The heart-warming animation LAIKA & NEMO shares the story of an astronaut and a deep-sea diver who break through language barriers to become friends. On a deeper level, this touching film addresses exclusion, bullying and loneliness and discusses how we can overcome them and reach our dreams. This award-winning animated short film has been selected for around 100 high-profile international film festivals and has won several accolades. Furthermore, it is now qualified to be considered for an Academy Award.

Nemo looks different – no one else wears a diving suit and a helmet that big. But then he meets Laika, an astronaut. With her help, Nemo becomes more self-confident and learns how old wounds can be healed through new friendships.

The 15-minute traditional stop-motion puppet animation impresses with its high-end production value, a result of seven years of meticulous work by the students. The puppets were created with the support of UK puppet manufacturer Mackinnon & Saunders, which also made puppets for Wes Anderson and Tim Burton. 

Writer and Director of the animation short, Jan Gadermann, has written and directed two stop motion short films and is the co-creator of the puppet board book series MATS & FRIDA. LAIKA & NEMO was co-directed by Sebastian Gadow, who also served as the Production Designer for the rich-in-detail world. The 2022 Student Academy Award-winning film is their graduation project from the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF in Germany, where they both received a master’s degree in Directing Animation. In LAIKA & NEMO, the young filmmakers share a story that touches on the exchange between foreign cultures, tolerance and the fear of being different.

This short animation was produced by Johannes Schubert, who graduated from UK’s prestigious National Film and Television School (NFTS) and Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. He was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and was named Austria’s Producer on the Move at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022.

LAIKA & NEMO has qualified to be considered for a 2023 Oscar®.