The MFG-funded MORIA SIX by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg graduate Jennifer Mallmann received two awards at the International Festival for Documentary and Animated Film DOK Leipzig(October 28 to November 3, 2024): the DEFA Förderpreis, endowed with 4,000 euros, and the Filmpreis Leipziger Ring der Stiftung Friedliche Revolution, endowed with 2,500 euros. MORIA SIX was also one of the “DOK Busters 2024”.
Producer Matthias Drescher (Film- und Fernsehlabor Ludwigsburg), Sina Diehl (Cinematography), Svenja Vanhoefer, Line Producerin (Student Producer Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg), Jennifer Mallmann (Director/Author), Carl Bergengruen (Managing Director MFG). | Photo: Film- und Fernsehlabor Ludwigsburg
In her graduation film MORIA SIX, which celebrated its world premiere in Leipzig with two sold-out screenings, director Jennifer Mallmann takes a differentiated look at the Moria refugee camp, where a devastating fire broke out in September 2020. In calm, precise images, the film addresses the mechanisms of the European policy of isolation, which treats people like criminals and locks them up in futuristic high-security camps.
MORIA SIX is a production of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and our CREATORS from Film- und Fernsehlabor Ludwigsburg, produced by Matthias Drescher (Film- und Fernsehlabor Ludwigsburg).
The First Steps Awards is the most important German prize for young filmmakers. This year, the expert jury has made its choice from over 200 entries and announced the nominees. The winners will be announced on Monday, September 30 at the Theater des Westens in Berlin and broadcast as a livestream in the ARD Mediathek from 19:30 CET. The nominations alone are associated with a prize of 1,000 euros.
Among the nominees is MORIA SIX by Jennifer Mallmann, produced by our CREATORS from FFL Film- und Fernseh-Labor Ludwigsburg and funded by MFG, was nominated in the “Documentary” category. The film takes a critical look at the new European refugee policy, using the example of the controversial conviction of six refugees who were held responsible for the devastating fire in the Moria camp on Lesbos in September 2020.
PEAR GARDEN (director: Shadab Shayegan) is nominated in the “Short Steps” category and uses a purist drawing technique to sensitively tell the story of a grandmother who has lost her breasts through a mastectomy and the associated fears of her grandchild. More about PEAR GARDEN
SCRUBBY (director: Paul Vollet) is also nominated in the “Short Steps” category. The titular creature wants to live in its mother’s thick fur forever. But in his search for security, Scrubby realizes that even strong people sometimes lose their strength and need someone to lean on. More about SCRUBBY
We congratulate everyone involved and keep our fingers crossed!
The nominations for the Emmy Awards2024 have been announced!
The series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” was nominated in the category “Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie”. Accenture Song VFX (with – among others – visual effects supervisor Emanuel Fuchs), Scanline VFX and PIXOMONDO were involved in the creation of the series. RISE also have every reason to celebrate: they contributed to the visual effects of the series “Fallout,” which has been nominated in the same category.
PIXOMONDO were also involved in the series “3 Body Problem” and “Winning Time”, both of which were nominated in several categories.
The 76th Emmys will be awarded on September 15, 2024 in Los Angeles. We are keeping our fingers crossed for all nominees!
On Sunday evening, April 28, 2024, the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film 2024 came to an end with the festive awards gala. Among the winners are also animated film projects by graduates and alumni of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut!
Yi Luo, Photo: ITFS, Reiner Pfisterer
Dodo (directed by Yi Luo)
In the International Competition, the Lotte Reiniger Promotion Award for Animated Film (award for the best graduation film with a cash prize of 10,000 Euro, sponsored by MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg) goes to
Jury Statement: We saw a film that deals with the trauma of losing a father in a crucial stage child’s development. Executed in a very impressive art style that meticulously draws the viewer into the essence of the story.
Bianca Scali, Photo: ITFS, Reiner Pfisterer
it’s just a whole (directed by Bianca Scali)
The Award for the best student film with a cash prize of 2,500 Euro, sponsored by LFK Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg and MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg goes to:
Jury Statement: We would like to give the award to the film “It‘s just a whole“ for the brilliant way in which the artists lead us into a dramatic experience in which one negotiates one’s existence facing a sometimes cold reality, loneliness and the primal fear of disappearance. For the film’s unique animation style in which graphics, sounds and textures are used in a way that immediately convey emotions that are transposed into physical reactions.
At the Grand Prix (State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Stuttgart Grand Award for Animated Film with a cash prize of 10,000 Euro), director and Animationsinstitut alumna Sofiia Melnyk was honored with a Special Mention for Mariupol. A Hundred Nights (Ukraine 2023).
10:30-19:30 ITFS Königsbau-Passagen GameZone „The Bear – A Story from the WORLD OF GRA“ (by ITFS/FMX/APD Trailer Team) Animationsinstitut Alumni (Mucks! Games) https://www.itfs.de/en/events/gamezone-2/
12:30 FMX Bertha-Benz-Saal Panel Discussion: How to pull it off? Jan Pinkava, Andreas Hykade, Animationsinstitut / FABW (Andreas Hykade also curator of the Track “Raw and Relevant”) https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2024/detail/event/28894
19:00 ITFS Haus der Katholischen Kirche, Königstr. 7 AniX Awards (with German Animation Screenplay Award) AMCRS German Animation Screenplay Award sponsored by the AMCRS https://www.itfs.de/en/events/anix-awards/
January 19, 2024
Grimme Award Nominations for Projects involving AMCRS HEROES!
Still from “The Ogglies – Welcome to Smelliville” | Image: WunderWerk
Two projects, involving animation studios from AMCRS in their production, have been nominated for a Grimme Award 2024! Congratulations!
Nominated in the Children & Youth category is the series „Neue Geschichten vom Pumuckl“ (NEUESUPER for RTL+/RTL). The beloved kobold was animated by studio soi, based on the illustrations from the children’s books by Ellis Kaut.
Additionally, nominated for a Grimme Award in the Children & Youth category is the animated film “The Ogglies – Welcome to Smelliville” (WunderWerk for ZDF/KiKA), which was created with the collaboration of M.A.R.K. 13.
Pumuckl, Screenshot Official Teaser https://youtu.be/7Ofee7jwc1M
Filmakademie diploma film JUICE in Student Academy Awards 2023 semifinals!
Film still “Juice”, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
Last week, the semi-finalists for the Student Academy Awards 2023 were announced in four categories. Among them is a diploma film from Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg‘s Animationinstitut! In the “Alternative/Experimental”category “SAFT” (“JUICE”) has made it to the next round.
The animated short film (Animation Director: Mona Keil, Producer: Isabella Braun, Concept/Design: Nele Seifert, Technical Directing: Paulo Scatena, Editing: Revan Sarikaya, Animation: Arne Hain, Production Design: Nele Seifert, Production Company: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg) is about a bunch of round succulent and moist creatures that share their world with pesky little bugs, but one day, they squash them all. In response the creatures start to run dry. More about the film
We keep our fingers crossed! The Student Academy Awards 2023 finalists will be announced in mid-August, with the ceremony taking place in October.
EMMY Nominations for Accenture Song and Pixomondo!
“Shadow And Bone” | Image: Accenture Song
There was great excitement among our AMCRS HEROESAccenture Song and Pixomondo – and among us, too – at the announcement of the 2023 Emmy Awards nominations on July 12!
In the “Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Single Episode” category Accenture Song got a nomination for “The Nevers – It’s A Good Day” (with Visual Effects Supervisor Emmanuel Fuchs) and for “Shadow And Bone – Rusalye” (with their former VFX Supervisor Juri Stanossek).
In the “Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie” category Pixomondo was nominated for “House Of The Dragon” (with Sven Martin, Sebastian Meszmann, Mark Spindler, Mark Dauth and others).
Studio Soi’s “Trudes Flatmate – Glückshof” receives Special Mention at ITFS 2023
The winners of the Tricks for Kids competition for animated short films for children at the 30th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film have been announced! The prize was awarded at the TREFFPUNKT ROTEBÜHLPLATZ of vhs stuttgart on Saturday, April 29. The winning film was chosen by a children’s jury. In addition, the audience favourite of the Tricks for Kids competition was honoured with the Tricks for Kids Audience Award.
The Award for the best children’s animated film (with a cash prize of 4,000 €, sponsored by Studio 100 Media) went to Elegy of Elefant, Director: Sergio Lu, China 2022.
Our HEROES from Studio Soi received a Special Mention for Trudes Tier – Glückshof by Klaus Morschheuser!
Trudes Flatmate – Glückshof, Studio Soi
Trude and the flatmate are going on a picnic trip. The flatmate already pilfers some sausages from the picnic basket. When the two of them get stuck in a traffic jam and halt next to a cattle truck, the flatmate is struck by pity for the porr pigs. And when Trude explains to him, what sausages are made of, the flatmate makes up his mind: He has to do something about this!
The Award for the audience’s favourite of the ITFS Children’s Film Festival (with a cash prize of 1,500 €, sponsored by L-Bank) was won by Les Astres Immobiles (Immobile Stars), Directors: Noémi Gruner, Séléna Picque, France 2022.
The Winners of the Trickstar Professional Awards at ITFS 2023
Press release ITFS, April 26, 2023
The first award winners of the 30th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) have been chosen: In a joint awards ceremony – the Trickstar Professional Awards – the German Animation Screenplay Award, the Animated Games Award Germany, the Trickstar Business Award, and the Honorary Trickstar of the ITFS 2023 were presented on the evening of April 26, 2023 at the L-Bank Rotunde.
The prize for the best German screenplay for an animated feature film in the amount of € 2,500 sponsored by the Animation Media Cluster Region Stuttgart (AMCRS), goes to:
CLARISSA, Screenplay: John Chambers, Production: XFilme Creative Pool GmbH, Producer: Uwe Schott
The jury found: Based on the popular IP and German board game KAKERLAKAK, Clarissa’s journey from hated underdog insect to rising star shows how rewarding it can be to pursue your dreams without fear rather than hiding in the shadows and doing what’s expected of you because it has always been so. The story is also a modern appeal for equality, inclusion, and acceptance of gender diversity, supported by lots of humour, songs, and dance. CLARISSA – The Musical is born.
Host Anja Lange, John Chambers (ITFS/Reiner Pfisterer)
German Animation Screenplay Award
The prize for the German screenplay with the greatest international market potential in the amount of € 1,500 sponsored by Pink Parrot Media goes to: PIRATE MO AND THE LEGEND OF THE RED RUBY, Screenplay: Richie Conroy, Production: Ulysses Filmproduktion GmbH, Producer: Emely Christians.
The jury consisted of: Peter Keydel (Producer Mago Production, Barcelona/Düsseldorf), Tania Pinto de Cunha (President and Director of Int. Sales and Acquisitions, Pink Parrot, Media, Madrid), Lilian Klages (CEO & Executive Producer, Zooper Film, Ludwigsburg), Holger Weiss (CEO & Founder, M.A.R.K. 13 Group, Stuttgart), and Silke Wilfinger (Founder, SilkWayFilms, Munich).
The Animated Games Award Germany, the prize for the best and most innovative animation-based computer game from Germany in the amount of € 5,000 sponsored by MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg, goes to:
SIGNALIS, Developer: Barbara Wittmann, rose-engine, Publisher: Humble Games
From the jury statement: “Signalis” convinced us with a particularly strong visual language that honors the 90s art style, but does not limit itself to it and skillfully mixes genres. Inspired by pop culture it uses familiar elements and through technical innovation, this develops into a modern aesthetic. While playing the game, one can feel the passion for storytelling in an immersive, meticulously crafted game world that captivates not only visually. The reduced but skillful use of sound and music underlines the thrilling atmosphere of this classic survival horror game.
The jury consisted of: Anna Katharina Brinkschulte (Senior Lecturer Interactive Media, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg – Animationsinstitut, Ludwigsburg), Stephan Jakob (Professor for Game Design and Development, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da) & Founder, BiteTheBytes, Darmstadt), and Lea Schönfelder (Co-Founder, Fein Games, Frankfurt am Main).
The Trickstar Business Award, the prize for the best innovative and forward-looking business model in the animation sector in the amount of € 7,500 sponsored by Verband Region Stuttgart, goes to PentoPix Inc., Founders: Volha Paulovich, Amid Pate, United Kingdom.
The Honorary Trickstar of the ITFS 2023 goes to Latvian animation artist Signe Baumane (“My Love Affair with Marriage”, “Rocks in my Pockets”).
