From Film to Festival

How is our programme created?

Have you ever wondered how a festival program like this is put together? We’ve broken it down for you:

BEFORE THE FESTIVAL

In autumn

Call for entries

More than six months before the festival, we release a call for filmmakers worldwide to submit their work on our website. The Call for Entries is the starting signal for the next festival. From now on, our main focus is on getting many strong, current films.

In the winter

The pre-selection

Five pre-selection committees view the submissions for our five competition categories. The remaining programmes are curated by the artistic and programme management together with cooperation partners or external curators.

From January

Now it's time to curate

The pre-selection committees put together film blocks for the competitions. They consider which films fit together thematically or aesthetically – i.e. in terms of their style – and can be shown in a programme block.

AT THE FESTIVAL

View, view, view

5 jurys, 5 competitions

The juries view and evaluate all the nominated films. They discuss and decide who receives an award and whether a film receives a special mention. Although such a ‘special mention’ is not endowed, it is an honour for the filmmakers.

The finale

on Saturday

At the grand award ceremony on Saturday evening, 12 Trickstars will be awarded in five competitions. The winners will receive prize money totalling up to 60,000 euros. Not least thanks to our partners and sponsors.

More than film

6 days, 200 events

Over 200 events await you during the festival week: in addition to 500 short and feature-length films, there are also dozens of talks, workshops and presentations. As well as three award-winning events: the AniX Awards, the Tricks for Kids award ceremony and the grand award ceremony on Saturday.

AFTER THE FESTIVAL

Travelling worldwide

Our best films

Every spring, the world gathers in Stuttgart for the International Festival of Animated Film. Each autumn, a selection of the best festival films starts to travel around the globe for one year. Three different programmes will be on tour – from Lake Constance to Sichuan, from Tbilisi to Düsseldorf.

Over the year

Curated programmes

Throughout the year the ITFS brings the world of animation to you. In addition to the Animation Tour, there are regular Animation Ppecials - mainly in Stuttgart and the region - for example for Pride Month, the fall of the Berlin Wall or Short Film Day.

Pre Fixe

Regional industry get-together

An Animation Lounge is organised four times a year for professionals from Stuttgart and the region, where animation professionals give an insight into their work. The event is embedded in the monthly Jour Fixe organised by MFG Filmförderung.