Berlin Students Turn Film Theft Into Award-Winning Doc

Two film students discovered their award-worthy work had been stolen, rebranded, and was winning competitions across America under someone else's name. Instead of hiring lawyers, Moritz Henneberg and Julius Drost grabbed their cameras and turned the betrayal into art.

The Berlin duo had created "Butty," a touching animated short about a household robot that gets kicked out when it malfunctions. After the film went viral on YouTube, they learned a US student named Samuel Felinton had downloaded it, made tiny edits, renamed it "T-130," and removed their credits entirely.

Felinton was winning trophies and building a reputation as a rising animator. All with their work.

When lawyers told them a lawsuit would be expensive and exhausting, Moritz and Julius chose a different path. They decided to fly to Morgantown, West Virginia, and confront Felinton in person while filming everything for a documentary.

"We'd already made documentary films, and the idea just popped into our heads: This is a brilliant story," Moritz explained. Rather than rage, they felt genuine curiosity about the person who'd stolen from them.

They watched his vlogs and studied his life. "We almost saw him as a kind of celebrity," Julius said. "We really wanted to meet him in person."

Using a New York filmmaker as cover, they arranged a meeting under the pretense of making a documentary about young animators. When they finally revealed themselves to Felinton, they expected tears, anger, or shame.

Instead, he stayed completely calm. He explained he'd "improved" their film and casually agreed to send back the prize money and trophies. Then the three of them had a barbecue and played basketball together.

Why This Inspires

The duo's approach sparked heated debate online. Some viewers said they should have sued or gotten revenge, while others praised them for finding a creative solution to conflict.

"He wanted to make something of himself," Moritz said. "It wasn't personal."

They titled their documentary "The Talented Mister F," a nod to the film about identity theft and deception. The project caught the attention of director Roland Emmerich, who became an investor in their production company.

The festivals that had awarded Felinton mostly stayed silent, claiming there was nothing they could do. But Felinton did send the trophies and money as promised.

Since the documentary released in Germany last October, the original "Butty" animation has gained even more viewers on YouTube. In a final gracious touch, Moritz and Julius included special thanks to Samuel Felinton in the new credits.

Their message to other young creators is simple: don't let fear stop you from sharing your work. "Be aware that something like this can happen, but stay creative in how you deal with it," they said. "Show the world that you're the authors."

Sometimes the best revenge isn't revenge at all.