Animationsinstitut International

At Home in the World – Internationalization at Animationsinstitut

Animation is a global art form: VFX, games and animation industries work transnationally, productions work with studios on several continents, the stories told by animated films find their audiences all over the world, games and animated films are distributed internationally via digital platforms. To meet international challenges, the first and foremost goal of Animationsinstitut is to find the world's greatest talents for project studies at Animationsinstitut.

Amidst the Stuttgart-Ludwigsburg region, Animationsinstitut is an international magnet for animation, VFX and interactive media, where regional strengths are combined with a strong international orientation and networking. Interested students from all over the world find their home here – sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently.

We promote diversity in the student body so that international cooperation, including cultural, linguistic, and artistic encounters, already take place during studies. Animation is a medium that pushes boundaries and, beyond established representations or language barriers, opens up fantastic and artistic spaces for stories that can be understood everywhere. We want to hear these stories!

Studying in English

Teaching at Animationsinstitut is mainly carried out by guest lecturers who are active in the industry on a practical level. At Animationsinstitut, teaching in all postgraduate and project studies is mostly done in English and is thus open to students from all over the world.

Click here for the study program

Cooperation in the Network of International Animation Schools

Worldwide, Animationsinstitut is considered one of the most renowned institutions of higher education for animation, VFX, interactive media and technical directing. It trains outstanding talents for a globally networked film, game and creative industry and sees itself as an internationally active educational institution that promotes artistic cooperation across linguistic and cultural barriers. Therefore, it maintains partnerships and cooperation with other universities and educational institutions worldwide.

Partner Institutions

Student Mobility

As part of numerous cooperation agreements around the globe, students of Animationsinstitut can gain experience at partner institutions during their studies, for example through cooperative project work or academic stays abroad. In exchange, Animationsinstitut is open to students from partner schools.

Thus, on the one hand, Animationsinstitut is a haven for talents from all over the world, who work here in student teams and participate in workshops and seminars. On the other hand, it encourages its students to learn new things and gain exciting experience elsewhere, whether at institutions of higher education or through internships at international companies in the industry.

Alexandra Joshi Coordination International Network +49 7141/969 82 822 alexandra.joshi@animationsinstitut.de

Student Ambassadors

You want to learn more about the student life, campus environment, or living in Germany? Then ask our student ambassadors, who are happy to answer those questions and share their experiences. Simply click on their pictures to shoot them an e-mail!

If you have questions regarding the admission requirements or your eligibility, please contact the study coordination: study@animationsinstitut.de

We are happy to hear from you!

Luba

I’m 33 years old, from Siberia, Russia, and I speak Russian and English. I study Animation and Effects Producing, and my favorite works are MARY AND MAX and HEAVY RAIN. Before Filmakademie, I was busy launching YouTube and TikTok animated channels, but I decided it was time to level up and applied to Animationsinstitut.

Julian

I’m 25 years old, from Bregenz, Austria, and I speak German and English. I study VFX, and my favorite VFX-heavy movies are ARRIVAL and INTERSTELLAR. Studying at Animationsinstitut has already connected me with a vast network of like-minded individuals and industry professionals. I’m excited to explore more projects and gain new experiences.

Eileen

I’m 27 years old, from Aschaffenburg, Germany, and I speak German, English, and Japanese. I study Character Animation, and my favorite animation is HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON. Studying at Animationsinstitut means a lot of creative and personal freedom. I’ve worked on many different projects here and had the chance to join exchange and summer programs.

Kitchen Conversations with International Students

International Talent Programs and Industry Events

FMX - Film & Media Exchange

With FMX, Filmakademie hosts one of the most important international industry and networking events - for our students. The FMX lectures are part of the curriculum, the students can get in direct contact with animation and VFX icons, and in the recruiting area, many forward-looking jobs have already been arranged.

Animation Sans Frontières

Since 2008, Animationsinstitut has organized the international talent program Animation Sans Frontières (ASF), for which it cooperates with the Animation Workshop of the VIA University College in Viborg, the GOBELINS l'école de l'image in Paris and the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest. ASF is aimed at alumni from the fields of animation, games, producing and screenwriting, who develop project ideas from the beginning to the final pitch during six months in this European Animation Development Lab.

Industry Events

In addition, students of Animationsinstitut regularly present their projects to an international industry audience, at conferences, festivals or forums such as Cartoon Springboard or the Animation Production Days.

Further Information

Here you can find the most important information for students from abroad.

For more information on studies in general, click here.

Why study at Animationsinstitut?

At Filmakademie, students learn through hands-on project work. From the beginning, it's all about the films, games, interactive installations, effects.

We work with international lecturers who are professionals with practical experience and pass on their know-how directly to the students.

Animationsinstitut, part of Filmakademie, is located in Ludwigsburg, amidst a thriving and growing animation, games and VFX scene. Networking with regional and international companies and studios gives our alumni access to exciting jobs. In addition, the region also offers many incentives and opportunities to successfully found your own studio.

Curious? For more information on studies click here.

Tuition Fees

Since the winter semester 2017/2018, the state of Baden-Württemberg charges tuition fees for international students from non-EU countries (1,500 € per semester).

Exempt from this regulation are the 2.5-year diploma postgraduate courses at Animationsinstitut (Animation/Effects Producing, Interactive Media and Technical Directing).

Furthermore, tuition fees are charged for second degree studies (650 € per semester). Exempt from this regulation are the 2.5-year postgraduate studies at Animationsinstitut (Animation/Effects Producing, Interactive Media and Technical Directing).

Financing of Studies & Cost of Living

Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg does not directly offer any study scholarships. The following institutions offer study scholarships or short-term scholarships for studying abroad:

The monthly cost of living in Ludwigsburg is currently around 860 – 1,200 EUR per month, depending on lifestyle. Here some average prices for comparison:

Milk (1 l)	1.00 €
Loaf of fresh bread (500g)	3.00 €
Water (1.5 l bottle)	0.50 €
Beer (pub, 0.5 l)	4.00 €
Beer (supermarket, 0.5 l)	0.90 €
Cappuccino to go	3.00 €

International Exchange for Students

Animationsinstitut is part of an ever-growing network of international cooperating schools around the world, e.g.

The Animation Workshop/VIA University College in Viborg (Denmark)
GOBELINS l’école de l’image in Paris (France)
DADIU program of Danish film schools in the field of games
Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest (Hungary)
MoPA l'école des métiers de la création in Arles (France)
School of Visual Arts in New York (USA)
Korean University of the Arts in Seoul (South Korea)

In addition, other Filmakademie-wide international programs with international film schools are open to students of Animationsinstitut.

Health Insurance

All students at German institutes of higher education must have health insurance. This applies to both regularly enrolled and exchange students. Proof of valid health insurance is required for enrollment at Filmakademie and to apply for a residence permit in Germany.

For students from the EU different rules apply – more information can be found here: 4 Steps to Germany | Study in Germany (study-in-germany.de)

Visa

It is the students’ responsibility to inform themselves about the necessary entry and visa requirements in good time before the start of their studies. The visa process might take several months, depending on the country of origin! The Federal Foreign Office (www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en), for example, can provide help and advice in this regard.

To apply for a visa, students must be admitted to study at Filmakademie. Regular students will receive such a letter from the examination office after passing the entrance examination; exchange students should contact the International Office.