QUEST
Table of content
Film Details
About the Film
A journey in Quest of Water
In the stop-motion film QUEST, a creature made of sand leaves its familiar world in search of water. Guided by the persistent sound of a dripping water droplet, it travels through landscapes made of sand, paper, stone and iron. After overcoming numerous obstacles and dangers, it finally reaches its destination – in a tragic way.
Without using dialogue, QUEST tells a story that is both simple and universal, exploring hope, longing and the relentless pursuit of a goal. Its symbolic visual language and clear storytelling make the film accessible across languages and cultures while leaving room for a wide range of interpretations.
The film was produced between 1992 and 1996 in the Animation Department of the Kassel Academy of Art. It was directed by Tyron Montgomery. The story was developed by Thomas Stellmach, who also produced and animated the film.
In 1997, QUEST received the Oscar® for Best Animated Short Film and remains one of the most internationally successful German animated short films.
Film Profile
Themes
Search for Meaning · Hope · Humanity and the Environment
Mood & Impact
captivating · unsettling · thought-provoking
Kind of Film
Narrative symbolic film.
Audience Reactions
“Fantastic work. You created a character, an environment and a quest that immediately captures attention.” — Vimeo
“Ray Harryhausen would be proud of you!” — YouTube
“This reminds me that Earth needs triage.” — YouTube
“Brilliant non-digital animation… Deserved its Oscar.” — IMDb
Recommendations
Certificate: “especially commendable”, German Film Quality Assessment Board (FBW), Germany
Jury statement
The animated character is guided through the story in an extraordinary way, which not only unfolds its magic through the impressive cinematic realisation, but also invites philosophical reflections on transience and longing. Irreal abstract spaces unfold in tableaux with suggestive colour and lighting designs, their mood emphasised by outstanding sound collages. The animated character’s essence unfolds its charm through its gestures and facial expressions and through its carefully crafted transformations.
Suitable for ages 6+
Voluntary Self-Regulation Organization of the Film Industry (FSK)
Education
For many years, QUEST has been used in schools, universities and arts education programmes. Educational resources for the film have been published by several institutions, including:
- German Film Institute & Film Museum (DFF)
- German Federation of Youth and Film (BJF)
- Catholic Film Association (Katholisches Filmwerk)
The educational materials explore topics such as:
- Symbolism and visual storytelling
- Animation and filmmaking
- Philosophy and interpretation
- Environment and responsibility
- Film analysis
Awards
QUEST was shown at 180 international film festivals and received over 40 awards.
- OSCAR® – Best Animated Short Film, awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Los Angeles, USA (1997)
https://www.oscars.org - Cartoon d’Or – Best European Animated Short, awarded by the European Association of Animation Film, Brussels, Belgium (1996)
- Best European Short, Cork International Film Festival, Ireland (1996)
https://www.corkfilmfest.org - Special Jury Prize, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, France (1997)
https://www.clermont-filmfest.org - Gold Hugo – Student Animation Category, Chicago International Film Festival, USA (1996)
https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com - Zlatko Grgić Award – Best Debut Film, World Festival of Animated Film Zagreb, Croatia (1996)
https://www.animafest.hr - Best Debut Film, Hiroshima International Animation Festival, Japan (1996)
- Alves Costa Prize (Journalists’ Award), Cinanima, Portugal (1996)
https://www.cinanima.pt - Grand Prix, European Short Film Competition, Brussels, Belgium (1997)
- City of Melbourne Award – Best Animation Film, Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia (1996)
https://www.miff.com.au - Silver Danzante – Best Animation Film, Huesca International Film Festival, Spain (1996)
https://www.huesca-filmfestival.com - Best Animation Film, Hamburg International Short Film Festival, Germany (1996)
https://festival.shortfilm.com - Don Quijote Award (FICC), Kraków Film Festival, Poland (1996)
https://www.krakowfilmfestival.pl
Get the complete list of awards.
Oscar® Awards Ceremony
Excerpt from the 1997 Academy Awards® ceremony, where QUEST won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film.
Credits
direction, direction of photography, screenplay
TYRON MONTGOMERY
story, animation, producer
THOMAS STELLMACH
music
DER SPYRA
story consultant
PROF. PAUL DRIESSEN
www.pdriessen.com
puppet makers
NORBERT HOBRECHT
THOMAS STELLMACH
supervising model maker
TYRON MONTGOMERY
2nd model maker
THOMAS STELLMACH
assistant model makers
SAID AREFI
GISA BRANDES
MONIKA STELLMACH
additional animation
NORBERT HOBRECHT
TYRON MONTGOMERY
MONIKA STELLMACH
editing and sound-recording
TYRON MONTOMERY
THOMAS STELLMACH
optical printing
OPTICAL EFFECTS METTMANN
negative cutter
IRMA K. THEIMER
grading
INA-MARIA RUDLOFF
laboratory
TAUNUS FILM
production, copyright, 1996
THOMAS STELLMACH ANIMATION
Making-of
Four years of work went into the making of QUEST
The approximately 12 m² (129 sq ft) sets were built over many months and repeatedly modified throughout production. Around 19,000 individual animation movements were created and photographed entirely using analogue techniques—long before digital animation became the industry standard. Numerous special effects were also achieved directly in-camera rather than on a computer.
The following production photos offer a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.
Watch a report on the making of QUEST.
An interview about the making of QUEST is featured in Olivier Cotte’s book Secrets of Oscar-winning Animation. The book is available in French, English, Spanish and Japanese.
Animation Show
QUEST is part of my Animation Show, an infotainment programme in which I present my award-winning animated films and explain how they were made.
Funding and Sponsors
Cultural Film Fund of the Federal State of Hesse
German Federal Film Board FFA
Stadtsparkasse Straubing
Contact Form
Please contact me if you would like to request a screener or book the film for cinema, festival or cultural screenings.
Duration
11:05 minutes
Technique
Stop motion
Production
Thomas Stellmach Animation, 1996
Director
Tyron Montgomery
Producer, Story, Animation
Thomas Stellmach
Language
No dialogue
Film format
MP4, 1080p, stereo
DCP, 2K, stereo