster knowledge transfer between art, science, and industry.

Andreas Bareiß, Volker Helzle, Photo: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

About the Carl Laemmle Institute (CLI):
The Carl Laemmle Institute (CLI) consolidates the research and development activities of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH (FABW) into a centrally embedded research and development department and serves as a key interface between education, applied research, and industry partnerships. The institute emerges from the former research and development department of FABW’s Animationsinstitut and advances its work structurally, conceptually, and strategically.

The institute’s research fields include, among others, virtual production methods, extended reality, AI-supported creative and production processes, cross-innovation, new forms of human–machine interaction, as well as sustainable and resource-efficient production models for film, games, and immersive media.

With the naming of the institute, FABW deliberately connects to the legacy of Baden-Württemberg–born pioneer Carl Laemmle. In 1912, he founded the film studio Universal Pictures in Los Angeles, played a decisive role in the rise of Hollywood, and significantly shaped the international film industry. The reference to Laemmle stands for a spirit of innovation, visionary entrepreneurship, and the courage to create new structures for creative work. At the same time, it underscores the institute’s ambition to rethink film as a cultural, technological, and social force – with an international perspective and openness to radically new ideas.

Full announcement by the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (FABW) with further information and quotes from Dr. Andreas Bareiß, Director of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Professor Volker Helzle, Petra Olschowski, Minister of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg, and Rosemary Laemmle Hilb, great-grandniece of Carl Laemmle.

The Spot: Recap of the Ludwigsburger Mediendialoge

On October 21, 2025, the opening event of the Ludwigsburger Mediendialoge took place on the campus of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Leading representatives from politics, business, and culture came together to discuss the future of the media landscape in southwest Germany – Arne Braun, State Secretary, Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg, Dr. Patrick Rapp, State Secretary, Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg, Carl Bergengruen, Managing Director, Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (MFG), Stefanie Larson, Director Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS), Clemens Bratzler, Program Director Information SWR, and Lisa Purtscher, producer at LiseLotte Film and graduate of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (FABW). The panel discussion was moderated by Andreas Bareiß, Director of the Filmakademie. The event was held in cooperation with the industry magazine The Spot.

„Klare Worte statt leerer Versprechen“(“Clear words instead of empty promises”) – that was the conclusion drawn by The Spot’s editor-in-chief Marc Mensch in his article published on October 22, 2025.

Read the full article here.

Screenshot The Spot, 22. Okt. 2025

Pre Fixe in July – with Dr. Andreas Bareiß

Together with the Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH (organizer of Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film) and the AMCRS, MFG organizes the Pre Fixe as a prelude to the monthly network meeting of the film industry (Jour Fixe). Speakers from the animation and film scene present practical examples of current projects and provide insights into their work.

The next Pre Fixe will take place on Monday, July 14, 2025, 18:00 CET. Guest: Dr. Andreas Bareiß has been Director of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg since May 1. In the Pre Fixe, he will share his perspective on the Filmakademie, where he identifies fields of action, and what strategy he is pursuing to make the Filmakademie and its students fit for the future in a rapidly changing media industry.

The event will take place at the Kulturzentrum Merlin, Augustenstraße 72, 70178 Stuttgart. Admission is free.

Dr. Andreas Bareiß, (c) FABW / Anja Fellerhoff

All participants are cordially invited to attend the subsequent MFG Jour Fixe from 19:00 CET. The Jour Fixe offers a unique opportunity for exchange and networking with colleagues from the MFG Film Funding Unit.

More information