Press Release Filmbüro Baden-Württemberg, October 30, 2024
Heiko Burkardsmaier, VFX Executive Producer and Head of Business/Legal Affairs at Accenture Song VFX in Stuttgart, receives this year’s Baden-Württemberg Honorary Film Award (Baden-Württembergischer Ehrenfilmpreis). Based in the capital of Baden-Württemberg, Heiko Burkardsmaier has uniquely shaped the VFX industry in Stuttgart, both economically and artistically, playing a pivotal role in establishing the region as a European leader in this field. Together with his teams, Heiko Burkardsmaier creates sensational visual effects for Hollywood blockbusters, earning international film awards for their precise and creative work “Made in Stuttgart,” including an Oscar, several Emmys, and numerous Emmy nominations.
The unendowed honorary film award will be presented at the 30. Filmschau Baden-Württemberg (December 4 to 8, 2024) during the award ceremony on Sunday, December 8, 2024, in the Dürnitz Kulturlounge at the Altes Schloss in Stuttgart. This award honors individuals who help shape the media and film landscape in Baden-Württemberg, provide lasting support through their work, and make a significant contribution to raising the region’s profile beyond state borders.
Under his leadership, outstanding visual effects have been created in Stuttgart for several award-winning feature films and TV projects. These include Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning 3D adventure Hugo, the Emmy-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, the Emmy-winning fantasy series Shadow and Bone, and Netflix’s fantasy series Avatar: The Last Airbender. His teams have also created historical and fantastical settings and effects for films like 13 Minutes (German: Elser – er hätte die Welt verändert), Hindenburg, Independence Day: Resurgence, and Girl You Know It’s True.
The award winner, who is well-connected both regionally and internationally, serves as a lecturer at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, an advisor for the Audiovisual Media program at the Stuttgart Media University (HdM), a board member of the Animation Section of the German Producers Association (Produzentenallianz Deutschland), and a member of the Deutsche Filmakademie as well as the Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart.
