We’re thrilled to share that Fake News, the animated short film by David Seul, has won the FIRST STEPS Award in the Short Steps category. The award comes with a prize of €5,000, in addition to the €1,000 nomination grant.

Fake News was created as David’s Master’s graduation project in the MA 3D Animation for Film & Games program — a joint degree offered by the ifs internationale filmschule köln and Cologne Game Lab (TH Köln).

At the ceremony in Berlin, David accepted the award from juror and laudator Farah Bouamar.

About the Film

In Fake News, a balcony plant lives a peaceful life—until its owner starts consuming online misinformation about plant care. What begins as misguided attention soon turns into abuse, forcing the plant to take drastic measures. Believing that a computer is the root of all evil, it decides to destroy it.

The jury praised the film, stating:

“This film impresses with its timing, style, and inventiveness. With a balcony plant as a tragicomic hero, Fake News cleverly and movingly tackles a highly topical issue. Through lovingly crafted animation and narrative wit, it proves that you can say everything in just a few minutes.”

A Word from the Filmmaker

“Incredible! We actually won the FIRST STEPS Award yesterday,” said David Seul. “We wanted to give a humorous twist to a serious topic—and apparently, it worked! Much love to my amazing crew and to the ifs and CGL for their support.”

About the FIRST STEPS Award

The FIRST STEPS Award is the most prestigious accolade for graduation films from film schools in German-speaking countries. With total prize money of €132,000, it honors emerging filmmakers in ten categories. Established in 1999 by producers Bernd Eichinger and Nico Hofmann, the award is presented by the German Film Academy in partnership with ARD, Constantin Film, Netflix, Prime Video, Seven.One Entertainment Group, Studio Hamburg, UFA, and Warner Bros.