Draft:Gerd Gockell

Gerd Gockell (* 1960 in Darmstadt) is a German/Swiss director, producer of animated films and lecturer in animation at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He lives and works in Germany and Switzerland.

Life
Gockell studied graphic design and film at the Braunschweig University of Art from 1981 to 1987 under Klaus Grözinger, Gerhard Büttenbender and Birgit Hein, graduating with a diploma.

In 1987 Gerd Gockell worked as a freelance animator for the „Hessischer Rundfunk“ public television in Frankfurt. From 1988 he lived in London and realising several film projects. In 1990 he moved to Hanover and founded „anigraf Filmproduktion“ with Kirsten Winter, which he continued to run alone after Kirsten Winter left in 2005. In 2009 he founded Gerd Gockell Filmproduktion in Lucerne Switzerland and in 2012, together with Ted Sieger and Jochen Ehmann, Schattenkabinett GmbH in Bern.

Since 1992 he has been teaching at various universities, including the Braunschweig University of Art, Ngee Ann Polytechnics Singapore and Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg. From 2000 to 2002 he held a professorship for animation/new media at the Kunsthochschule Kassel, from 2002 to 2011 he held a professorship and head of the animation department at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. In 2011 he was at Concordia University Montréal for a guest lecture. He is a member of the Swiss Film Academy and of the GSFA - Groupement Suisse du Film d’Animation.

Filmography (selection)

 * 1987: Get Out


 * 1990: Crofton Road SE.5


 * 1991: Busy Body – Das Interesse am Nachbarn war nie groesser (in collaboration with Ute Heuer and Sabine Bürger)


 * 1993: Miles, So What!


 * 1995: Tossing Pies (in collaboration with Ute Heuer)


 * 1998: The Innocent Abroad


 * 2000: Murati & Sarotti


 * 2002: Kampf dem Kino (in collaboration with Ute Heuer)


 * 2004: Restored Weekend (in collaboration with Kirsten Winter)


 * 2008: Optical Percussion


 * 2014: Patch


 * 2015: Cats & Dogs (in collaboration with Jesús Pérez)


 * 2017: Not My Type


 * 2020: Black & White (in collaboration with Jesús Pérez)


 * 2022: Piano Pieces

Awards

 * 1990: Crofton Road SE.5, Main Prize at the Int. Shortfilmfestival Oberhausen und Prize of the Film Journalists


 * 1992: Busy Body – Das Interesse am Nachbarn war nie groesser, 2.nd Prize at the "Verdener Kurzfilmtage"


 * 2004: Restored Weekend, „Gold Plaque“ – Best Experimental Short Film, Chicago International Film Festival


 * 2014: Patch, Jury Award at the Festival d’Animation


 * 2014: 3rd Prize at the Animation Competition "Solothurner Filmtage"


 * 2014: Nomination „Deutschen Kurzflmpreis“ for the film Patch


 * 2015: Cats & Dogs Publikumspreis beim Animatou Festival, Genf


 * 2016: Cats & Dogs Children's Jury Prize ENCOUNTER Festival Bristol


 * 2017: Not My Type, TAURUS Award for Best Sounddesign at the Animatou Festival, Genève


 * 2017: Cats & Dogs, Golden Elephant – Best Directors of Short Animation


 * 2020: Black & White, Public Award - Festival du film d'animation pour la jeunesse de Bourg-en-Bresse


 * 2021: Black & White, Grand Prix GURÍ and „Best Animation“ at the 30. DIVERCINE Festival Montevideo