Annie Awards nominations for diploma projects from the Animationsinstitut!
Two diploma projects from the Animationsinstitut of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg have made it onto the nomination list for Best Student Film at the 53rd Annie Awards. Congratulations to everyone involved!
A SPARROW’S SONG Student Director / Student Producer: Tobias Eckerlin Lead Technical Director: Vincent Maurer, Lead Character Artist: Elias Weber, Lead Animation: Lilli-Luisa Heckmann, Lead Animation: Jiro Magracia, Lead Groom/Feathers Artist: Rebecca Liebelt – and many more!
A Sparrow’s Song, Credits: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
A SPARROW’S SONG team (l.t.r.): Rebecca Liebelt, Jiro Magracia, Tobias Eckerlin, Vincent Maurer, Lilli-Luisa Heckmann & Elias Weber
THE UNDYING PAIN OF EXISTENCE Student Director: Oscar Jacobson Student Producers: Franz Rügamer, Nadiia Yunatska and many more!
The Undying Pain of Existence, Credits: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
The Undying Pain of Existence, Oscar Jacobson at his Diploma Showroom, FABW
Both projects have already received numerous awards: “A Sparrow’s Song”, for example, has won the Student Academy Award in Gold, while “The Undying Pain of Existence” received an award at the Filmschau Baden-Württemberg. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for the awards ceremony at the 53rd Annual Annie Awards on February 21, 2026! The ceremony can be streamed live here: https://annieawards.org/watch-it-live
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
July 28, 2025
KUNST. KI. KONTROLLVERLUST: July 31 to August 2, 2025
The opening of KUNST. KI. KONTROLLVERLUST (ART. AI. LOSS OF CONTROL, July 31 to August 2, 2025) will be marked by a showcase on Thursday, July 31, from 17:00 CET, titled KUNST. KI. KREATION(ART. AI. CREATION). The exhibition will feature, among other works, interactive and audiovisual pieces by students of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut, including the immersive AI installation “LIMBO,” which explores memory in the digital age. Additional graduation projects such as “Sensual,” based on hundreds of hand-painted watercolors, and “Gaïa,” which artistically envisions a planet-body inhabited by humans, address the theme of corporeality in visually powerful ways. The program is complemented by “UTOPIKUM,” a project by the creative lab Tinkertank, which invites visitors to actively co-create visions of the future on the Franck Areal.
On Friday, August 1, from 16:00 CET, the focus shifts to the intersection of art, technology, and entrepreneurship. Under the title KUNST. KI. KOMMERZ(ART. AI. COMMERCE), creatives, start-ups, and interested participants will gather for the “Meet-up der kreativen Intelligenz.“ During an open stage format, students, artists, and start-ups will present their projects. Guided tours of the showcase will follow. Registration for KUNST. KI. KOMMERZ is requested here.
On Saturday, August 2, from 16:00 CET, the event KUNST. KI. KAFFEE(ART. AI. COFFEE) invites visitors to participate and explore. Guided tours of the exhibitions offer deeper insights into the media art projects on display. The groups “Drink & Draw Ludwigsburg” and “Drink & Draw Stuttgart” will gather for drawing sessions and urban sketching in the industrial setting of the venue. An open discussion format titled “Auf einen Kaffee mit der KI“ will provide space to talk about artificial intelligence, the public sphere, and the future – approachable, understandable, and open to diverse perspectives.
The exhibited projects LIMBO, Sensual, Gaïa, and UTOPIKUM will be open to the public on all three days. No registration is required for KUNST. KI. KONTROLLVERLUST, and admission is free.
Venue: Franck-Areal, Pflugfelder Str. 31, 71636 Ludwigsburg
KUNST. KI. KONTROLLVERLUST is a joint project by the Fachbereich Kunst und Kultur der Stadt Ludwigsburg, the Wirtschaftsförderung Stadt Ludwigsburg, and the Animationsinstitut of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg.
July 19, 2025
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!
A Sparrow’s Song – Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
Trailer „The Undying Pain of Existence“
July 4, 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.
From June 8 to 14, 2025, this year’s Annecy Festival will take place. As part of the festival, the MIFA animation film market will be held from June 10 to 13. Numerous projects by filmmakers from our network will be featured.
In the competition category “TV Films,” “Lena’s Farm” is represented with the episode “Volles Nest” by Elena Walf, produced by Thomas Meyer-Hermann (Studio Film Bilder). More info
The Animationsinstitut of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg is also represented: in the “Graduation Films” category, “Detlev” by Ferdinand Ehrhardt (director and producer) and Saskia Stirn (producer), with distribution by Fabian Driehorst, will be screened. More info Selected for the “VR Works” category is “lichtung” by Aria Wolf and Janina Zlotos (directors), produced by Cyril Fischer and Christoph Mohr. More info
The animated feature film “Stitch Head” by screenwriter and director Steve Hudson will be shown in the “Annecy Presents” section and will celebrate its world premiere! At ITFS 2020, the screenplay received the AMCRS-sponsored award for Best German-language Screenplay for an Animated Feature Film. The film was supported by MFG and involved the studios LAVAlabs Moving Images and PIXOMONDO in its production. More info | News article by MFG
The talent panel “Shape Your Future: Moving European Animation Forward” will present the innovation network PANEURAMA, with Christian Müller from the Animationinstitut joining the discussion. More info
‘Is AI intelligent?’ is the question posed by internationally renowned AI researcher Bernhard Schölkopf in his keynote at the first edition of the Innovationslabor Zukunft (Innovation Lab Future). From May 28 to June 1, 2025, Schauspiel Stuttgart will transform the Kammertheater into a theatrical AI laboratory with 30 events.
Can an AI direct a play? Can AI help us overcome death? How does a human move in the metaverse? Human and machine – who is programming whom? Is AI emotional? With the help of experts such as Ranga Yogeshwar, Oscar winner Jan Pinkava (head of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut), theatrical performance projects (by Wilke Weermann, Florian Etti, Alessa Bollack, and Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart), workshops by La Fura dels Baus, and performances by Rimini Protokoll, the festival explores complex questions about the future of artificial intelligence and society.
With the Innovationslabor Zukunft, Schauspiel Stuttgart creates a space for exciting encounters, diverse presentations, discussion formats, and keynotes featuring experts from science, business, the arts, and philosophy. Encounters with a humanoid robot, Kenza Ait Si Abbou, Ars Electronica Director Veronica Liebl, ZKM Director Alistair Hudson, film producer Nico Hofmann, Prof. Dr. Judith Simon (member of the Deutscher Ethikrat), Minister Petra Olschowski, producer and pianist Roberto Di Gioia, and many more. SWR Kultur will produce four live broadcasts/podcasts – including from the Kammertheater.
AI becomes tangible and experiential: AI live on stage, AI-driven live music production, AI in film, and actors performing live in the Metaverse.
In cooperation with SWR Kultur, Hochschule der Medien, Media Solution Center Baden-Württemberg, HLRS, ZKM Karlsruhe, EIT Culture and Creativity, ICE Innovation by Creative Economy, Akademie für Darstellende Kunst Baden-Württemberg
Two Animationsinstitut projects on the 2025 BAFTA Student Awards longlist!
A few days ago, the longlist for the 2025 BAFTA Student Awards (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) was announced – and two student projects from the Animationsinstitut at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg made it in: “A Sparrow’s Song” (Director: Tobias Eckerlin, more information) and “kaulquappe (polliwog)” (Director: Julia Skala, more information).
The finalists will be revealed at the end of May – fingers crossed!
A Sparrow’s Song – Filmakademie Baden-WürttembergKaulquappe – Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
Trailer Polliwog
Show Reel Animationsinstitut 2025
May 12, 2025
Jobs at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut
The Animationsinstitut is part of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and one of the world’s leading training institutions for Animation, Visual Effects, Technical Directing, Animation/Effects Producing and Interactive Media.
They currently have the following job vacancies:
Coordinator Artificial Intelligence (m/f/d) as of July 1, 2025 or as soon as possible. Full-time (39.5 hours/week), limited to 2 years.
Tasks:
Consulting and strategic development of teaching and organization
Central point of contact for students, teachers and staff for all AI topics
Collaboration with research projects of the R&D Department and our Animationsinstitut especially in the area of fair and sustainable AI use
Building and maintaining networks with regional and international AI partners
Support in selecting, implementing and prioritizing AI projects
Assistant to the Head of Institute (m/f/d), full-time (39.5 h), for a period of two years.
Tasks:
Facilitating communication between the Head of Institute, commercial management and teaching, as well as the lecturers and students of the Animationsinstitut
General secretarial and assistant tasks, correspondence, telephone and reception
Translation DE-EN and EN-DE
Travel and meeting coordination for the Head of the Institute
Coordination, preparation and follow-up of meetings and presentations in German and English
Travel bookings and other organizational activities for the Head of the Institute, staff and students
14:30 FMX, Bertha-Benz-Saal & VOD The Rise of African Animation, VFX and Content Development – How Cultural Differences are fueling Industry Growth Panel “Managing Change” curated by Imke Fehrmann, RISE | Visual Effects Studios https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2025/list?t=1810
18:15 FMX, Bertha-Benz-Saal & VOD Story Telling for War Children: Extremist and counter-Extremist Narratives Panel “Managing Change” curated by Imke Fehrmann, RISE | Visual Effects Studios https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2025/list?t=1810
18:15 FMX, Turm Aalen & VOD School Presentations: Flamin‘ Hot / Beyond Boundaries / The Goo / Lonely / Cyclus / FATIMA Mariana Mendes dos Santos, Alex Ferstl, Merz Akademie (Panel “School Presentations” presented by Alexandra Joshi, Animationsinstitut / FABW, Mark Szilagyi, FABW) https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2025/detail/event/31835
18:00 ITFS, White Noise, Eberhardtstr. 35 Exhibition: It’s Just a Whole Exhibition by Animationsinstitut / FABW graduate Bianca Scali / Winner ITFS 2024 “Student Competition“ https://itfs.de/en/show/exhibition-its-just-a-whole-4
21:30 Die Note, Berliner Platz 1 Animation Lounge by AMCRS
