Since 2006, the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film has been organizing a yearly tour programme with a selection of some of the best animated films from the previous Festival. The programme is presented worldwide and comprises: Best of International Competition, Best of Tricks for Kids and since 2020, Best of Trickstar Nature Award.
The programme presents animated film gems from the ITFS 2021 International Competition and at the same time reflects the stylistic and thematic diversity of current animation filmmaking. Two award winners are also included: “Précieux”, the winner of the Grand Prix of the State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Stuttgart, takes up ubiquitous issues such as otherness and exclusion and knows how to touch the audience with its masterfully created characters and the minimalism of its direction, conveying the painful feeling of isolation to the viewer. In “Only a Child”, Swiss animator Simone Giampaolo brought together the talents of more than 20 directors who, with expressive and powerful animated images, denounce the destruction of the environment and give voice to a child‘s desperate call to action. The ITFS audience selected the film for the SWR OnlineFilm Audience Award.
Julia Orlik // Poland 2020 // 14:59 // Stop trick, puppet animation // Production: Polish National Film School in Łódź // World sales: KFF Sales & Promotion
An elderly man is looking after his paralyzed wife. Despite his old age and health problems he’s doing his best to relieve her suffering, which is getting worse day by day. His daughter helps him, trying to balance care with her work in the hospital and family life. Everyone
has a different view on how to properly care for the sick. Often there are arguments about this.
“It’s hard to think it’s gonna be good, much easier to think it’s gonna be bad.” A
song in waltz rhythm is combined with absurd animated loops to express a
feeling of concern and uncertainty about the future.
Marc Riba, Anna Solanas // Spain 2020 // 11:35 // Stop trick, puppet animation // Producer: Marc Riba, Anna Solanas // Production: I+G Stop Motion
Mrs. Candela spends the last days of her life in a dying suburb of a big city.
Arjan Brentjes // Netherlands 2020 // 9:50 // 2D computer // World sales: SND Films
In a heavily polluted world, a young woman mourns the disappearance of animal
species. When she falls ill due to a bacterial infection, nature appears to send her a
message in her hallucinations.
Simone Giampaolo // Switzerland 2020 // 6:00 // Stop trick, live action // Producer: Gabriella de Gara // Production: AMKA Films Productions SA // World sales: Premium Films
“Only a Child” is a visual poem created by over 20 animation directors under the artistic supervision of Simone Giampaolo, which gives shape and colour to the original words spoken by 12 year old Severn Suzuki at the UN Summit in Rio in 1992 – a child’s desperate
call to action for the future of our planet. A film celebrating the environmental youth movement 30 years in the making.
Julie, a 9-year-old girl, is unable to integrate into her school. It is with Emile, an autistic boy that she discovers her talent for drawing. In this way, she begins to be accepted by the other students. The more she feels integrated, the more she rejects Emile.
Sasha Svirsky // Russia 2019 // 6:33 // 2D computer, 3D computer // Producer: Alexander
Gerasimo // Production: Masterfilm-Film Company // World sales: Kurzfilm Agentur Hamburg
Trouble in the galaxy: Good and evil, utopia and dystopia, narration and post-narration compete in a mortal battle to entertain the audience.
Geoffroy de Crécy // France 2020 // 8:30 // 3D computer // Producer: Nicolas Schmerkin // Production: Autour de Minuit
Completed before the global lockdown, “Empty Places” is an ode to the melancholy of machines.
The programme presents seventeen cinematic works of art that deal with climate protection, biodiversity, the environment, and sustainability in an informative and critical, insightful as well as humorous way. The winning film “Migrants” from France raises awareness of the issues of global warming and migration with a powerfully told story and deeply moving images. “Haboob” by Iranian filmmaker Mahsa Samani, denouncing climate change caused by air pollution in her home country, received a Special Mention. Also included is “Benztown” by Gottfried Mentor, in which houses, traffic lights and tunnels come to life and take revenge on the traffic and environmental offenders who roar through the city of Stuttgart every day.
A short humorous animation, looking at the future physical evolution of human beings.
Claire Eyheramendy, Simon Duclos, Pauline Grégoire // France 2020 // 5:38 // 3D computer // Producer: Simon Duclos // Production: MOPA // World sales: Yummy Films
Josée, a forest officer, has finished cutting the last trees of a forest in the middle of the desert. Not having met the quota set by her employer, she sets off for another forest. This one is made up of hybrids of trees and deer in search of light.
A young thief tries to snatch an old woman’s bag but she cannot have it without giving something in return: the promise.
Hugo Caby, Zoé Devise, Antoine Dupriez, Aubin Kubiak, Lucas Lermytte // France 2020 // 8:17 // 3D computer // Producer: Carlos De Carvalho // Production: Pôle 3D // World sales: Je Regarde
Two polar bears are driven into exile due to global warming. They encounter brown bears along their journey, with whom they try to cohabitate.
Mahsa Samani // Iran 2020 // 9:03 // 2D computer // Production: Documentary and Experimental Film Center DEFC
A man and his daughter are used to living in harmony and peace with nature, but some disruptions change their life.
Gottfried Mentor // Germany 2020 // 4:45 // Live action, 3D computer, visual effects (VFX) // Producer: Thomas Meyer-Hermann // Production: Studio FILM BILDER
Homemade! The city of Stuttgart fights against its traffic chaos with heavy action. With success – other cities want to do the same.
Paul Bush // Denmark, United Kingdom 2020 // 7:00 // Stop trick // Producer: Paul Bush, Lana Tankosa Nikolic // Production: Late Love Productions // World sales: Autour de Minuit
An animated extravaganza of plastic collected from beaches, roadsides, attics and junk shops. An elegy to a love affair that has gone sour, a fond farewell to that most beautiful
material that has ever enslaved our planet: plastic.
Tiphaine Burguburu, Pauline Epiard, Élodie Laborde, Lisa Laîné, Clémentine Vasseur,
Valentine Ventura // France 2020 // 6:47 // 3D computer // Producer: Philippe Meis // Production: Supinfocom Rubika // World sales: Je Regarde
Followed by his faithful cameraman, a shady reporter takes off on a journey to document a presumably extinct species.
Steven Taylor // USA 2020 // 1:00 // 3D computer // Pproduction: ARX LLC
When the King of all Monsters visits our favourite woodland baby deer … Based on the 1969 short film by Marv Newland.
In-Young Baek // South Korea 2019 // 2:34 // 2D computer // Production: KIAFA – Korean Independent Animation Filmmakers Association (AniSEED)
The girl is standing at a pedestrian crossing beneath the blazing sun when everything but the crossing begins to melt in the heat.
Kasia Nalewajk // Poland 2020 // 9:42 // Stop motion // Producer: Joanna Wendorff-Ostegaard // Production: animapol FILM PRODUCTION
Cornelius is a crab bachelor. A night spent drinking with his friends turns awry when the parasitic barnacle, Sacculina, spikes his drink and has his wicked way with him. In the weeks that follow, Cornelius experiences physiological and mental changes that transform his life. This film is based on real animal behaviours.
Benjamin Buckley // Canada 2020 // 6:13 // 3D computer, 2D computer // Production: Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Ewe is a sheep who lives a simple life till one day she is abducted and put into a laboratory in which she undergoes training to make her “civilized.”
Jennifer Kolbe // Germany 2020 // 4:30 // 2D computer // Production: Hochschule RheinMain
„Milk“ illustrates how conventional dairy cows are used and male calves are often born as waste products. And finally: the slaughter of the exhausted mother.
Vera van Wolferen // Netherlands 2020 // 2:14 // Stop motion, motion graphics // Producer: Chris Stenger, Floor Onrust // Production: Family Affair Films // World sales:
SND Films
Jeep is looking for the ultimate vacation spot: an idyllic island full of wilderness and
beautiful tropical birds. What started as an idyllic trip escalates quickly into a true tourist trap.
Henrike Rothe // Germany 2020 // 4:10 // Frame-by-frame, cutout animation, 2D computer // Producer: Martin Wagenpfeil // Production: Chili-Medien.de
“Hier und Laut” is the anthem of all young climate activists and those who yet want to become one. The colourful and humorous animated music video was created for Eric Wermke’s catchy song.
Anaïs Mauzat // Belgium 2020 // 3:43 // 2D computer
How can we wake up to our life? Like the seeds that suddenly start their germination process, a woman’s body tries to come out of its torpor.
Adrien Perret // France 2020 // 2:20 // 2D computer // Production: EMCA (École des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation)
A pod of seals dances and bounces obsessively to the rhythms of the cancan.
The programme presents a selection of the ten most beautiful short films for children that were met with enthusiastic reception by both young and older ITFS 2021 online audiences. Topics and stories are diverse and colourful, making audiences wonder, laugh, or think.
Also included is “Roberto” by Spanish filmmaker Carmen Córdoba González, which our
children’s jury chose as the winner of the prize donated by Studio 100 Media for the
following reasons: “The theme of “Roberto” was very convincing. Although the film has
no dialogue, many emotions are conveyed. We understood many feelings through the appropriate music. The twist at the end was very surprising. The message we got was: Every person is beautiful just the way they are.”
The films have no dialogue and are recommended for children aged 5 years and older.
Nina Bisiarina // France, Switzerland 2019 // 6:48 // 2D computer // Producer: Nicolas Burlet, Reginald de Guillebon // Production: Folimage, Nadasdy Film // World sales: Folimage
A curious lynx leaves its forest, attracted by the lights of the nearby town. It has great fun there until it falls asleep in the middle of a parking lot. In the early morning, locals are astonished to find this strange animal covered in snow.
Joost van den Bosch, Erik Verkerk // Netherlands 2020 // 2:15 // 2D computer // World sales: SND Films
In this ultrashort animated film, we follow an octopus who is a clean-up neat-freak. But sometimes, even though you have so many arms, you still cannot reach what you are aiming for.
Eric Montchaud // France 2020 // 11:28 // Puppet animation // Producer: Nicolas Burlet,
Luc Camilli // Production: Xbo Films, Nadasdy Film // World sales: Autour de Minuit // not available in France
A pupil turns up to his new class for the first time. This pupil however is different from the others, he’s a frog in a class of rabbits.
Géza M. Tóth // Hungary 2020 // 2:52 // Stop motion // Producer: Géza M. Tóth // Production: KEDD Animation Studio
There’s only one matchstick left in the box. This stick, this ordinary thing, is the protagonist of the MITCH-MATCH-series. The character embarks on a journey in every episode and always returns to the box.
Anna Kuzina // Russia 2020 // 4:29 // 2D computer // Producer: Boris Mashkovtsev // Production: Soyuzmultfilm Animation Studio
A bird that keeps order in the sky accidentally drops a star during cleaning. On Earth, children find it.
Nicolas Bianco-Levrin, Julie Rembauville // France 2020 // 5:46 // 2D computer, stop motion, pixilation // Producer: Nicolas Bianco-Levrin // Production: Prototypes Productions // World sales: Kurzfilm Agentur Hamburg
Kiki the canary only knows his cage and the old lady who feeds him. He dreams of flying with the free birds outside. When at last the door of the cage stays open, he escapes and discovers the big outside where it’s necessary to know how to fly. Finally, being a free bird, it’s scary.
Carmen Córdoba González // Spain 2020 // 10:09 // 3D computer, 2D computer // Production: Pepe School Land // World sales: Shorts Distribution
15 years have passed and Roberto is still in love with his neighbour, but she prefers to hide ashamed of her body. With his art and an old clothesline as the only ways of communication, Roberto has a plan to push his beloved to face her demons once and for all.
Mikhail Aldashin, Mariya Sosnina // Russia 2020 // 3:29 // 2D computer // Producer:
Boris Mashkovtsev // Production: Soyuzmultfilm Animation Studio
Once upon a time there was a princess who fell in love with a bandit …
Mélanie Berteraut-Platon, Yasmine Bresson, Léo Coulombier, Nicolas Grondin,
Maxime Le Chapelain, Louise Massé // France 2020 // 6:55 // 3D computer // Production: École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (ESMA) // World sales: Yummy Films
Bubble, a young otter, lives with three mossy stones and thinks of them as her family. She imagines them to be real otters, but as she becomes aware of their true nature, Bubble has to face her loneliness.
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