FABW’s THE PANIC INSIDE wins Student Academy Award in Silver at TIFF
Skwigly
Student Academy Award for THE PANIC INSIDE: Screenwriter and director Matthias Strasser and his team were awarded Silver in the ‚Animation‘ category at the 53rd Student Academy Awards on Monday evening. For the first time, the awards ceremony took place as part of the Toronto International Film Festival.
With THE PANIC INSIDE, a remarkable series continues: For the second year in a row, a graduation film from the Animationsinstitut of FABW has received a Student Academy Award. This marks the ninth Student Academy Award for Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, making the Ludwigsburg film school the most successful institution outside the U.S. in this competition. For Matthias Strasser and his team, the award marks the culmination of several years of collaborative work.
The nearly ten-minute film tells the story of chronic people-pleaser Jacob, who collapses under the pressure of constantly meeting expectations and finds himself in a surreal limbo. There, he is forced to confront his own needs. Combining 2D and 3D animation with live-action elements, the film team creates a visually distinctive work about self-care, setting boundaries and personal freedom.
Matthias Strasser, director and screenwriter, on the personal starting point for THE PANIC INSIDE:
People pleasing is a topic I have a very personal connection to. At the same time, it is particularly prevalent in the film and animation industry: When you are just starting out, you can quickly get the feeling that you always have to say yes in order to move forward. With THE PANIC INSIDE, I wanted to explore this pressure and the question of what happens when you lose sight of your own needs in the process.
Sabina Stöckler, producer, says:
We are proud that this deeply personal story, which we were able to bring to life with such a wonderful and talented team, is reaching such a wide audience through the awards and seems to be resonating with so many people.
Dr. Jan Pinkava, Director of the Animationsinstitut:
On behalf of everyone at Filmakademie’s Animationsinstitut, huge congratulations to Matthias, Sabina, and their team! We are proud of your achievement. The Student Academy Award is the pinnacle of prizes in student film, and has been won by Filmakademie students for two years running. This recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reflects great credit on the hard work and imagination of our talented students, and on the dedicated staff and teachers who support them on their journey to becoming powerful storytellers. At Animationsinstitut students can find their voice, learn their craft and achieve the highest level. The films can be pretty good too!
Matthias Strasser is a Swiss director and animator. After gaining initial experience in film and video production and studying film, he turned his focus to animation. Since 2020, he has been studying directing at the Animationsinstitut of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. THE PANIC INSIDE is his graduation film, in which he explores personal themes through a distinctive visual language.
Ahead of the awards ceremony, the team behind THE PANIC INSIDE took part in the Academy programme for Student Academy Award finalists. Through panels, events and encounters with filmmakers and industry professionals, the students gained insights into the international film industry and made new connections.
For Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, this is the ninth Student Academy Award and the third for the Animationsinstitut. In 2025, Tobias Eckerlin received the Gold Medal for his animated film A SPARROW’S SONG.
Nearly 3,000 productions from almost 900 educational institutions around the world were submitted for the 53rd Student Academy Awards. 16 students were ultimately awarded. Two productions from the Animationsinstitut were among the finalists in the ‚Animation‘ category: alongside THE PANIC INSIDE by Matthias Strasser, SEND NUDES by David Sick was also selected. All awarded filmmakers are eligible to compete with their films in the short film categories of the 2027 Oscars.
The Student Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are among the most prestigious awards for student film productions worldwide.