On The Mat Outside My Door

2025 | 4:38 min | UHD | 16:9 | 5.1 Dolby/Stereo | FSK: 0 | 2D Drawn Animation

A little man, an uninvited guest, and a very unusual kind of shared living: Every day, the rat waits outside his door—large, confident, and rather cheeky. It makes itself at home on the sofa, hogs the bathroom, raids the fridge, and completely disrupts his daily routine. But when it suddenly disappears, life without it feels strangely empty…

Based on Nadia Budde’s picture book of the same name, the film brings her unmistakable style and dry humor to life. Hand-drawn animation preserves the quirky, charming visual language and amplifies the situational comedy even more.

Told with wit and sensitivity, this animated short explores annoying houseguests, unexpected loss, and the realization that sometimes you only learn to appreciate things once they’re gone.

★ Screenings & Awards ★

Curtas Vila do Conde International Film Festival | Portugal 2025

Tirana International Film Festival | Albania 2025

Schlingel Filmfestival | Germany 2025

Stadtlichter. Internationale Filmnächte in Berlin | Germany 2025

Chicago International Film Festival | USA 2025

ReAnimania International Animation Film Festival | Armenia 2025

China International Children’s Film Festival | China 2025

DOK Leipzig | Germany 2025

Girona Film Festival | Spain 2025

Ale Kino! International Young Audience Film Festival | Poland 2025

London International Animation Festival (LIAF) | UK 2025

Animateka International Animated Film Festival | Slovenia 2025

Bamberger Kurzfilmtage | Germany 2026

Flickerfest International Short Film Festival | Australia 2026

PLAY – International Kids Film Festival | Portugal 2026

KinoAthens | Greece 2026

Internationale Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg | Germany 2026

MONSTRA – Lisbon Animation Festival | Portugal 2026

Taiwan International Children’s Film Festival (TICFF) | Taiwan 2026

Schweinfurter Kurzfilmtage | Germany 2026

Wisconsin Film Festival | USA 2026

Riga International Short Film Festival 2ANNAS | Latvia 2026

Filmfest Dresden | Germany 2026

Independent Days International Filmfest | Germany 2026

Internationales Frauen Film Fest Dortmund+Köln | Germany 2026

Internationales Trickfilmfestival Stuttgart | Germany 2026

Kurzfilmtage Thalmässing | Germany 2026

Brooklyn Film Festival | USA 2026

Junges Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg Mo&Friese | Germany 2026

Animafest Zagreb | Croatia 2026

Goldener Spatz | Germany 2026

Annecy International Animation Film Festival | France 2026

FEST – New Directors New Films Festival | Portugal 2026

…

Making Of

Credits

Regie: Antje Heyn
Storyboard: Johanna Hochholzer
Animatic: Konrad Weise
Animationsleitung, Layout & Postproduktion; Alexander Isert
Animation: Gigi Chan
Clean Up: Adèle Pinchot
Sprecher: Pierre M. Krause
Musik: Peer Kleinschmidt
Foleys: Peter Sandmann
Sounddesign Mix: Anna von HammersteinJoh Weisgerber

Nach dem Buch von Nadia Budde