The Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) is one of the largest and most important events for animated film world wide. The Festival takes into its scope the entire spectrum of current animated films, including the intersections between games, architecture, art, design and fashion. The Festival offers directors and production companies a platform for film screenings, and, for six days, becomes a home to animated film fans of all ages, offering them a place to see and experience short and feature length animated films.

Since its founding in 1982, the Festival has developed into the premiere event for animated film in Germany, and, likewise, has also become one of the most significant animated film events at the international level. Stuttgart‘s city centre provides a one-of-a–kind backdrop for the Festival’s open-air film screenings, lending them a truly special atmosphere. The large LED projection screen allows animated short films and popular features to be screened starting in the afternoon, which makes the ITFS a true family festival. In 2013, more than 80,000 visitors came to Stuttgart and watched more than 1,000 films at the open-air screenings, at venues in the city centre, and at venues in Ludwigsburg. Award-winning, worldrenowned animators like Stephen Hillenburg (SpongeBob), Michel Ocelot, David Silverman (The Simpsons), and Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me), have expressed how much they love the Festival’s unique and intimate atmosphere. For the very same reason, the Festival also counts many German actors and voice artists among its fans, including Benno Fürmann, Oliver Kalkofe, Christoph Maria Herbst, Rick Kavanian and Andrea Sawatzki.

Through innovative event formats and unusual locations – such as the world famous and architecturally unparalleled Mercedes-Benz Museum, the Musikhalle Ludwigsburg, and Wilhelma, the Stuttgart Zoo – animated film is celebrated in all its facets, and in truly grand style, at a numerous festival galas and shows.

Yet it is the art of animation and the promotion of up and coming talent that makes up the core of the ITFS. The various competition categories award cash prizes totalling more than 70,000 Euros. Together, the ITFS, the Animation Production Day, and the first-class industry conference FMX – all taking place concurrently – have developed into a unique and very important platform for the financing and development of animated projects.

Animation worldwide
The ITFS depicts the worldwide developments in animated film with several programmes.

In Persona
In the In Persona series, internationally renowned and artistically outstanding animation filmmakers from all over the world provide a personal insight into their work and working methods.

The Festival for professionals
Numerous events such as the German Animated Screenplay Award or the Animated Com Award make the ITFS an important meeting place for the industry. Animation studios show their current projects. Representatives from selected national and international film and art schools present their institutions and outstanding works of their students. Simultaneously with the festival in this year the FMX – Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Transmedia takes place. The Animation Production Day (APD) dealswith financing concepts of animated films and series.  

Internationally leading and innovative animation studios present their working methods and films at STUDIO PRESENTATIONS and give an exclusive preview of new projects. In SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS, the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film shows programmes from selected film and art schools.

WORKSHOPS in the fields of screenplay, character design and music for animation as well as audiovisual performances, lectures and exhibitions round off the festival’s programme. 

In the special programme of the children’s film festival TRICKS FOR KIDS, countless workshops, special screenings and interactive activities for children, teenagers and school classes are presented. Experienced animators provide viewers with a personal insight into the fantastic world of animated films.

The Festival of Animated Film will honour innovative and outstanding animated series with two competitions. The competition TRICKS FOR KIDS SERIES shows the best animated series for children up to 12 years, CARTOONS FOR TEENS shows series, animes and serial cut scenes for computer games for youths aged between 12 and 18 years.