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Animation & Illustration

  • Projects
    • Of Bats & Bugs – Coming 2026
    • Tümpel/ Pond 2023
    • Tümpel/ Pond Children’s Book
    • Fiolina & The Maestro Teaser 2021
    • Fantoche Animation Festival Trailer 2020
    • The little Bird Series
    • Schau mal meine Freunde
    • The little Bird and the Leaf – Picturebook Work in Progress
    • Emotional Fruits and Bears

About

Lena was born in Berlin and grew up there with 3 older brothers. After a two-year trip around the world, she studied audiovisual communication at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. She did her master in animation at the Lucerne University of Arts. Lena now works as a director, animator and illustrator. Her four episodes of The little Bird won numerous awards and celebrated their premiere at the Berlinale. Her illustrated children's book, Schau mal meine Freunde, is published by NordSüd Verlag (CH / USA).

Lena just finished a collaboration with illustrator Eva Rust: A short film for children about a fish getting stuck in a tidepool. Tümpel/ Pond premiered at the 73. Berlinale and received a number of awards at festivals around the world. Lena is currently working on a new short about bats and bugs.

Filmography

  • 2023 - Tümpel/ Pond, Co-Directed with Eva Rust, Animation, 8.30min, Catpics
  • 2020 - The little Bird and the Bees, Animation, Schattenkabinett Gmbh
  • 2017 - The little Bird and the Caterpillar, Animation, 4min, Schattenkabinett Gmbh
  • 2014 - The little Bird and the Squirrel, Animation, 4min, Schattenkabinett Gmbh
  • 2012 - The little Bird and the Leaf, Animation, 4min, Swiss Effects

Awards

Pond

  • Audience Award, Kurzsuechtig Leipzig, D, Apr 2025
  • Audience Award, Animateka, Slo, Dec 2024
  • Kids Award, Greenmotions Filmfestival, Ger, Nov 2024
  • Best Short Film for kids under 5, Big Eyes Big Minds, Singapur, Jul 2024
  • Audience Award, Indie Junior, Es, Feb 2024
  • Best Short Film for kids, Bamberger Kurzfilmtage, Ger, Feb 2024
  • Coup de Coeur, Festival International du Film de la Roche-Sur-Yon, F, Nov 2023
  • Best short animation film by Children’s jury up to 12 years old, Olympia International Film Festival, Greece, Dec 2023
  • Audience Award, Festival Jeune Public Lausanne, CH, Nov 2023
  • Audience Award best Short for Children, El Meu Primer Festival, Es, Nov 2023
  • Prix des Ecoles, Festival Europeen du Film Court de Brest, F, Nov 2023
  • Audience Award- Caramel Competition, Animatou, CH, Oct 2023
  • Best Original Score, San Diego Kids Film Festival, USA, Sep 2023
  • Best Animated Short for Children, Fest Anca, SLO, Jun 2023
  • Young Audience Award, Plein de la Bobine Festival, F, Jun 2023
  • Best Short Animation for Children, Zlín Film Festival, CZ, Jun 2023
  • Children’s Jury Award, On The Pulse Festival Belfast, Ire, Mar 2023

The little Bird and the Bees

  • Best Kids Film, Silhouette Paris Film Festival, France, Sep 2021
  • Best Short Film, Vilnius International Film Festival, Lit, Apr 2021
  • Innerschweizer Filmpreis, CH, Jan 2021
  • SICAF Kids, Sicaf, South Korea, Nov 2020
  • Audience Award, KIJUKO, Ger, Oct 2020

The little Bird and the Caterpillar

  • Special Mention, Hsin-Yi Children‘s Animation Awards, Taiwan, Dec 2019
  • Goldener Spatz, Deutsches Kinder Medien Festival, G, Jun 2018 
  • Public Price, 3rd Place, Solothurn, CH, Jan 2018
  • Bariq Award, Ajyal Youth Film Festival, Catar, Dez 2017
  • Public Price, Festival Cinéma Jeune Public Lausanne, CH, Nov 2017
  • Best Animated Film for Young Audiences, OIAF, Kan, Sep 2017 
  • International Kids Award, Fest Anca, SLO, Jul 2017
  • Bronze price, Fantasia International Film Festival, CA, Jul 2017

The little Bird and the Squirrel

  • Audience Award, Durango Independent Film Festival, USA, Apr 2016
  • Best Children’s Short Film, The Brussels Animation Film Festival, Belgium, Feb 2016 
  • Hsin-Yi Children’s Prize Animation Awards Top Prize, Taiwan, Nov 2015
  • Audience Award, Monstra, Lisboa, Portugal, Mar 2015
  • 3rd place Best Animation, International Nature Film Festival Gödöllö, Hungary, May 2015
  • Best Kid‘s Film, Singapore International Children’s Festival, Jun 2015

The little Bird and the Leaf

  • Professional Jury Award Plein la Bobine, France, Jun 2012
  • Special Prize, Hiroshima, Japan, Aug 2012
  • Childrens’s Choice Award Bronze, Sapporo, Japan, Sep 2012
  • Special Mention, Bradford Animation Festival, GB, Nov 2012
  • Anilogue Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, Nov 2012
  • Winner of The Elefant Competition Programme, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Dez 2012
  • Price of Public, Kurzfilmtage Solothurn, Switzerland, Jan 2013
  • Special Mention, Euganea Film Festival, Italy, Jul 2013
  • Best Childrens Film, Fesa Award, Belgrad, Serbia, Aug 2013
  • Jury’s special distinction, Animanima, Cacak, Serbia, Sep 2013
  • Best Children’s Film, VFAF, Varna, Bulgaria, Sep 2013
  • Young Audience Choice Award, Festival International du Court Métrage, Lille, France, Okt 2013
  • Special Mention, Clare Valley Film Festival, Australia, Nov 2013

Contact

Lena von Döhren
Geissensteinring 28
6005 Luzern


Imprint

Lena von Döhren

Webdesign Gelinda Paganini

  • © 2025 Lena von Döhren,
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