The Panic Inside — Student Academy Award Winner 2026 | Animated Short Film Trailer — Filmakademie Ba

Saying “no” shouldn’t be this hard. Right?

Meet a chronic people-pleaser who just can’t say no until his friends’ endless requests push him a little too far.

THE PANIC INSIDE is a fantasy tragicomedy about people-pleasing, boundaries, and the terrifying freedom of finally putting yourself first.

Combining 2D and 3D animation, the graduate film from Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut takes a playful look at something painfully relatable - how far will you go to keep everyone else happy?

Student Academy Award Winner 2026

CREDITS
Director / Screenplay: Matthias Strasser
Producer: Sabina Stöckler
Animation Lead: Elisabeth Minja Caesar, Melanie Schnaidt
3D Animation: Ipek Baykal, Elisabeth Minja Caesar, Lasse Falk, Justine Girault, Eileen Kammer, Pauline Petit, Leo Pflug, Matthias Strasser, Sasha Wiese
2D Animation: Nils Kuhl, Viktoria Knudsen, Leo Neumann, Melanie Schnaidt
2D Cleanup: Anna Folz, Melanie Schnaidt, Matthias Strasser
2D Coloring: Matthias Strasser
2D FX Animation: Vadims Ivanovs, Levi Köhler, Matthias Strasser
Concept Art: Cristina Narata, Melanie Schnaidt
Color Script: Marie Römer
Background Artists: Nicolas Sperling, Matthias Strasser
Storyboard: Melanie Schnaidt, Matthias Strasser
Animatic: Matthias Strasser
Technical Direction: Matthias Strasser
Layout: Matthias Strasser
Camera: Matthias Strasser
Character Art: Matthias Strasser
Rigging: Matthias Strasser
CFX: Matthias Strasser
Environment Art: Matthias Strasser
FX: Matthias Strasser
Lighting: Matthias Strasser
Rendering: Matthias Strasser
Compositing: Matthias Strasser
Editorial: Matthias Strasser
Motion Design: Matthias Strasser
Title & Credit Design: Matthias Strasser
FX Consultants: Philipp Dörrer, Benjamin Gätzschmann
Editing Consultant: Jueli Kanuma
Color Grading: Lennart Bachnick
Musik: Leon Maximilian Brueckner (Samples unterm Sofa)
Sound Designer: Lukas Huber
Re-Recording Mixer: Lukas Huber, Marc Landendinger
Drums: Henning Jung
Performed by: Sofia Session Orchestra & Choir
Voice Acting: Jonathan Nyberg, Daniel Sean Smith, Damon Webb
Production Coordination: Matthias Strasser
Stunt: Franz Rügamer
Festival Coordination: Cyril Fischer
Production Company: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

#animation
#animatedshorts
#peoplepleaser

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The Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg, with its Animationsinstitut and the postgraduate masterclass Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris, is one of the internationally most acclaimed film and media schools. On a unique campus including the neighbouring Academy of Performing Arts, the 500 students receive an interdisciplinary, highly practical education close to the film and media market by the hands of over 300 freelance teachers directly from the industry.

https://www.filmakademie.de
https://www.animationsinstitut.de
https://www.atelier-ludwigsburg-paris.com