A SPARROW'S SONG wins Student Academy Award 2025
A great honour for the Animation Institute at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg: Tobias Eckerlin's graduation film A SPARROW'S SONG has been awarded the 2025 Student Academy Award in the ‘Animation’ category – arguably the most important international prize for student film projects.
The project was created as part of the diploma year at the Animation Institute and was directed and produced by Tobias Eckerlin – with outstanding support from Vincent Maurer (Technical Director), Elias Weber (Lead Character Artist), Lilli-Luisa Heckmann and Jiro Magracia (Lead Animators), Rebecca Liebelt (Groom Artist) and many other hard-working contributors.
From over 3,000 international submissions from 988 universities worldwide, A SPARROW'S SONG is one of the 14 winning films selected for the 52nd Student Academy Awards – an incredible success and a great recognition of the creative and technical achievements of the entire team. It is a special moment for us, as we have been able to accompany their development and work over the last few years.
We congratulate Tobias and the entire team on this great success and look forward to the official award ceremony on 6 October.
We feel truly overwhelmed and are incredibly happy about the Student Oscar. This is one of the greatest accolades you could wish for!
Tobias Eckerlin, Director und Producer
The Team
Rebecca Liebelt, Jiro Magracia, Tobias Eckerlin, Vincent Maurer, Lilli-Luisa Heckmann and Elias Weber are proud of their joint success.
The Film
Tobias Eckerlin's 3D-animated film A SPARROW'S SONG was inspired by a true story. It follows an elderly widow in the midst of World War II who struggles to overcome grief and rediscover joy in her life. Day by day, she serves as an air raid warden in the crowded shelters, witnessing the suffering of children and others. One morning, she finds a dying sparrow and hopes to save its fragile life. As the sparrow gradually heals, a bond grows between them, and the bird begins to respond to her piano playing—a shared language that builds a bridge. During bombing raids, she carries the sparrow to the shelters, where she plays the piano, and the sparrow sings its song to comfort the children and offer hope to those around her. Through this newfound purpose and unexpected alliance, her life begins to change.
Learn more about the project and find its full credits here.
Honourable Mentions
The teams behind KAULQUAPPE and THE UNDYING PAIN OF EXISTENCE also deserve a big round of applause!
KAULQUAPPE made it to the semi-finals of the Student Academy Awards, and THE UNDYING PAIN OF EXISTENCE was even among the official nominees! A strong result and wonderful proof of how much heart and soul and talent went into these projects.
We’re thrilled to see their work being recognized and proud to have accompanied them on this journey!
THE UNDYING PAIN OF EXISTENCE
In the UNDYING PAIN OF EXISTENCE, written and directed by Oscar Jacobson, a nude model is posing with statuesque stillness for an elite drawing class – until an unfortunate mosquito bite challenges his self-control. Driven to madness by the itch, he’s caught between the ruthless demand for perfection and his most unhinged, animalistic impulses.
Learn more about the project and find its full credit list here.
POLLIWOG
In Julia Skala's diploma film POLLIWOG ten year old Marlene is struggling with her early pubescent, changing body while on a forest home trip with her classmates. She feels ashamed of her boobs growing. Therefore, she avoids to shower with the other girls and hides her evolving body under large sweatshirts. When the other kids start making fun of an oddly developed tadpole at the forest home museum, Marlene is weirdly identifying with it and decides to set it free.
Learn more about the project and find its full credits here.
