German director wins gold at Student Oscars
German director Tobias Eckerlin won the gold award in the Animation category at the 52nd Student Academy Awards in New York with his short film 'A Sparrow's Song'. The film tells the story of an air raid warden during World War II who tries to save a dying sparrow. Eckerlin emphasized that it is about overcoming trauma by helping others.
At the 52nd Student Academy Awards in New York, Tobias Eckerlin, a graduate of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg and born in 1993 in Schwetzingen, received gold in the Animation category. His nine-minute short film 'A Sparrow's Song' is based on a true story: A widowed air raid warden in London finds a dying sparrow during World War II and forms a bond with it through her piano playing.
In a video shown at the ceremony, Eckerlin explained: «For me, this is a story about how one can overcome trauma and find oneself by helping others.» After receiving the trophy, he thanked his team: «It was an 'insanely demanding' project that wasn't easy to realize. 'But we did it,' the director said beaming.» Eckerlin worked on the film for three years with up to 50 helpers.
In the Animation category, films from France and the USA received silver and bronze. Overall, 12 films won out of over 3,000 submissions from around 1,000 institutions worldwide. The gold, silver, and bronze awards were revealed only at the ceremony in the categories Narrative, Animation, Documentary, and Alternative/Experimental. The winners are eligible for the 2026 Oscars in short film categories.
The Student Academy Awards have honored young talents since 1972. Last year, German Jens Kevin Georg won silver for 'Kruste'. Many recipients, such as John Lasseter ('Toy Story') or Spike Lee ('Malcolm X'), launched successful Hollywood careers.