The Night of Shame is the curated film show that celebrates filmmakers’ worst! From charmingly incompetent to all out shameful – established directors from all over the world excavate their questionable films and submit them to the fascinated gaze of a live audience.
The Deutsche Filmakademie (German Film Academy) announced the nominations for theDeutscher Filmpreis 2025(German Film Award 2025) a few days ago. Members of the AMCRS can also hope for a LOLA!
In the “Best Visual Effects” category, Max Riess, Sven Martin and Bernie Kimbacher and their team from PIXOMONDO have been nominated for “Woodwalkers” – Sven Martin is a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut. Additionally, LAVAlabs was involved in creating the VFX for the film, which has also been nominated as “Best Children’s Film.”
Also nominated in the category “Best Visual Effects” are teams from RISE. They can even celebrate nominations for two productions – Jan Stoltz, Franzisca Puppe, Sebastian Lauer and their team for their work on “Hagen – Im Tal der Nibelungen” as well as Robert Pinnow and his team for the effects in “Das Licht.” Jan Stoltz also studied at the Animationsinstitut.
On May 9, 2025, the Lola winners will be announced at the Theater am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for all the nominees!
Until April 25, 2025, companies, professional designers, as well as startups, newcomers, and emerging talents from all over the world have the opportunity to submit their current and innovative design solutions for the FOCUS OPEN 2025 Baden-Württemberg International Design Award.
The FOCUS OPEN is an important component of the economic and design promotion in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It rewards the innovation and design quality of new products, services, and concepts, and stands out with moderate costs while offering very high visibility.
New this year are the categories IMMERSIVE MEDIA (conceptualization, development, or design of multisensory experiences using digital media such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), game design, immersive film productions, etc.) and CIRCULAR DESIGN (products or systems whose design strategies aim to efficiently use raw materials and return them to the biological material cycle with minimal quality loss).
Deadline Call for Entries: April 4, 2025 – Deadline extended: April 25, 2025!
Festive award ceremony and exhibition opening that focus public attention on all the winning products
An exhibition lasting several months in Haus der Wirtschaft Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart (impressions 2024)
Publication in a yearbook that is distributed to the major international markets via a publishing house renowned for its books on design
Extensive online communication
The Baden-Württemberg International Design Award FOCUS OPEN 2025 is organized by the Design Center Baden-Württemberg and funded by the Ministry of Economics.
February 14, 2025
Winners of the VES Awards 2025 announced!
Last week, the winners of the VES Awards 2025 were announced! The Visual Effects Society’s prestigious annual celebration recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation worldwide and the VFX supervisors, VFX producers and hands-on artists who bring this work to life.
Among the winners are also AMCRS members. The award in the category OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN AN EPISODE went to “The Penguin; After Hours“. The winning team includes, among others, Karen Cheng from PIXOMONDO as well as Jonas Stuckenbrock from Accenture Song VFX, who is also a graduate of the Merz Akademie. We congratulate them and are thrilled for all the winners!
A few days ago, the nominations for the Grimme Award2025 were announced, and we are thrilled that AMCRS CREATORS are among the nominees!
In the Fiction category, “Das Grundgesetz der Tiere” (The Constitution of Animals), created by Unterhaltungsfernsehen Ehrenfeld and our CREATORS from Studio Soi (for ZDF), has been nominated. In the Children & Youth category, the series Fritzi und Sophie – Grenzenlose Freundschaft (Fritzi and Sophie – Boundless Friendship) by Balance Film, Trickstudio Lutterbeck, and our CREATORS from Studio Film Bilder (for MDR/WDR/SWR) also earned a nomination.
Congratulations to all the teams involved! We can’t wait for the awards ceremony on March 6, 2025!
About the Grimme Award, presented by the Grimme-Institut: The Grimme Award honors television programs and achievements that serve as exemplary and model contributions to broadcasting. The guiding principle of the television critique institutionalized in the Grimme Award is to encourage a comprehensive engagement with television as a central and significant medium that has diverse societal connections and impacts. This critical examination encompasses all topics and forms of television.
„Fritzi und Sophie“ celebrated its World Premiere at the ITFS 2024, Image: Ralf Kukula, Matthias Bruhn, Thomas Meyer-Hermann (Balance Film, Trickstudio Lutterbeck, Studio Film Bilder)
Trailer “Das Grundgesetz der Tiere”
January 17, 2025
VES Awards Nominations for Accenture Song VFX, Scanline VFX and Pixomondo!
Congratulations to our CREATORS from Accenture Song VFX, Scanline VFX, and PIXOMONDO for their nominations at the 2025 VES Awards! The Visual Effects Society’s prestigious annual celebration recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation worldwide and the VFX supervisors, VFX producers and hands-on artists who bring this work to life.
Accenture Song VFX are nominated in the OUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENT IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECT category for “Dune: Prophecy; Two Wolves; Zimia Spaceport“.
Teams from PIXOMONDO have been nominated no less than four times: in the OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE category for “House of the Dragon S2: The Red Dragon and the Gold“, in the OUTSTANDING CG CINEMATOGRAPHY category for “House of the Dragon S2: Battle at Rook’s Rest“, in the OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN AN EPISODE category for “The Boys S4: Life Among the Septics“ and “The Penguin: After Hours“.
Scanline VFX got two nominations in the OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECT category – for “Avatar: The Last Airbender; Legends; Koizilla“ and “Three Body Problem; Judgement Day“.
The winners will be announced at the awards gala on February 11, 2025. We are keeping our fingers crossed for everyone involved!
Yesterday, the nominations for the Annie Awards 2024 were announced! Three out of five nominations in the “Best Student Film” category went to diploma projects from Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut! Wow, congratulations to everyone involved!
POLLIWOG (kaulquappe) Student Director: Julia Skala Student Producer: Max Pollmann
TURMSPRINGER Student Director: Oscar Bittner Student Producer: Andra Berila
PEAR GARDEN, Image: FABW
POLLIWOG, Image: FABW
TURMSPRINGER, Image: FABW
We have our fingers crossed for the ceremony at the 52. Annual Annie Awards on February 8, 2025! List of all nominees
Trailer PEAR GARDEN
Trailer POLLIWOG
Oscar Bittner on TURMSPRINGER
December 7, 2024
B.REX wins prize at the CREÄTIVE LÄND CHÄLLENGE 2024
Our CREATORS from b.Rex have won THE CREÄTIVE LÄND CHÄLLENGE 2024 competition in the software/games industry category – with “INKLU GAME”!
“How does a wheelchair user board a train? How does a blind person find the right platform? INKLU GAME is a virtual, app-based game designed to create an awareness-raising experience for young people. The game incorporates a media and inclusion-focused pedagogical approach, combining innovative digital media with an inclusive education concept. Through the app, players experience an immersive journey that brings the realities of people with disabilities to life. This fusion of technology, inclusive pedagogy, and interactive storytelling represents a cultural achievement that promotes both education and empathy.”
The game can be downloaded for free in the App Store.
The CREÄTIVE LÄND CHÄLLENGE 2024 is a creativity competition organized by MFG Baden-Württemberg, supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg. Under the motto “Share your values – Show your works,” cultural and creative enterprises across the state were invited to showcase their diversity and innovative potential. With over 170 submissions from all regions of Baden-Württemberg, the competition highlighted the impressive range and dynamism of the cultural and creative industries.
The award-winning works can be viewed and experienced free of charge in an exhibition at the Haus der Wirtschaft until December 18, 2024.
All winners, photo: MFG
November 25, 2024
Filmschau Baden-Württemberg (December 4 to 8, 2024)
The Filmschau Baden-Württemberg, the state film festival in Stuttgart, takes place annually over five days at the beginning of December in Stuttgart’s Innenstadtkinos – this year it celebrates its 30th anniversary from December 4 to 8. Around 120 films are presented by professionals from the industry and up-and-coming filmmakers from Baden-Württemberg’s film schools. Feature films, short films, animated films, documentaries and commercials will be shown, including many premieres.
It is organized by the Filmbüro Baden-Württemberg e.V.. In the competition for the Baden-Württembergischer Filmpreis, the best productions are awarded by five three-member expert juries in the categories Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Animated Film and Best Commercial Film. Prizes with a total value of up to 10,000 euros are awarded.
Members of the AMCRS are also strongly represented in the program, including numerous projects by alumni and students of Baden-Württemberg’s film and media academies and universities.
Animationsinstitut of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg: CERVUS ROSTRATUS (Director: Tobias Eckerlin), CONTRADICTION OF EMPTINESS (Director: Irina Rubina), DEAD END (Director: Fabienne Prieß, Levin Tamoj), DETLEV (Director: Ferdinand Ehrhardt), PEAR GARDEN (Director: Shadab Shayegan), KRONOS (Director: Lasse Falk, Haiyang Liu), IN A TIME WARP (Director: Anh Tú Nguyen), THE DEEP ABOVE – FIRST HUNT (Director: Niklas Wolff), KAULQUAPPE (Director: Julia Skala), MIND THE GAP (Director: Gwenola Heck), TURMSPRINGER (Director: Oscar Bittner) …
Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart: OUT THERE (Director: Ben Marquardt), AUSGELIEFERT (Director: Mauriz Thabo Röckle), FROGGING HELL (Director: Louis Reichardt), KINNHAKENHANK (Director: Sebastian Greim) (all HdM films)
Studio FILM BILDER: ANIMANIMUSICAL (Director: Julia Ocker), FRITZI UND SOPHIE – GRENZENLOSE FREUNDSCHAFT; EPISODE 4: BEINAHE VERHAFTET (Director: Ralf Kukula, Matthias Buhn, Thomas Meyer‐Hermann)
LAVAlabs (VFX): CRANKO (Director: Prof. Dr. Joachim A. Lang)
In the supporting program, the Schnupperkino awaits the youngest moviegoers with a short film reel featuring ANIMANIMALS, MEIN TIER AUF DER SCHMUSEDECKE and TOM UND DAS ERDBEERMARMELADEBROT MIT HONIG (all Studio FILM BILDER).
The new category “Best Visual Effects (VFX)” focuses on the area of the film industry in the southwest, which has achieved a leading position creatively and economically in Germany and throughout Europe. The nominees: CRANKO – Rolf Muetze (VFX Supervisor), Juri Stanossek (Associate VFX Supervisor) and Alexandra Stautmeister (VFX Producer) (LAVAlabs), AVATAR – THE LAST AIRBENDER – Emanuel Fuchs (VFX Supervisor), Gus Martinez (VFX supervisor) and Amelie Dillig (VFX producer) (Accenture Song VFX), BLUE BEETLE – RISE FX, GHOSTED – RISE FX
Calls for Entries ITFS – German Animation Screenplay Award and Animated Games Award Germany
The 32nd Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) will take place from May 6 to 11, 2025. It focuses on artistic animated films and the promotion of young talent. In addition to the short and feature film competitions (submission deadlines: short film competitions – November 15, 2024; feature film competition – January 15, 2024), additional categories are now open for submissions: the German Animation Screenplay Award, the Animated Games Award Germany, and the Work in Progress section.
The German Animation Screenplay Award recognises outstanding screenplays for feature-length animated films. The goal of the competition is to honor the central role of professional screenwriters in the creation of outstanding films and to encourage the development of exceptional stories for animated films.
The Award for the Best Screenplay for a Feature-Length Animated Film comes with €2,500, sponsored by the Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS).
The Award for the Screenplay with the Greatest International Market Potential is endowed with €2,500, sponsored by our CREATORS from SOLA MEDIA.
For the best screenplay award submissions are possible in German and English, for the market potential award submissions are only possible in English. Submission Deadline: February 1, 2025 | Regulations | Submit here
Winner German Animation Screenplay Award for a Feature-Length Animated Film at ITFS 2024: Das Neinhorn, Photo: Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart, Reiner Pfisterer
Winner Animated Games Award Germany at ITFS 2024: Closer the Distance, Photo: Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart, Reiner Pfisterer
The Animated Games Award Germany is endowed with €5,000 and is sponsored by MFG Baden-Württemberg. It targets developers of high-quality video games who have their primary or secondary residence in Germany.
Eligible for submission are completed games for commercially available platforms that were released after January 1, 2024. The top five games will be nominated for the GameZone and showcased to the public during the event. Submission Deadline: February 1, 2025 | Regulations | Submit here
The Work in Progress section provides a platform for animation projects in the concept, development, or production stages. Producers and directors have the opportunity to present their current projects in film, TV, web, games, and immersive media to an international professional audience.
Each presentation lasts approximately 20 minutes and includes initial visual insights, trailers, and a follow-up Q&A session. The audience gains exclusive behind-the-scenes access and can connect directly with the creative teams behind the projects. Submission Deadline: February 15, 2025 | Submit here
