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20 Years of Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey

Studio FILM BILDER and KiKA are celebrating the 20th birthday of the cult character TOM. Many TOM fans are sending their congratulations on social media, including beloved colleagues such as Sandmännchen, Günter Kastenfrosch, the raven Rudi, and “Die Pfefferkörner”. On Saturday, November 15, 2025, KiKA will host a TOM Day featuring 20 episodes of the series, embarking on a journey through the past two decades of “Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey” („TOM & das Erdbeermarmeladebrot mit Honig“).

Tom’s Special Day, Image: Studio FILM BILDER

In November 2005, KiKA aired the first 13 episodes of the series. Since then, TOM has made many friends, experienced adventures across a total of 52 episodes – and received 52 half slices of strawberry jam bread with honey, each of which tasted as good to him as if it had been a whole one. The lovable hero was created by Stuttgart-based animation artist Andreas Hykade. He designed the characters and the world, developed the scripts, and directed the series. All episodes were produced entirely at Studio FILM BILDER in Stuttgart. The animated series was given a special touch by Dirk Bach, who – as narrator and the voice of all the characters – gave the series its unmistakable tone. “Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey” has received several awards, including the Grimme Online Award in 2009 and the prize for Best TV Series at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2013.

“Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey” is a co-production of Studio FILM BILDER Stuttgart and SWR, funded by MFG Baden-Württemberg.

TOM on YouTube | TOM on Instagram | TOMportal | Kikaninchen.de

Source: News Studio FILMBILDER

Wiebke Wiesner New Managing Director of MFG starting in July 2026

The 49-year-old has signed her contract as Managing Director of MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH. She will succeed Carl Bergengruen on July 1, 2026, who has led MFG for 13 years and is retiring. Wiebke Wiesner’s contract is initially set for five years.

Wiebke Wiesner with State Secretary Arne Braun at the signing of the contract. © Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg

State Secretary Arne Braun (Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst BW) said:
“I am delighted that with Wiebke Wiesner we have gained an exceptionally qualified expert for an important future-oriented field in the state. Film funding is an essential part of Baden-Württemberg’s cultural and creative industries. Wiebke Wiesner combines a passion for film with extensive experience. She understands how the industry networks and how film funding works. Wiebke Wiesner brings people together. Her expertise and dynamism convinced the supervisory board. With her, Baden-Württemberg gains a Managing Director who will lead our film and media sector into the future with energy and strategy.”

Clemens Bratzler, Program Director Information at SWR, said:
“Appointing Wiebke Wiesner as Managing Director of MFG underscores our commitment to ensuring that Baden-Württemberg remains relevant and innovative in media, film, and the creative industries. Ms. Wiesner has everything needed to build on the successful era of Carl Bergengruen despite challenging conditions, while also setting new priorities for the future.”

Wiebke Wiesner added:
“I look forward with great enthusiasm and respect to the tasks ahead and to the wide-ranging spectrum of MFG, from film, VFX, and games funding to supporting the entire regional cultural and creative industries.” As Managing Director, she said she is stepping into commendable footsteps: “Carl Bergengruen has shaped MFG over many years with vision and tireless commitment. He deserves the highest recognition and thanks. The current challenges for Baden-Württemberg’s film and media sector, as well as for the entire German film industry, are immense.” Her passion and expertise in film funding have been long-standing. “I am very much looking forward to continuing proven initiatives with the MFG team while developing and implementing sustainable new ideas for the future.”

Wiebke Wiesner has served as Legal Counsel and Deputy Managing Director of the Produktionsallianz since February 2023 and took over as interim Managing Director of the nationwide industry association in May 2025. Previously, she worked at institutions for film funding at both the state and federal level, including the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and the Filmförderungsanstalt des Bundes (FFA). She is a deputy member of the FFA Board of Directors, chair of the Guidelines Committee, and represents film producers on the Green Filming Advisory Board and the Green Shooting Working Group. She advised the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg on establishing games funding and support for digital productions and negotiated Germany’s first AI collective agreement for the Produktionsallianz.

Sources (translated with the help of AI): Press Release Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst BW | MFG Baden-Württemberg

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!

About the Prix Italia: https://www.rai.it/prixitalia/
All Nominations in the Digital Category | All Nominations

Save the Date: Ludwigsburger Mediendialoge

At the kickoff of the Ludwigsburger Mediendialoge (Ludwigsburg Media Dialogues) on October 21, 2025, leading representatives from politics, business, and culture will discuss the future of the media industry in Southwest Germany.

Confirmed participants include:

  • Arne Braun, State Secretary, Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg
  • Dr. Patrick Rapp, State Secretary, Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg
  • Carl Bergengruen, Managing Director, Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (MFG)
  • Stefanie Larson, Manager, Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS)
  • Clemens Bratzler, Program Director Information, SWR
  • Lisa Purtscher or Lotta Schmelzer, Producer (LiseLotte Film), graduates of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (FABW)

Location: Campus of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg | Date & Time: October 21, 2025, 18.00 CET
Registration required – limited seats available!
Official invitations will be sent out at the end of September.

For questions, please contact Fenja Schnizer or Andreas Friedrich via presse@filmakademie.de.

Heroes as heroes can be – kaleidoscube and their Game “Recur“ at SWR Kultur

RECUR (2026)

The team behind the Stuttgart-based indie game studio and AMCRS CREATOR kaleidoscube is currently working on their new title “Recur” – the focus of a recent feature on SWR Kultur. Tune in to learn more about the game and its development directly from the team!

Sunday, July 6, 2025 17:30 CET, SWR Kultur, SWR

Online feature:
https://www.swr.de/swrkultur/leben-und-gesellschaft/kaleidoscube-stuttgarter-game-studio-videospiele-kunstwerke-100.html
https://www.swr.de/swrkultur/leben-und-gesellschaft/mehr-als-gute-unterhaltung-stuttgarter-game-studio-kaleidoscube-macht-aus-videospielen-kunst-100.html

PRIX JEUNESSE 2024 for Animanimals!

“Animanimals” (KiKA/SWR) has been honored at this year’s PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL in Munich. The multi-award-winning preschool format won in the “Shorts” category.

KiKA, SWR, Julia Ocker/Studio FILM BILDER

The animated series “Animanimals” picks up on the peculiarities of animals, which become the starting point for the crazy twists and turns of each story. In the PRIX JEUNESSE-winning episode, the cat wants to cook itself some mouse soup, but doesn’t have the heart to throw its beloved friends into the pot.

The series, which has no dialog, has already won over 50 awards, including the Grimme Prize in 2019. “Animanimals” is a production by our CREATORS from Studio FILM BILDER on behalf of KiKA and SWR. The author is animator Julia Ocker, the editors responsible are Stefan Pfäffle (KiKA) and Benjamin Manns (SWR).

The PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL is considered the world’s most renowned meeting place for media professionals in children’s and youth television. Experts from all continents come together to award the best and most innovative children’s media programs with the coveted PRIX JEUNESSE trophies.

Source: Press Release KiKA, May 30, 2024

Further information on the PRIX JEUNESSE 2024 br.de

Prize Winners PRIX JEUNESSE 2024

SAVE THE DATE, April 18, 2023: Panel Discussion “Medienproduktion der Zukunft”

Image: NEOSHIN – Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

Media production is undergoing profound changes that make a move towards innovative and technologically savvy production structures inevitable.

With topics such as mixed reality studios, virtual production with digitally prepared film locations, artificial intelligence as well as expanded LED technology, new possibilities are being created for film and media productions – especially in the area of moving image media. All sectors benefit from this, such as cinema, documentary and animated film, journalistic formats and live reporting. But new opportunities are also opening up for the visual effects (VFX) industry and, not least, for advertising film, which the region must take advantage of if it is not to lose out nationally and internationally in the field of media production.

What: Standortdialog „Medienproduktion der Zukunft“ (the panel discussion will be held in German)
When: Tuesday April 18, April 2023 / 10:00-17:00 CET
Where: Garage 229 / Haußmannstr. 229 / 70188 Stuttgart
About: Focus on film and media production
Technical Infrastructure / Shortage of skilled workers / Strengthening the production landscape and film and media funding / Technical research and development
An event by: Film Commission Region Stuttgart / WRS Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation

The Center for Media Competence and the Chair of Audiovisual Media, Film and Television at the Institute of Media Studies at the University of Tübingen have been commissioned by the WRS Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation to produce a current qualitative study on the media production of the future in the moving image sector, which provides recommendations for action for the Stuttgart Region as a business location.

To the study (German): https://wrs.region-stuttgart.de/publikationen/medienproduktion-der-zukunft/

Authors:: Alexa Vogel, Ilja Mirsky, Project Management: Prof. Dr. Susanne Marschall and Kurt Schneider.
Study Partners: Südwestrundfunk (SWR), Film Commission Region Stuttgart, b.ReX GmbH, Recom Film GmbH & Co. KG.

More information (German): https://uni-tuebingen.de/einrichtungen/zentrale-einrichtungen/zentrum-fuer-medienkompetenz/forschung-verbundprojekte/medienproduktion-der-zukunft/