21 Feb Trickfilm-Show as a festival opener
A Deep Insight into the World of Animation
On Thursday, 22 June 2023, 8 p.m., I opened the 24th International Festival of Animated Film at the Caligari-Film-Stage in Wiesbaden with excerpts of my Animation-Show.
I am very happy that the Cultural Office Wiesbaden, the Caligari-Film-Stage Wiesbaden and the Animation Film Festival (organiser: Films in the Castle) have made this cooperation possible.
150 guests came into the Caligari-Film-Stage in Wiesbaden and followed my infotainment show. I presented a shortened version of two hours. Due to the many questions from the audience, the show lasted 45 minutes longer.
Listed Caligari Film Stage
Click on the poster to open the programme flyer.
A Deep Insight into the World of Animation
On Thursday, 22 June 2023, 8 p.m., I opened the 24th International Festival of Animated Film at the Caligari-Film-Stage in Wiesbaden with excerpts of my Animation Show.
I am very happy that the Cultural Office Wiesbaden, the Caligari-Film-Stage Wiesbaden and the Animation Film Festival (organiser: Films in the Castle) have made this cooperation possible.
150 guests came into the Caligari-Film-Stage in Wiesbaden and followed my infotainment show. I presented a shortened version of two hours. Due to the many questions from the audience, the show lasted 45 minutes longer.
Read, what the ‘Wiesbadener Kurier’ has written.
An Oscar Winner learns to walk
The following text is from the festival programme booklet (© Filme im Schloss).
Animation Show with Thomas Stellmach, Kassel, 120 min.
Oscar® winner Thomas Stellmach presents his international award-winning animated films and gives an exciting and entertaining insight into the production processes of the films. He talks about the exciting life of an animation film artist, about his inspiration, about important stages in his career and about his plans for the future. He explains the tricks and the techniques used to make the films. Stories are told about the films, e.g. about the Oscar® ceremony in Hollywood in 1997. Using facts and figures, Thomas Stellmach conveys the effort involved in the productions and addresses the challenges that this art form entails. The film programme is supplemented by photo material and making-of films.
Thomas Stellmach studied animation with the animation film artist Paul Driessen at the Academy of Arts in Kassel. After graduating in 1999, he founded the animation studio Lichthof Film & Animation in Kassel with two partners and produced animated commercials until 2008. In 2009 he left the company and concentrated on his independent artistic projects. He has received more than 150 international awards for his independent productions.
Click on the article of the “Wiesbadener Kurier” to enlarge it.
Listed Caligari Film Stage
Films of the program
COMPETITION WITHOUT WINNERS (excerpt)
(stop motion film, 2 minutes)
An action-packed car race with toy cars.
Germany 1984. All works: Thomas Stellmach.
2nd prize and special prize for the best soundtrack at the Bavarian State Competition for Amateur Filmmakers. Bronze medal at the Federal Amateur Film Animators Competition.
COMPETITION WITHOUT WINNERS (excerpt)
(stop motion film, 2 minutes)
An action-packed car race with toy cars.
Germany 1984. All works: Thomas Stellmach.
2nd prize and special prize for the best soundtrack at the Bavarian State Competition for Amateur Filmmakers. Bronze medal at the Federal Amateur Film Animators Competition.
THE LAST LEAF
(Plasticine animation, 6 minutes)
A plasticine figure lives in a dying grey forest and takes care of one last green leaf.
Germany 1984. All works: Thomas Stellmach.
Best film in the Youth category at the World Amateur Film Festival (UNICA) in Argentina. Bavarian Lion at the 6th Bavarian Amateur Film Festival, 1985, Ansbach. Best Film of the Festival and Gold Medal, Federal Competition of Non-Professional Animated Film, 1985, Ulm. Best Youth Film at the 34th German Amateur Film Competition 1985, Gütersloh. Special Mention and Special Prize, 3rd International Juvenale, Klagenfurt, Austria, 1985. IAC International Award and IAC Youth Trophy, International Film and Video Competition 1987, London. Miniature Golden Knight for Best Animated Film, 27th Golden Knight Film Festival 1988, Malta.
THE LAST LEAF
(Plasticine animation, 6 minutes)
A plasticine figure lives in a dying grey forest and takes care of one last green leaf.
Germany 1984. All works: Thomas Stellmach.
Best film in the Youth category at the World Amateur Film Festival (UNICA) in Argentina. Bavarian Lion at the 6th Bavarian Amateur Film Festival, 1985, Ansbach. Best Film of the Festival and Gold Medal, Federal Competition of Non-Professional Animated Film, 1985, Ulm. Best Youth Film at the 34th German Amateur Film Competition 1985, Gütersloh. Special Mention and Special Prize, 3rd International Juvenale, Klagenfurt, Austria, 1985. IAC International Award and IAC Youth Trophy, International Film and Video Competition 1987, London. Miniature Golden Knight for Best Animated Film, 27th Golden Knight Film Festival 1988, Malta.
SMALL TALK
(pixilation, 5 minutes)
A storyteller causes turbulence with his extremely vivid performances in an interview. Sledgehammer in talk-show horror.
Germany 1994. Produced, directed, written by Thomas Stellmach. Music: Herma Focken, Rainer Schaefer. Animation: Said Arefi, Omid Azmi, Dorothea Donneberg, Herma Focken, Peter Lemken, Parviz Safadel, Monika Stellmach, Thomas Stellmach.
Short Film Award of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Foundation 1995; FBW-Predicate Especially Valuable 1994. Short Film Award at the Ruesselsheim Film Festival 1994.
SMALL TALK
(pixilation, 5 minutes)
A storyteller causes turbulence with his extremely vivid performances in an interview. Sledgehammer in talk-show horror.
Germany 1994. Produced, directed, written by Thomas Stellmach. Music: Herma Focken, Rainer Schaefer. Animation: Said Arefi, Omid Azmi, Dorothea Donneberg, Herma Focken, Peter Lemken, Parviz Safadel, Monika Stellmach, Thomas Stellmach.
Short Film Award of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Foundation 1995; FBW-Predicate Especially Valuable 1994. Short Film Award at the Ruesselsheim Film Festival 1994.
OLD SUPER LADY
(cartoon film, 0:51 minutes)
The winning film of the MTV Europe Storyboard Competition on the theme “Random Acts of Kindness” demonstrates in a funny way how helpfulness towards strangers can save lives.
Germany 1994. Production: Thomas Stellmach for MTV-Europe. Story, direction, animation, camera: Thomas Stellmach. Effect animation, backgrounds: Parviz Safadel. Colouring: Barbara Bux, Monika Stellmach. Music: Till Mertens.
Crystal for the best TV-Inbetweener, International Animated Film Festival, Annecy 1995. Animation on film.
OLD SUPER LADY
(cartoon film, 0:51 minutes)
The winning film of the MTV Europe Storyboard Competition on the theme “Random Acts of Kindness” demonstrates in a funny way how helpfulness towards strangers can save lives.
Germany 1994. Production: Thomas Stellmach for MTV-Europe. Story, direction, animation, camera: Thomas Stellmach. Effect animation, backgrounds: Parviz Safadel. Colouring: Barbara Bux, Monika Stellmach. Music: Till Mertens.
Crystal for the best TV-Inbetweener, International Animated Film Festival, Annecy 1995. Animation on film.
QUEST
(stop motion film, 11:30 minutes)
In search of water, a sand figure leaves the sand world in which it lives. She wanders through other worlds – made of paper, stone and iron – always following the drops of water. In the end, the sand figure manages to reach the water … in a tragic way.
Germany 1996. Production: Thomas Stellmach. Director, camera, chief model maker: Tyron Montgomery. Screenplay: Tyron Montgomery. Animation, story, 2nd model maker: Thomas Stellmach. Story consultant: Prof. Paul Driessen. Music: Der Spyra. Puppet animation film.
Oscar 1997 in the short animated film category. Cartoon dʼor Award for Best European Animated Film 1996. Award for Best European Short Film at the Cork Film Festival 1996. Don Quijote Award at the Krakow Short Film Festival 1996. Zlatko Grgic Award at the World Festival of Animated Film Zagreb 1996. City of Melbourne Award for Best Animated Film at the Melbourne Film Festival 1996. Danzante de plata for best animated film at the Short Film Week Ciudad de Huesca 1996. Animation Award at the International Hamburg Short Film 1996. Debut Award at the International Animated Film Festival of Japan, Hiroshima 1996. 1st Prize for First Feature and Alvares Costa Prize of Journalists at the Animated Film Festival Cinanima, Espinho 1996.Audience Award of the SDR at the International Animated Film Festival Stuttgart. Baume & Mercier Audience Award at the German Short Film Award 1996. Special Jury Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival 1997. Certificate of Merit at the Golden Gate Awards Competition San Francisco 1997. Grand Prix at the European Short Film Competition 1997 of the Festival of Fantasy, Thriller & Science Fiction Film Brussels.
QUEST
(stop motion film, 11:30 minutes)
In search of water, a sand figure leaves the sand world in which it lives. She wanders through other worlds – made of paper, stone and iron – always following the drops of water. In the end, the sand figure manages to reach the water … in a tragic way.
Germany 1996. Production: Thomas Stellmach. Director, camera, chief model maker: Tyron Montgomery. Screenplay: Tyron Montgomery. Animation, story, 2nd model maker: Thomas Stellmach. Story consultant: Prof. Paul Driessen. Music: Der Spyra. Puppet animation film.
Oscar 1997 in the short animated film category. Cartoon dʼor Award for Best European Animated Film 1996. Award for Best European Short Film at the Cork Film Festival 1996. Don Quijote Award at the Krakow Short Film Festival 1996. Zlatko Grgic Award at the World Festival of Animated Film Zagreb 1996. City of Melbourne Award for Best Animated Film at the Melbourne Film Festival 1996. Danzante de plata for best animated film at the Short Film Week Ciudad de Huesca 1996. Animation Award at the International Hamburg Short Film 1996. Debut Award at the International Animated Film Festival of Japan, Hiroshima 1996. 1st Prize for First Feature and Alvares Costa Prize of Journalists at the Animated Film Festival Cinanima, Espinho 1996.Audience Award of the SDR at the International Animated Film Festival Stuttgart. Baume & Mercier Audience Award at the German Short Film Award 1996. Special Jury Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival 1997. Certificate of Merit at the Golden Gate Awards Competition San Francisco 1997. Grand Prix at the European Short Film Competition 1997 of the Festival of Fantasy, Thriller & Science Fiction Film Brussels.
THE SPINNING ANIMATION SHOW 2015
(cartoon and object animation, 7 minuntes)
The unusual result of a workshop by Thomas Stellmach, realised by federal prize winners of the “jugend creativ” competition, presented as an audiovisual performance.
Germany 2015. Technique: cartoon and object animation. Camera, editing, music: Thomas Stellmach.
THE SPINNING ANIMATION SHOW 2015
(cartoon and object animation, 7 minuntes)
The unusual result of a workshop by Thomas Stellmach, realised by federal prize winners of the “jugend creativ” competition, presented as an audiovisual performance.
Germany 2015. Technique: cartoon and object animation. Camera, editing, music: Thomas Stellmach.
THE SAUSAGE RUN
(cartoon film, 9:45 minutes)
A lamb is Little Red Riding Hood. The big bad wolf, a human butcher, has a problem. He has run out of meat. The forester is a dog who loves sausages. Their world consists of zoetropes.
Germany, Belgium 2021. Director, Compositing: Thomas Stellmach. Producer: Thomas Stellmach Animation, Epeios Productions. Story: Paul Driessen, Thomas Stellmach. Music: Beo Brockhausen. Character Design: Janek Czechowski. Background design: Aike Arndt (illustration), Thomas Stellmach (colouring). Character animation: Nancy Bens, Kris Van Alphen. 3D modelling/ animation: Raumkapsel GbR.
Best Film between 4 and 20 minutes and Best European Film, Cortoons Gandia Festival 2022, Spain. Grand Prix – The Golden Kuker Award, Golden Kuker Sofia, International Animation Film Fest 2022, Bulgaria. 3rd place in the German Short Film Competition, Exground Filmfest Wiesbaden 2022.
THE SAUSAGE RUN
(cartoon film, 9:45 minutes)
A lamb is Little Red Riding Hood. The big bad wolf, a human butcher, has a problem. He has run out of meat. The forester is a dog who loves sausages. Their world consists of zoetropes.
Germany, Belgium 2021. Director, Compositing: Thomas Stellmach. Producer: Thomas Stellmach Animation, Epeios Productions. Story: Paul Driessen, Thomas Stellmach. Music: Beo Brockhausen. Character Design: Janek Czechowski. Background design: Aike Arndt (illustration), Thomas Stellmach (colouring). Character animation: Nancy Bens, Kris Van Alphen. 3D modelling/ animation: Raumkapsel GbR.
Best Film between 4 and 20 minutes and Best European Film, Cortoons Gandia Festival 2022, Spain. Grand Prix – The Golden Kuker Award, Golden Kuker Sofia, International Animation Film Fest 2022, Bulgaria. 3rd place in the German Short Film Competition, Exground Filmfest Wiesbaden 2022.
VIRTUOSO VIRTUAL
(ink on paper, on glass and in water, digital compositing, 8 minutes)
Abstract ink drawings “grow” synchronously to the music in the interplay of curiosity, hesitant encounter, dynamic chase and confrontation.
Germany 2013. Producer: Thomas Stellmach. Directed by Thomas Stellmach, Maja Oschmann. Music: Overture of the opera “The Alchemist” by Louis Spohr (1830) & Till Mertens (music during the credits). Ink on paper, on glass and in water, digital compositing.
Best Experimental/Abstract Film, Ottawa International Animated Film Festival 2013, Canada. Best Film, 9th Tehran International Animation Film Festival, Iran. 1st Audience Award in the category: German Short Film, Exground Filmfest 2013, Wiesbaden. Special Mention of the Jury, 56th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film 2013.
VIRTUOSO VIRTUAL
(ink on paper, on glass and in water, digital compositing, 8 minutes)
Abstract ink drawings “grow” synchronously to the music in the interplay of curiosity, hesitant encounter, dynamic chase and confrontation.
Germany 2013. Producer: Thomas Stellmach. Directed by Thomas Stellmach, Maja Oschmann. Music: Overture of the opera “The Alchemist” by Louis Spohr (1830) & Till Mertens (music during the credits). Ink on paper, on glass and in water, digital compositing.
Best Experimental/Abstract Film, Ottawa International Animated Film Festival 2013, Canada. Best Film, 9th Tehran International Animation Film Festival, Iran. 1st Audience Award in the category: German Short Film, Exground Filmfest 2013, Wiesbaden. Special Mention of the Jury, 56th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film 2013.
Get an Impression of the Show
I have been presenting the complete Trickfilm-Show I, II & III in three parts at the Theaterstübchen in Kassel since 2022.
Get more information about my Trickfilm-Show concept.
See my next events.
Introduction of the Show I, II & III
Film excerpts
Click on the poster to open the programme flyer.