The series LENA’S FARM, created by our CREATORS from Studio Film Bilder, has won the renowned Japan Prize in the Pre-Schoolcategory. Director Elena Walf will accept the award on November 20, 2025, in Tokyo.
LENA’S FARM is aimed at young children and their families, portraying the colorful life on a farm. With empathy and humor, Elena Walf transforms the relationships among the farm’s animal residents into poetic stories and lovingly drawn images. Animated in classic hand-drawn style, each film bears the author’s distinctive touch down to the finest detail, and every one of the 26 episodes (each 5 minutes and 40 seconds long) also works as a self-contained short film.
Produced by Studio Film Bilder in co-production with ZDF and Minya Film (Zagreb), the series received funding from MFG Baden-Württemberg, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, and Creative Europe MEDIA.
Within just a few months of its release, LENA’S FARM has already won 17 awards, including at Cartoons on the Bay and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The series was broadcast on KiKA and has so far been sold to twelve international broadcasters and streaming platforms, including Disney Europe. The world sales company Meta Media (London) believes that the highly regarded Japan Prize will help LENA’S FARM win the hearts of even more children around the world.
Source: Studio Film Bilder
October 10, 2025
A SPARROW’S SONG wins Gold Student Academy Award!
Press Release Animationsinstitut, Oct. 7, 2025
The diploma film A SPARROW’S SONG by Tobias Eckerlin, produced at Animationsinstitut of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg was officially awarded a Gold Student Academy Award on Monday, Oct. 6! The short film is one of only 12 award recipients, from more than 3,000 entries for the 52nd Student Academy Awards.
This prize is not only a special honour for the team, but also makes the film officially eligible for consideration for the 98th Oscars in 2026 – a significant milestone for Animationsinstitut as well, although not the first time!
A SPARROW’S SONG team (l.t.r.): Rebecca Liebelt, Jiro Magracia, Tobias Eckerlin, Vincent Maurer, Lilli-Luisa Heckmann & Elias Weber
A SPARROW’S SONG, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
Tobias Eckerlin, director and producer, describes the ceremony as a unique experience and adds, on behalf of the entire team: “We are very grateful and incredibly happy about the recognition, the great time we had in New York, and the contacts we made there. A big thank you to the Academy, German Films, and the Animationsinstitut for their support! Now we are eagerly looking forward to next year’s Oscar ceremony.”
Dr. Jan Pinkava, Director of the Animationsinstitut, adds “We are thrilled at the success of A Sparrow’s Song, and delighted that the creativity and talent of the students of Animationsinstitut has once again been recognized with this Student Academy Award. Congratulations!”
A SPARROW’S SONG is a 3D animated short film based on a true story. It tells the story of an elderly widow during World War II, who unexpectedly draws new hope through her connection with an injured sparrow. Together, they spread this newfound hope and thus manage to offer some comfort to others in these difficult times.
In the day leading up to the awards ceremony, Tobias took part in a special Academy programme in New York – including panels with industry experts, media trainings and an exclusive dinner with high ranking representatives of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Accompanied by his core team – Lilli-Luisa Heckmann, Jiro Magracia, Vincent Maurer, Rebecca Liebelt and Elias Weber – he accepted the Gold Student Academy Award on behalf of all 56 students and graduates who contributed to this project
This marks already the eighth Student Academy Award for the Filmakademie and the second for Animationsinstitut – further proof of the outstanding quality of education at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and the international visibility of its diploma projects.
Live stream Student Academy Awards 2025, Award for A SPARROW’S SONG min. 37:10
September 27, 2025
Prix Italia Nomination for Pixelcloud’s GreenGuardiansVR
Great excitement for our HEROES at Pixelcloud: their VR game GreenGuardiansVR has been nominated in the “Digital Innovation” category of the prestigious Prix Italia. The award honors outstanding productions in the fields of radio, podcast, TV, and digital media, and is organized by the Italian broadcaster RAI.
SWR / Pixelcloud – GreenGuardiansVR
GreenGuardiansVR was produced by Südwestrundfunk (SWR) and Pixelcloud for ARD. The creative team included Christoph Rasulis (Director), Tim Philipp (Project Manager), Rolf Rothgerber (Developer), and Jonas Kirchner (Producer).
About the game: Young people under 25 often see the climate crisis as abstract, overwhelming — or both. We want to change that! We reimagine climate journalism through GreenGuardiansVR: a satirical co-op VR game combining action, teamwork, and humor. Instead of feeling helpless, players fight the root causes of global warming with up to four players in a gripping story that playfully teaches facts and media literacy.
A mega-corporation turns you into a robot, forcing you into a seemingly rosy future — while unstoppable climate change looms. Rebels hack the system to warn you: only together can you break the propaganda machine, take on the corporation, and save the planet.
The award show will be presented during the Prix Italia Festival (October 20 to 24, 2025) in Naples. We’re keeping our fingers crossed!
Accenture Song VFX and Pixomondo were honored at the First Night of the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards! They received an Emmy Award in the category “Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode” for their work on “Bliss”, an episode of the hit U.S. crime drama “The Penguin“, streaming on HBO Max.
Congratulations to all team members at Accenture Song VFX and Pixomondo, as well as everyone else involved in this achievement!
Copyright: Accenture Song VFX Germany
Copyright: Accenture Song VFX Germany
The Emmys are the most prestigious awards recognizing achievements in the American television and streaming industry, with significant international impact. The ceremony, hosted by the Television Academy on the evening of September 6, 2025, was the first of two Creative Arts Emmy® Awards events honoring outstanding artistic and technical accomplishments in television. This event also marked the opening of the 77th Emmy Awards.
MFG Baden-Württemberg supported the involvement of both companies in “The Penguin” through a special Line Producer funding, which benefits studios and companies in Baden-Württemberg whose work focuses on digital post-production, visual effects (VFX), and animation.
Carl Bergengruen, Managing Director of MFG, commented on the Emmy success: “This Emmy once again proves that the two Stuttgart-based production companies are among the world’s leaders in their field. It is a tremendous achievement for everyone involved and a testament to the targeted support provided by MFG, which has helped establish Baden-Württemberg as a leading hub for VFX and animation.”
Filmmakers and studios worldwide are invited to submit their works for the festival’s competitions. The Grand Prix, awarded in the International Competition, qualifies the winning film for the Academy Awards® longlist. In total, prize money of more than € 50,000 will be awarded across five competition categories.
Competitions & Deadlines:
Short Film Competitions (Deadline: November 15, 2025):
International Competition – animated shorts from around the world
Student Competition – animated shorts by students
Tricks for Kids – animated shorts and series for children
Trickstar Nature Award – animated shorts on nature and the environment
Feature Film Competition AniMovie (Deadline: January 15, 2026): Animated feature films (60 minutes or longer)
Submission Process: Film submissions are accepted via the online platform Shortfilmdepot. Regulations and forms are available on the ITFS website: https://itfs.de/en/participate/submit/
Project submissions will open in November 2025 via the festival website.
September 5, 2025
Studio Filmbilder nominated as “Producer of the Year” at the Cartoon Forum Tributes 2025!
Our CREATORS from Studio Filmbilder are among the contestants for the “Producer of the Year” category at the Cartoon Forum Tributes 2025! The Tributes are set to recognise European animation latest achievements. The winners will be voted by the professionals attending Cartoon Forum, the European coproduction forum for animated series to be held on September 15-18 in Toulouse, France.
The Cartoon Forum Tributes awards are broken down into three categories – “Broadcaster”, “Investor/Distributor”, and “Producer of the Year”. In addition to Studio Filmbilder, Belgium’s Creative Conspiracy, Poland’s Grupa Smacznego / GS Animation, and France’s SILEX FILMS are also nominated in the “Producer of the Year” category.
Studio Filmbilder’s “Animanimals” and “Lena’s Farm” were presented at previous editions of Cartoon Forum. This year they participate with the children’s series “3 Captains”. More information
Our CREATORS from Gretels Gold are also taking part in this year’s Cartoon Forum – with their project “A Trip with a Drip.”More information
About Cartoon Forum: Cartoon Forum is a unique eventfocusing onpitching sessions of pre-selected TV projects, where animation producers can find cross-border partners and speed up financial arrangements. It allows co-productions to be finalised, pre-buys agreed, negotiation of distribution agreements, options discussed on every type of right, and licensing of secondary rights.Created in 1990 to boost the co-production and distribution of European animation for television and new media platforms, Cartoon Forum has helped 1,017 animation series obtain financing to the tune of 3.69 billion €. The 36 th Cartoon Forum is organised by CARTOON – European Association of Animation Film with the support of Creative Europe – MEDIA, CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée), Région Occitanie, Mairie de Toulouse, Toulouse Métropole, Casino Barrière and France Télévisions (FTV).
Diploma film A SPARROW’S SONG wins Student Academy Award 2025!
Press Release Animationsinstitut, Ludwigsburg, August 28, 2025
The Student Academy Award in the Animation category goes to “A SPARROW’S SONG” – a diploma project by director and producer Tobias Eckerlin, which was created at the Animationsinstitutof the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. From over 3,000 submissions from 988 universities worldwide, 14 winners were selected for the 52nd Student Academy Awards. For the eighth time, the most coveted international prize among film schools goes to Ludwigsburg
A Sparrow’s Song, Credits: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
A Sparrow’s Song, Team (from left to right): Elias Weber, Tobias Eckerlin, Vincent Maurer & Lilli-Luisa Heckmann, FABW
A Sparrow’s Song, Credits: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
This is a great honour for the team: “We feel truly overwhelmed and are incredibly happy about the Student Oscar,” says Tobias Eckerlin. “This is one of the greatest accolades you could wish for!” Alongside Eckerlin, Vincent Maurer (Technical Director), Elias Weber (Lead Character Artist), Lilli-Luisa Heckmann und Jiro Magracia (Lead Animators), Rebecca Liebelt (Groom Artist), and many others contributed to the project. “Thank you to the Academy and the entire team behind A SPARROW’S SONG!”
“A SPARROW’S SONG” is a 3D animated film inspired by a true story. It deals with the story of an elderly widow who rediscovers her joy in life during World War II through an unexpected connection with an injured sparrow. Eckerlin’s work is a moving homage to the human ability to find hope even during difficult times.
Arne Braun. State Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts Baden-Württemberg:“What a celebration not only for the new Student Academy Award winner Tobias Eckerlin and the entire team at the Filmakademie, but even for the entire film-LÄND Baden-Württemberg. Time and again, numerous great films are produced at the Filmakademie. It is only right that they celebrate outstanding successes around the world, like they are today. We can all be very proud of this. Congratulations!”
Dr. Andreas Bareiß, Managing Director of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, adds enthusiastically: “What a phenomenal success! Not only for Tobias and his team but also the entire Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. This is the eighth Student Academy Award going to Ludwigsburg. This further strengthens our top position among the world’s leading film schools – which is reflected not only, but also in the number of Academy Awards. I am absolutely delighted!”
Dr. Jan Pinkava, Director of the Animationsinstitut, is equally proud of his graduates’ success: “Congratulations to Tobi and the “Sparrow’s Song” team! To receive an Academy Award is a great honour and I am delighted for the team, the Animationsinstitut and the entire Filmakademie. Great to see such recognition for our talented students, and for the quality of our school. Good luck in New York!”
The Student Academy Award, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is considered the film industry’s most important award for student projects. The Student Academy Awards are presented in four categories: Alternative/Experimental, Animation, Documentary and Narrative. The three best films in each category receive a gold, silver or bronze award.
Tobias Eckerlin, along with other Student Academy Awards winners, will participate in a programme in New York that includes museum visits, a dinner with Academy members and a wide variety of coaching opportunities and will last several days. The programme will culminate in the awards ceremony on Monday, October 6, at the New York Film Festival. There, the team will find out whether they will receive the so-called “Student Oscar” in gold, silver or bronze. In addition, all Student Academy Award-winning films are eligible for the regular Oscars.
Source: Press Release Animationsinstitut | More about the Student Academy Awards 2025 here | More about the project and the other Animationsinsitut nominees here for even more information about the project and our other nominees
August 5, 2025
Student Academy Awards 2025 – Two Animationsinstitut Diploma Films Nominated!
Press Release Animationsinstitut, Ludwigsburg, August 5, 2025
At this year’s Student Academy Awards two animated films produced at the Animationsinstitutof Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg have been nominated as finalists. Out of more than 3,000 submissions, the diploma films “A SPARROW’S SONG” and “THE UNDYING PAIN OF EXISTENCE“, along with five other films have made it to the final round of the coveted ‘Student Oscars’ in the Animation category.
“A SPARROW’S SONG” by Tobias Eckerlin (director and producer) is inspired by a true story. A widowed air raid warden struggles to overcome her grief and rediscover joy in her life. In the midst of World War II, she finds a dying sparrow she hopes to save. As the bird slowly recovers, a deep bond forms between them, and the sparrow responds to her playing the piano – a shared language. Trailer “A SPARROW’S SONG“
A Sparrow’s Song, Credits: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
A Sparrow’s Song, Team (from the left): Elias Weber, Tobias Eckerlin, Vincent Maurer & Lilli-Luisa Heckmann, FABW
In “THE UNDYING PAIN OF EXISTENCE“, written and directed by Oscar Jacobson, a nude model poses with statue-like composure at an elite art school – until a nasty mosquito bite puts his self-control to the test. Overwhelmed by the urge to itch, he spirals into an inner battle between the relentless pressure for perfection and his uncontrollable, animalistic instincts. Trailer “THE UNDYING PAIN OF EXISTENCE“
The Undying Pain of Existence, Credits: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
The Undying Pain of Existence, Oscar Jacobson at his Diploma Showroom, FABW
Dr. Andreas Bareiß, Managing Director of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, on the nomination of the graduate films: “I am very happy for Tobias and Oscar and for everyone involved in the creation of these wonderful films. The nomination itself is a huge success, not only for the filmmakers, but also for the entire Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. It puts focus on the fact that we are enabling the creation of outstanding work here. Now, I’m excitd for the awards ceremony and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the teams.”
The Student Academy Award, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considered the most prestigious honour for student projects in the film industry. The awards ceremony will take place on October 6, 2025 in New York.
Dr. Jan Pinkava, Director of the Animationsinstitut, is proud of the success of his graduates: “Congratulations to Tobi, Oscar and their brilliant teams, from all of us at Animationsinstitut! To be the only school with two finalists in the Student Academy Awards is indeed a great honour, and recognition of not only the talent of our students and our vital teaching culture, but also of the Filmakademie’s devotion and commitment to the future of animation. These enchanting films will find a delighted audience!”
Find out more about the Student Academy Awards 2025 here.
Check here for even more information about the projects.
PIXOMONDO, Accenture Song VFX, and RISE FX are nominated for the prestigious EMMYs for their work on the series “The Penguin”, “Dune: Prophecy”, “House of the Dragon”, and “The Last of Us”!
Category “Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie“:
“Dune: Prophecy“ (HBO | Max) – Visual Effects Supervisor Accenture Song VFX Germany: Peter Lames
“House Of The Dragon“ (HBO | Max) – Visual Effects Supervisor PIXOMONDO: Sven Martin | Associate Visual Effects Supervisor PIXOMONDO: Fausto Tejeda
“The Last Of Us“ (HBO | Max) – Visual Effects Supervisor, RISE FX: Andreas Giesen
Category “Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Single Episode“:
Student Academy Awards 2025 Semifinalists announced!
Among the recently announced semifinalists of the 2025 Student Academy Awards are four projects from the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, including three from the Animationsinstitut!
“Kaulquappe (Polliwog)“ (Animation) by Julia Skala, more information “A Sparrow’s Song“ (Animation) by Tobias Eckerlin, more information “The Undying Pain of Existence“ (Animation) by Oscar Jacobson, trailer and more information “Same, but different – The Image of Women in the Catholic Church“ (Documentary) by Eva-Maria Schauer
Congratulations to everyone involved, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the next stage of the selection process!
