Town Hall Square
animated short, 2023, 8:35 min
Bernard works behind the window of a ticket booth at Town Hall Square subway station, waiting for something he seems to have forgotten. One day, however, a little tiger appears and turns Bernard's orderly life upside down. A short film about an unexpected visitor, annoying radio songs, and the joy of life!
My Tasks:
Directing, Story, Animatic, Design, Layout & Setdressing, Animation, Compositing
About:
“Town Hall Square” is my directing diploma at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Over the two years of production, the two main characters and their lighthearted yet honest story were always at the heart of the project: Bernard and the little tiger can be funny, sad, or sometimes even quarrel, but gradually, they find their way to each other.
To bring this complex project to life, we formed a small team of about ten people, whose expertise and dedication made the production possible. On the technical side, Maya, Arnold Renderer, and Nuke gave the film its visual heartbeat.
After completion, Bernard and the tiger traveled the world with the film: “Town Hall Square” was screened at over 100 festivals and won several awards.
Making of:
Team:
Director - Christian Kaufmann
Technical Director - Justus Schmidt
Producer - Paulina Larson
Lead Animator - Vanessa Schneider
Animator - Laura Staab, Yannick Stark, Felicitas Schmelz
Concept Art & Assets - Tanja Nuijten, Paul Vollet
Fur Artist - Wunna Winter
Musicomposer - Tobias Wieduwilt
Sounddesign & Mix - Thomas Rother
Voicerecordings - Johann Meis
Voicetalents - Lou Hirsch, Linsay Rousseau
Productioncompany - Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
Awards:
International Animation Festival Cardiff 2024
Young Jury Award
Cortocircuiti Short Film Festival 2024
Honorable Mention
ZubrOFFka - International Short Film Festival 2023
Winner Keids Comptition 11+
Primanima World Festival of First Animations 2023
Audience Award for the best international Children's Film
Monstrale 2023
2. Platz Kinderfilmwettbewerb
Kaohsiung Film Festival 2023
Children's Jury Special Award
Nashville Film Festival 2023
Outstanding Original Song for a Student Film
Supertoon International Animation Festival 2023
Special Mention
In the Palace International Short Film Festival 2023
Best Student Animation
Festivals:
Wiesbaden, 26th Wiesbaden International Animation Festival 2025
Gjirokaster, International Festival of Animated Films for CHildren and Youth - AniFestA-GJIRO 2025
Crested Butte, Crested Butte Film Festival
Cambridge, The Arlington International Film Festival 2024
Rio de Janeiro, Anim!Arte International Student Animation Festival of Brazil 2024
Savigny, Festival du Film d'Animation de Savigny 2024
Peking, ANIWOW! China International Student Festival 2024
Bratislava, Biennal of Animation Bratislava 2024
Sundsvall, Filmfest Sundsvall 2024
A Coruña , Cinema Miúdo 2024
Lugano, Lugano Animation Days 2024
Flensburg, Flensburger Kurzfilmtage 2024
Bari, Cortocircuiti Short Film Festival 2024
Ostrava, TrikFilm International Festival of Children and Student's Multimedia Creations 2024
Chania, Chaniartoon - International Comic & Animation Festival 2024Novi Sad, Razmena Film Festival 2024
Halle, Monstrale 2024
Iassy, International Student Animation Film Festival Animafantasia 2024
Roswell, ASIFA South 2024
Dortmund, Dortmunder Tresen Filmfestival 2024
Singapur, Big Eyes, Big Minds - Singapore International Children's Film Festival 2024
Cardiff, International Animation Festival Cardiff 2024
Tucson, Arizona International Film Festival 2024
Lucknow, CMS International Children's Film Festival 2024
Milwaukee, Milwaukee International Film Festival 2024
Offenburg, Shorts Offenburg 2024
Ceccano, Dieciminute Film Festival 2024
Dublin, Animation Dingle 2024
Beirut, Beirut Animation Nights 2024
Groningen, Flicks International Student Short Film Festival Groningen 2024
Lissabon, Monstra Lisboa Animation Film Festival 2024
Lisboa, PLAY - Festival Internacional de Cinema Infantil & Juvenil de Lisboa 2024
Providence, Providence Children's Film Festival 2024
Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2024
Seattle, Seattle Children's Film Festival 2024
Taipeh, Taiwan Hsin-Yi Children' s Animation Awards 2023
Almaty, Bastau International Film Festival of Student Films and Film Schools 2023
Seoul, SIGGRAPH ASIA 2023
Bialystok, ZubrOFFka - International Short Film Festival 2023
Stuttgart, Filmschau Baden-Württemberg 2023
Macau, Macau International Short Film Festival 2023
London, LIAF London International Animation Festival 2023
Krakau, Etiuda & Anima International Film Festival 2023
Bellinzona, Castellinaria International Young Film Festival 2023
Alava, GazteFilmFest 2023
Wien, PIXELvienna 2023
Lublin, Lublin Film Festival 2023
Turin, Sottodiciotto Short Film Festival 2023
Manchester, Manchester Animation Festival 2023
Shkodra, Anifest Rozafa 2023
Oulu, Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival 2023
Trieste/Udine/Venedig, Piccolo Festival Animazione 2023
Brest, Brest European Short Film Festival 2023
Regio, Emilia Reggio Film festival 2023
Chicago, Chicago International Children's Film Festival 2023
Beijing, International Student and Video Festival of Beijing Film Academy 2023
Paphos, Animattikon Project 2023
Lund, Lund Fantastisk Film Festival 2023
Brüssel, Filem’On International Children's Film Festival 2023
Yerevan, ReAnimania International Animation Film Festival 2023
Budapest, CINEMIRA International Children's Film Festival 2023
Florianopolis, Florianópolis Children’s Film Festival 2023
Chicago, Chicago International Film Festival 2023
Budaörs, Primanima World Festival of First Animations 2023
Bukarest, KINOdiseea International Children Film Festival 2023
Halle, Monstrale 2023
Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung Film Festival 2023
Tiflis, Tbilisi International Film Festival 2023
Kiew, Linoleum Festival of Contemporary Animation and Media Art 2023
Belfast, Cinemagic - International Film festival for Young People 2023
Nashville, Nashville Film Festival 2023
Syros, Island animasyros International Animation Festival 2023
Münster, Filmfest Münster 2023
Volda, Animation Volda Festival 2023
Paris, Festival du Film Merveilleux & Imaginaire 2023
Jakarta, Minikino Film Festival 2023
Klaipeda, Blon Animation &Games Festival 2023
Sofia, World Festival of Animated Film Varna 2023
Nikozi, Nikozi International Animation Film Festival 2023
Neum, NAFF Neum Animated Film Festival 2023
Skopje, Flipbook Film Festival 2023
Amantea, La Guarimba Film Festival 2023
Los Angeles, SIGGRAPH 2023
Prizren, Dokufest Prizren 2023
Šibenik, Supertoon International Animation Festival 2023
Oklahoma City, deadCenter Film Festival 2023
Gera & Erfurt, Goldener Spatz Deutsches Kinder-Medien-Festival 2023
Zlin, Zlín Film Festival 2023
La Bourboule & Le Mont-Dore, Plein la Bobine Sancy Film Festival for Young People 2023
Santiago, Chilemonos International Animation Festival 2023
Schwerin, FilmKunstFest MV - Kurzfilmnacht 2023
Balchik, In the Palace International Short Film Festival 2023
Buenos Aires, BAFICI Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival 2023
Potsdam, Sehsüchte Internationales Studentenfilmfestival 2023
Dresden, Filmfest Dresden 2023
Winston-Salem, RiverRun International Film Festival 2023