Hello,

I’m Jonatan Schwenk, an animation filmmaker based in Berlin. I write and direct my own short films, including ZOON (premiered at Sundance, 2022) and SOG (Cristal for a Graduation Film, Annecy 2017). My films often revolve around groups and their dynamics, as well as desires for belonging, change, and release.

I work with a range of animation techniques and feel particularly close to handcrafted processes such as stop motion, while also moving between 2D and 3D animation. Compositing is an important part of my practice. Sound plays a central, narrative-shaping role in my films too; projects featuring my sound designs have screened at the Berlinale and received the German Short Film Award.

Alongside my own work, I occasionally teach and give workshops. Filmmaking is a collaborative process for me, and I develop my projects together with a close network of trusted and talented collaborators.

If you want to get in touch, please drop me an email:

jonatan.schwenk@gmail.com 

AWARDS (excerpt)

CRISTAL FOR A GRADUATION FILM ANNECY (France)  / LOTTE REINIGER PROMOTION AWARD – ITFS Stuttgart (Germany)  / BEST STUDENT ANIMATION Palm Springs ShortFest (US)  / EUROPEAN ANIMATION AWARD Encounters Bristol (UK)  / GOLDEN HORSEMAN ANIMATED FILM – Filmfest Dresden (Germany)  / GRAND JURY PRIZE EUROPEAN STUDENT FILMS Premiers Plans (France)  / BEST INT. SHORT ANIMATION Flickerfest (Australia)  / BEST DIRECTION Animage – Int. Animation Festival of Pernambuco  (Brazil) / FIRST PRICE in German competition Interfilm Berlin (Germany)  / BEST FILM Animated Dreams PÖFF Shorts – (Estonia)  / ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT SHORT FILM GO SHORT – Nijmegen (NL)  / BEST INT. ANIMATION SHORTS MÉXICO / GOLDEN HERCULES Kasseler Dokumentarfilm- und Videofest (Germany)  / AUDIENCE AWARD – Hiroshima Animation Season (Japan) / CRAFT AWARD FOR BEST SOUND DESIGN – Ottawa International Animation Festival (Canada)  / BEST ORIGINAL SCORE AWARD – London Int. Animation Festival (UK)  / SHORT TIGER AWARD  (national german award) 

FESTIVAL SELECTIONS (excerpt)

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL (USA) / SXSW (United States) / TELLLURIDE (USA) / AFI FEST (USA) / PREMIERS PLANS (France) / REGARD (Canada) / GLAS (USA) / ANIMAFEST ZAGREB (Croatia) / OTTAWA (Canada) / ANIMATEKA (Slovenia) / PALM SPRINGS SHORTFEST (USA) / FLICKERFEST (Australia) / PICTOPLASMA (Germany) / LIAF (UK) / ANIMA BRUSSELS (Belgium) / RIVERRUN (USA) / ITFS STUTTGART (Germany) / DOK LEIPZIG (Germany) / HIROSHIMA ANIMATION SEASON (Japan)

Residencies / Programs

Berlinale Talents, Germany (2020)
NEF Writing Residency for Animated Film, Fontevraud, France (2022)
Animation Sans Frontières – European Animation Development Lab (2023–2024)
CEE Rise & Shine – Animation development & pitching Lab, Croatia and Slovenia, 2024
CEE Forum – Pitching Program, Plzeň, Czechia (2024)

JURY work

Kasseler Dokfest, Goldener Herkules (DE, 2018)
Filmschoolfest Munich, Wolfgang-Längsfeld-Jury (DE, 2018)
GoShort, European Competition (Netherlands, 2019)
Shortcutz (DE, 2019)
Stuttgart Trickfilm Intl Animated Film Festival, Student Competition (DE, 2024)
Animateka 2024, Intl Grand Jury (Slovenia 2024)
Stuttgart Intl Festival of Animated Film, Preselection for Trickstar Nature Award (DE, 2025 and 2026)
DOK Leipzig, Intl jury animated film (DE, 2025)
Festival of Future Storytellers, Wolfgang-Längsfeld-Jury (DE, 2025)

MASTERCLASSES / WORKSHOPS / TEACHING

Stop-motion workshop “lost in paper miniature worlds” and Director’s Showcase, Animage (Brazil 2018) 
Lecture “Introduction to Sound for Animated Films”, Kunsthochschule Kassel (Germany, 2021) 
Lehrauftrag “Setbau- und Licht für Stopmotion Animation”, Bauhaus Universität Weimar (Germany 2021-2022)
Lecture “Introduction to Sound for Animated Films”, Kunsthochschule Kassel (Germany, 2023) 
Stop-motion animation workshop, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Chongqing (China 2024) 
Talk and panel discussion, A4 Art Museum Chengdu (China, 2024) 
Masterclass at Trickfilm Festival Düsseldorf 2024 (Germany, 2024) 
Guest lecture and workshop, Hochschule Wismar, Faculty of Architecture and Design (Germany 2024) 
Stop-motion workshop “Evoking Emotion with Lighting and Texture”, University of Nova Gorica – School of Arts (Slovenia 2024) 
Masterclass at Animateka (Slovenia 2024) 
Talk/Masterclass at Hamburg Animation Club (Germany 2025)

FILMOGRAPHY

Director / Producer / Animator

ANT (work in progress) – animated short, ≈ 10 min.
ZOON (2022) – animated short, 4:25 min.
SOG (2017) – animated short, 10:14 min.
THE FISH IN THE TRAIN (2012) – finger exercise, 1:00 min.
NEUNUNDACHTZIG (2012) – animated short, 2:34 min. 
MAISON SONORE (2011) – animated short, 4:44 min. 
SISYPHOS BLUES (2009) – animated short, 4:49 min.

Stop Motion Animator

RADIX (2025) – animated short, dir. Anne Breymann
REST IN PIECE (2022) – animated short, dir. Antoine Antabi
THE OLD MAN AND THE BIRD (2015) – dir. Dennis Stein-Schomburg

Sound Designer

SPROUT (2024) – animated short dir. by Florian Maubach
RULES OF PLAY (2018) – animated short, dir. Merlin Flügel
SÄEN (2018) – animated short, dir. Maryna Miliushchanka
RÄUBER UND GENDARM (2017) – animated short, dir. Florian Maubach
A PLACE TO FIGHT (2015) – documentary, dir. Matthias Lawetzky
ECHO (2013) – animated short, dir. Merlin Flügel
HOW TO DISAPPEAR (2011) – animated short, dir. Merlin Flügel

ALTE TEXTBAUSTEINE:

FILMOGRAPHY

Director / Producer / Animator

ZOON (2022) – animated short, 4:25 min.
SOG (2017) – animated short, 10:14 min.
THE FISH IN THE TRAIN (2012) – finger exercise, 1:00 min.
NEUNUNDACHTZIG (2012) – animated short, 2:34 min. 
MAISON SONORE (2011) – animated short, 4:44 min. 
SISYPHOS BLUES (2009) – animated short, 4:49 min.

Stop Motion Animator

RADIX (2025) – animated short, dir. Anne Breymann
REST IN PIECE (2022) – animated short, dir. Antoine Antabi
THE OLD MAN AND THE BIRD (2015) – dir. Dennis Stein-Schomburg

Sound Designer

SPROUT (2024) – animated short dir. by Florian Maubach
RULES OF PLAY (2018) – animated short, dir. Merlin Flügel
SÄEN (2018) – animated short, dir. Maryna Miliushchanka
RÄUBER UND GENDARM (2017) – animated short, dir. Florian Maubach
A PLACE TO FIGHT (2015) – documentary, dir. Matthias Lawetzky
ECHO (2013) – animated short, dir. Merlin Flügel
HOW TO DISAPPEAR (2011) – animated short, dir. Merlin Flügel

AWARDS (ExCerpt)

CRISTAL FOR A GRADUATION FILM Annecy (France)  / LOTTE REINIGER PROMOTION AWARD – ITFS Stuttgart (Germany)  / BEST STUDENT ANIMATION Palm Springs ShortFest (US)  / EUROPEAN ANIMATION AWARD Encounters Bristol (UK)  / GOLDEN HORSEMAN ANIMATED FILM – Filmfest Dresden (Germany)  / GRAND JURY PRIZE EUROPEAN STUDENT FILMS Premiers Plans (France)  / BEST INT. SHORT ANIMATION Flickerfest (Australia)  / BEST DIRECTION Animage – Int. Animation Festival of Pernambuco  (Brazil) / FIRST PRICE in German competition Interfilm Berlin (Germany)  / BEST FILM Animated Dreams PÖFF Shorts – (Estonia)  / ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT SHORT FILM GO SHORT – Nijmegen (NL)  / BEST INT. ANIMATION SHORTS MÉXICO / GOLDEN HERCULES Kasseler Dokumentarfilm- und Videofest (Germany)  / AUDIENCE AWARD – Hiroshima Animation Season (Japan) / CRAFT AWARD FOR BEST SOUND DESIGN – Ottawa International Animation Festival (Canada)  / BEST ORIGINAL SCORE AWARD – London Int. Animation Festival (UK)  / SHORT TIGER AWARD  (national german award) 

selections (excerpt)

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL (USA) / SXSW (United States) / TELLLURIDE (USA) / AFI FEST (USA) / PREMIERS PLANS (France) / REGARD (Canada) / GLAS (USA) / ANIMAFEST ZAGREB (Croatia) / OTTAWA (Canada) / ANIMATEKA (Slovenia) / PALM SPRINGS SHORTFEST (USA) / FLICKERFEST (Australia) / PICTOPLASMA (Germany) / LIAF (UK) / ANIMA BRUSSELS (Belgium) / RIVERRUN (USA) / ITFS STUTTGART (Germany) / DOK LEIPZIG (Germany) / HIROSHIMA ANIMATION SEASON (Japan)

Residencies / Programs

Berlinale Talents, Germany (2020)
NEF Writing Residency for Animated Film, Fontevraud, France (2022)
Animation Sans Frontières – European Animation Development Lab (2023–2024)
CEE Rise & Shine – Animation development & pitching Lab, Croatia and Slovenia, 2024
CEE Forum – Pitching Program, Plzeň, Czechia (2024)

JURY SERVICE

Kasseler Dokfest, Goldener Herkules (DE, 2018)
Filmschoolfest Munich, Wolfgang-Längsfeld-Jury (DE, 2018)
GoShort, European Competition (Netherlands, 2019)
Shortcutz (DE, 2019)
Stuttgart Trickfilm Intl Animated Film Festival, Student Competition (DE, 2024)
Animateka 2024, Intl Grand Jury (Slovenia 2024)
Stuttgart Intl Festival of Animated Film, Preselection for Trickstar Nature Award (DE, 2025 and 2026)
DOK Leipzig, Intl jury animated film (DE, 2025)
Festival of Future Storytellers, Wolfgang-Längsfeld-Jury (DE, 2025)

MASTERCLASSES / WORKSHOPS / TEACHING

Stop-motion workshop “lost in paper miniature worlds” and Director’s Showcase, Animage (Brazil 2018) 
Lecture “Introduction to Sound for Animated Films”, Kunsthochschule Kassel (Germany, 2021) 
Lehrauftrag “Setbau- und Licht für Stopmotion Animation”, Bauhaus Universität Weimar (Germany 2021-2022) 
Lecture “Introduction to Sound for Animated Films”, Kunsthochschule Kassel (Germany, 2023) 
Stop-motion animation workshop, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Chongqing (China 2024) 
Talk and panel discussion, A4 Art Museum Chengdu (China, 2024) 
Masterclass at Trickfilm Festival Düsseldorf 2024 (Germany, 2024) 
Guest lecture and workshop, Hochschule Wismar, Faculty of Architecture and Design (Germany 2024) 
Stop-motion workshop “Evoking Emotion with Lighting and Texture”, University of Nova Gorica – School of Arts (Slovenia 2024) 
Masterclass at Animateka (Slovenia 2024) 
Talk/Masterclass at Hamburg Animation Club (Germany 2025)

JURY SERVICE

FILMOGRAPHY

Director / Producer / Animator

ZOON (2022) – animated short, 4:25 min.
SOG (2017) – animated short, 10:14 min.
THE FISH IN THE TRAIN (2012) – finger exercise, 1:00 min.
NEUNUNDACHTZIG (2012) – animated short, 2:34 min. 
MAISON SONORE (2011) – animated short, 4:44 min. 
SISYPHOS BLUES (2009) – animated short, 4:49 min.

Stop Motion Animator

RADIX (2025) – animated short, dir. Anne Breymann
REST IN PIECE (2022) – animated short, dir. Antoine Antabi
THE OLD MAN AND THE BIRD (2015) – dir. Dennis Stein-Schomburg

Sound Designer

SPROUT (2024) – animated short dir. by Florian Maubach
RULES OF PLAY (2018) – animated short, dir. Merlin Flügel
SÄEN (2018) – animated short, dir. Maryna Miliushchanka
RÄUBER UND GENDARM (2017) – animated short, dir. Florian Maubach
A PLACE TO FIGHT (2015) – documentary, dir. Matthias Lawetzky
ECHO (2013) – animated short, dir. Merlin Flügel
HOW TO DISAPPEAR (2011) – animated short, dir. Merlin Flügel

AWARDS (ExCerpt)

CRISTAL FOR A GRADUATION FILM Annecy (France)  / LOTTE REINIGER PROMOTION AWARD – ITFS Stuttgart (Germany)  / BEST STUDENT ANIMATION Palm Springs ShortFest (US)  / EUROPEAN ANIMATION AWARD Encounters Bristol (UK)  / GOLDEN HORSEMAN ANIMATED FILM – Filmfest Dresden (Germany)  / GRAND JURY PRIZE EUROPEAN STUDENT FILMS Premiers Plans (France)  / BEST INT. SHORT ANIMATION Flickerfest (Australia)  / BEST DIRECTION Animage – Int. Animation Festival of Pernambuco  (Brazil) / FIRST PRICE in German competition Interfilm Berlin (Germany)  / BEST FILM Animated Dreams PÖFF Shorts – (Estonia)  / ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT SHORT FILM GO SHORT – Nijmegen (NL)  / BEST INT. ANIMATION SHORTS MÉXICO / GOLDEN HERCULES Kasseler Dokumentarfilm- und Videofest (Germany)  / AUDIENCE AWARD – Hiroshima Animation Season (Japan) / CRAFT AWARD FOR BEST SOUND DESIGN – Ottawa International Animation Festival (Canada)  / BEST ORIGINAL SCORE AWARD – London Int. Animation Festival (UK)  / SHORT TIGER AWARD  (national german award) 