After six exciting festival days, the 30th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) ended on the evening of 30 April 2023 with the grand Awards Ceremony. True to the motto “Animation connects!”, guests, audiences and filmmakers celebrated the world of animation together at the Innenstadtkinos and on Schlossplatz in Stuttgart. With touching animated films, stimulating events and an inspiring festival atmosphere, the ITFS attracted numerous people from all over the world.

The general public as well as professionals and filmmakers made intensive use of the offers. The organizers recorded 7,300 guests in the cinemas and around 32,000 spectators at the Open Air. With the 5,000 guests in the other venues such as VHS TREFFPUNKT Rotebühlplatz, the ITFS reached a total of 44,300 visitors. On the mostly sunny days with pleasant temperatures, the audience enjoyed a happy and peaceful celebration of animated film on the packed Schlossplatz. But the ITFS was not only very popular in Stuttgart, but also internationally: A total of 150 of over 260 invited filmmakers* from abroad visited the ITFS.

A visitor highlight of the ITFS were the events with Disney Legend and animator Andreas Deja. His Master Class “Character Animation” was packed to capacity and his first independent animation film “Mushka”, which celebrated its European premiere at the ITFS, was also screened in a fully booked cinema. The GameZone with its animated games attracted a particularly large crowd of gaming fans: Over four days, well over 1,500 people tested and played the best animated computer games from Germany. Kids were also able to enjoy animated films at this year’s ITFS: all events and workshops at the VHS were fully booked. A special highlight in the cinema: “Bugs Bunny’s Builder & Batwheels” celebrated its preschool premiere in front of 350 children in the fully booked cinema hall Gloria 2.

Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf, Managing Director of ITFS, draws up a summary: “We were able to show so many wonderful films. Personally, I remember Tal Kantor’s film “Letter to a Pig” with its complex images.”

The competitions are the heart of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film and, as every year, the results were announced on Sunday evening, at the Awards Ceremony on 30 April 2023. Awards included the Grand Prix (State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Stuttgart Grand Award for Animated Film which also qualifies the winning film directly for the Oscar longlist), the Lotte Reiniger Promotion Award for Animated Film (sponsored by MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg), the Young Animation Award (sponsored by the LFK Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg and MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg), the AniMovie Award, the Trickstar Nature Award (sponsored by Verband Region Stuttgart) and the FANtastic Award (sponsored by the FANtastic Jury). For the SWR Audience Award, which is sponsored by Südwestrundfunk, audiences chose their favourite from all the entries in the International Competition. The winning team of the Crazy Horse Session – 48H Animation Jam in cooperation with The M.A.R.K. 13 Group was already announced on Saturday afternoon at the Open Air.

The winners of the Animated Games Award Germany, German Animation Screenplay Award, Honorary Trickstar and Trickstar Business Award competitions have already been announced at the Trickstar Professional Awards ceremony on April 26 and the Tricks for Kids Awards on April 29.

The WINNERS

International Competition – Grand Prix:

State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Stuttgart Grand Award for Animated Film with a cash prize of 10,000 €.

Koerkorter (Dog Apartment)
Priit Tender
Estinia 2022, 14:07 min, Production: Oü Nukufilm

Jury statement: “’Dog Apartment’ by Priit Tender, is a masterpiece of the surrealism. Even if the story takes place in an eastern oppressive regime, we can all relate to it as artists, having fed the capitalist housing market. The film flawlessly pushes the stop motion medium further, and it takes us deep in to a surrealistic world, that feels real and cruel. The transformation of an apartment into a living creature is striking and unforgettable. We will think of it every time when we have to pay rent.” 

Special Mention:  
Koniunkcja (Misaligned) 
Marta Magnuska
Latvia, Poland, 2022, 6:55 min, Production: Animoon

Jury statement: “The Jury’s Special Mention goes to “Misaligned” by Marta Magnuska for the filmmaker´s artistic ability to describe a dysfunctional relationship from a female point of view.” 

Jury: Signe Baumane (New York, USA) Chiara Magri (Turin, Italy), Anders Narverud Moen (Oslo, Norway, Izabela Plucińska (Berlin, Germany)

Lotte Reiniger Promotion Award for Animated Film:

Award for the best graduation film with a cash prize of 10,000 €, sponsored by MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg

Zoon 
Jonatan Schwenk
Germany, 2022, 4:25 min, School: Hochschule Offenbach
Jury statement:
“Lotte Reiniger was a master of creating her own worlds, and ‘Zoon’ by Jonatan Schwenk is a great example where unique design and perfect timing creates this kind of special world. The jury compliments the filmmaker´s use of different techniques to bring us into a world for both – laughter and contemplation.”

SWR Audience Award: The ITFS Audience Award with a cash prize of 6,000 €, sponsored by SWR (regional broadcasting for southwest Germany)

Pasajero (Passenger)
Juan Pablo Zaramella
Argentinia 2022, 10:00 min

Young Animation Award:

Award for the best student film with a cash prize of 2,500 €, sponsored by the LFK Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg and MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg

Ressources Humaines (Human Resources) 
Isaac Wenzek, Titouan Tillier, Trinidad Plass
France, 2022, 3:30 min, School: EMCA Ecole des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation)

Jury statement:
„We chose ‚Human Resources’ because we felt it created a rich and beautiful world – with stunning attention to detail at every level – from the choice of materials and camera angles to the concise and economical storytelling. With impeccable timing and performances, this film delivers social commentary, wit and humor in a very short amount of time, showcasing that you can create a complete and satisfying narrative in under 4 minutes. Human Resources is a true stand-out film.“

Special Mention:
Reprise 
Carine Chrast, Leance Volschenk, Lio Neuenschwander, Saskia Bulletti
Switzerland, 2022. 3:08 min, School: Hochschule Luzern – Design & Kunst)

Jury statement:
“’Reprise’ is a subtle and nuanced short that expertly uses silence, timing and framing to suggest- rather than show – leaving audiences to interpret the full meaning of this powerful film.”

Jury: Sander Joon (Tallinn, Estonia) Piotr Kardas (Lodz, Poland) Vanessa Pfeiffer (Los Angeles, USA)

AniMovie: Award for the best animated feature film

Nayola 
José Miguel Ribeiro
Portugal, Belgium, France, Netherlands 2022, 83 min, Production: Praça Filmes

Jury statement:
“Our unanimous choice for Best Animated Feature is a spectacular example of the power of animated storytelling. From the compelling narrative and bold, vivid use of color, to the unique production design, layout and camera work, and sound design and music, this film tells a story that leaves you reeling from it‘s intensity and emotional honesty. A well crafted tapestry of three generations of women and the choices they made to protect and defend their humanity in the face of the horrors and oppressive consequences of a civil war”.

Jury: Mike Buckland (Cape Town, South Africa) Kathrin Rothe (Berlin, Germany) Dan Sarto (Los Angeles, USA)

Trickstar Nature Award:

Award for the best international animated short film that deals with the topics of climate protection, biodiversity, environment and sustainability, with a cash prize of 7,500 €, sponsored by Verband Region Stuttgart

A World in Chaos
David Crisp, Hungary 2023, 9:46 min
Production: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest

Jury statement:
“ A lot of issues that are very relevant for our times, presented in a way, that an audience can relate to. The jury’s decision was unanimous.”

Jury: Carina Borgards (Ludwigsburg, Germany), Nancy Denney-Phelps (Gent, Belgium), Lena von Döhren (Lucerne, Switzerland)

The Fantastic Award:

Award for the best animation talent with a cash prize of 1,000 €, sponsored by the FANtastic Jury, the most faithful fans of ITFS

Le Cri de Silence (The Silent Scream)
Camille Anne, Camille Leroy, Elisa Torris, Julie Vandenbergue, Lucas Foutrier, Martin Laurent
France 2022, 7:12 min, School: Pôle 3D

Jury statement:
„Where people are not heard, animated film can give them a voice. Where society is not looking, animated film can point a finger. Where hardly any jury has awarded a prize before, we are doing so now. With ‘Le Cri de Silence’ we are honouring a film that conveys a difficult subject in a visually impressive way, while maintaining a balance between compassion and wordless rage. Camille Anne, Camille Leroy, Elisa Torris, Julie Vandenbergue, Lucas Foutrier, Martin Laurent, welcome to the Animation Family!”

Special Mention:
Pipes
Jessica Meier, Kilian Feusi, Sujanth Ravichandran
Switzerland 2022, 4:08 min, School: Hochschule Luzern – Design & Kunst

Jury statement:
“Our Special Mention goes into unknown territory for many, where there is a lot of pressure on the kettle. This is the place to be when laying pipes – Jessica Meier, Kilian Feusi, Sujanth Ravichandran: thanks for the great fun with ‘Pipes’ in dark times.”

Jury: Folke Damminger, Jürgen Frick, Sebastian Heck, Dorothea Kaufmann, Michaela Rehm, Karen Schmitt, Sven Schoengarth, Sabine Willmann

Crazy Horse Session – 48H Animation Jam

“What’s Next?” Yohann Abdelnour und Nour Haidar (Libanon)

Jury statement:
“As the jury, we fell in love with the metamorphosis of the Trixie and the experimental style of this film. It was like diving into a multiverse of Trixie. Each new scenario gave us a new interpretation of the main character. Even after watching the film multiple times, we discovered new things and perspectives. We wanted to watch it frame by frame to catch every little detail. Amazing work. Thank you for displaying so much passion and talent in your work.
We would also like to give a special mention to the Swiss team, Sarah, Anna-Lena and Lara, and their film “Trixie’s Evolutionary Journey”. This film stood out with its clear message and moving visualisation. Well done.”

The next Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film will take place from April 23 to 28, 2024.

Der Beitrag Connections that touch and animate erschien zuerst auf ITFS - Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart.

The winners of the Tricks for Kids competition for animated short films for children at the 30th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film have been announced! The prize of € 4,000 (donated by Studio 100 Media) was awarded at the TREFFPUNKT ROTEBÜHLPLATZ of vhs stuttgart on Saturday, 29 April, 5:00 p.m. The winning film was chosen by a children’s jury. In addition, the audience favourite of the Tricks for Kids competition was honoured with the Tricks for Kids Audience Award. For the first time, children and families could vote for their favourite film of the Tricks for Kids competition directly in the cinema. The Audience Award of € 1,500, which was initially launched online in 2022, was initiated together with long-standing Tricks for Kids partner L-Bank.

The Tricks for Kids winners of the ITFS 2023 are:

Award for the best children’s animated film with a cash prize of 4,000 €, sponsored by Studio 100 Media.

Elegy of Elefant
Director: Sergio Lu
China 2022, 8.30 min.
Production: Shengying Ai

The leading elephant Nana was rescued by an old man when she was young. Many years after Nana backed to nature, she sensed old man‘s death, which led her back with the herd to mourn for him.

Statement of the children’s story:

“It was very difficult for us to make a decision – there were so many great films!  After a long discussion and a lot of voting, we were finally able to decide. It is a story about a special friendship. A relationship between human and animal that lasts beyond the end of life. We all felt for this film and were touched by how the story ended. We think it is great that the film was inspired by real experiences. It also contains an important message: if you help the weak in need, they will not forget it. We really liked the animation of the elephants and their environment too. Also, we find it remarkable that the film is almost completely without dialogue and that the message can be understood all over the world.”

Special Mention:

Trudes Tier – Glückshof (Trudes Flatmate – Glückshof)
 Director: Klaus Morschheuser
Germany 2021, 6.40 min.
Production: Studio Soi Filmproduktion GMBH & Co. KG

Trude and the flatmate are going on a picnic trip. The flatmate already pilfers some sausages from the picnic basket. When the two of them get stuck in a traffic jam and halt next to a cattle truck, the flatmate is struck by pity for the porr pigs. And when Trude explains to him, what sausages are made of, the flatmate makes up his mind: He has to do something about this!

Tricks for Kids Audience Award

Award for the audience’s favourite of the ITFS Children’s Film Festival with a cash prize of 1,500 €, sponsored by L-Bank.
Les Astres Immobiles (Immobile Stars)
Directors: Noémi Gruner, Séléna Picque

France 2022, 25:34 min.
Production: Tripode Productions

Chenghua is preparing a school project on space travel with her best friend. She cannot find enough time to do this as she is constantly asked to translate for her parents who do not speak French and are dependent on their child. Chenghua can take no more and tries to break free from her family. Her desire for space and natural enthusiasm will help her take those steps.

Der Beitrag The Winners of the Tricks for Kids Award Ceremony erschien zuerst auf ITFS - Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart.

The first award winners of the 30th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) have been chosen: In a joint awards ceremony – the Trickstar Professional Awards – the German Animation Screenplay Award, the Animated Games Award Germany, the Trickstar Business Award, and the Honorary Trickstar of the ITFS 2023 were presented on the evening of 26 April 2023 at the L-Bank Rotunde. Anja Lange hosted the event with numerous guests.

German Animation Screenplay Award

The aim of the two screenplay awards is to promote promising authors, to contribute to the improvement of content quality and the international market potential of animated feature films, as well as to highlight the importance of professional screenwriting and the more attractive films that come with it.

The prize for the best German screenplay for an animated feature film in the amount of € 2,500 sponsored by the Animation Media Cluster Region Stuttgart (AMCRS), goes to:

CLARISSA

Screenplay: John Chambers

Production: XFilme Creative Pool GmbH,

Producer: Uwe Schott

The jury found:

Based on the popular IP and German board game KAKERLAKAK, Clarissa’s journey from hated underdog insect to rising star shows how rewarding it can be to pursue your dreams without fear rather than hiding in the shadows and doing what’s expected of you because it has always been so. The story is also a modern appeal for equality, inclusion, and acceptance of gender diversity, supported by lots of humour, songs, and dance. CLARISSA – The Musical is born.

The prize for the German screenplay with the greatest international market potential in the amount of € 1,500 sponsored by Pink Parrot Media goes to:

PIRATE MO AND THE LEGEND OF THE RED RUBY

Screenplay: Richie Conroy

Production: Ulysses Filmproduktion GmbH

Producer: Emely Christians

From the jury statement:

Pirate Mo is a search for her own identity, armed with a strong sense of justice and lots of wit: Mo is a modern pirate, just like Madame Chen and will be loved by kids and parents alike all over the world Strong and witty characters, an exciting adventure, lots of humour and fun – Pirate Mo and the Legend of the Red Ruby is a fresh and new take on pirate stories – brave, courageous, and funny.

A Special Mention goes to:

RAT KING

Screenplay: Nina Wels, Kristina Yee

Production: Traumhaus Studios

Producer: Michael Luda

With references to ancient fairy tales and medieval past, this exciting and original story is set in our modern times. It contains a powerful message to all who are bullied or oppressed to courageously stand up to those who try to rule with fear, lies and manipulation and to save the world with love and truth. It’s a message that is desperately needed in these times of hate speech, fake news, and alternative truths.

The jury consisted of: Peter Keydel (Producer Mago Production, Barcelona/Düsseldorf), Tania Pinto de Cunha (President and Director of Int. Sales and Acquisitions, Pink Parrot, Media, Madrid), Lilian Klages (CEO & Executive Producer, Zooper Film, Ludwigsburg), Holger Weiss (CEO & Founder, M.A.R.K. 13 Group, Stuttgart), and Silke Wilfinger (Founder, SilkWayFilms, Munich).

Animated Games Award Germany

Prize for the best and most innovative animation-based computer game from Germany in the amount of € 5,000 sponsored by MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg:

SIGNALIS

Developer: Barbara Wittmann, rose-engine

Publisher: Humble Games

From the jury statement:

“Signalis” convinced us with a particularly strong visual language that honors the 90s art style, but does not limit itself to it and skillfully mixes genres. Inspired by pop culture it uses familiar elements and through technical innovation, this develops into a modern aesthetic. While playing the game, one can feel the passion for storytelling in an immersive, meticulously crafted game world that captivates not only visually. The reduced but skillful use of sound and music underlines the thrilling atmosphere of this classic survival horror game.

The jury consisted of: Anna Katharina Brinkschulte (Senior Lecturer Interactive Media, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg – Animationsinstitut, Ludwigsburg), Stephan Jakob (Professor for Game Design and Development, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da) & Founder, BiteTheBytes, Darmstadt), and Lea Schönfelder (Co-Founder, Fein Games, Frankfurt am Main).

Trickstar Business Award

Prize for the best innovative and forward-looking business model in the animation sector in the amount of € 7,500 sponsored by Verband Region Stuttgart:

PentoPix Inc.

Founders: Volha Paulovich, Amid Pate

United Kingdom

The Jury found:

Pentopix clear business idea is offering a promising tool to bring ideas faster to live allowing more time to focus on story development. It’s generated AI tool transforms texts into 3D animated storyboards saving film or game studios valuable hours in their pre-production phase. Thus it’s groundbreaking relevant for any professional working within the animation industry from studios, advertising agencies, game developers, to film schools, independent creatives and writers.

A Special Mention goes to:

Those Production Girls (PTY) LTD

Founder: Kaya Kuhn
Mellville/South Africa

A Special Mention, close to an award, is deserved, in the jury’s opinion, by an entrepreneurial initiative that offers animation producers a comprehensive range of qualifications as well as mentoring in production management and project supervision, thus also optimising recruiting. This way, it not only creates important prerequisites for efficient networking among filmmakers, which, as we all know, is an important prerequisite for successful work in the film industry.

The jury consisted of: Jens Gutfleisch (Managing Director, Film Commission Region Stuttgart, Stuttgart), Marc König (Partner, Venue Gate, Stuttgart), Dieter Krauß (Freelance Consultant, Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH, Stuttgart), Viola Gabrielli (Media Consultant, Film Festival & Market Curator, Reutlingen) and Gabriele M. Walther (CEO & Founder, Caligari Film- und Fernsehproduktions GmbH, Munich / Traffix Entertainment GmbH, Stuttgart).

Honorary Trickstar of ITFS 2023

The Honorary Trickstar of the 2023 Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film goes to Latvian animation artist Signe Baumane. She accepted the award personally at the ceremony. Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf, Managing Director of Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH (ITFS), stresses:

“In Signe Baumane’s wonderful films, one can experience that philosophy and the art of animation are like siblings: Both of them abstract and thus clarify something that previously had been blurred in the abundance of appearances. Her film My Love Affair with Marriage is a fine example of this.”

Signe Baumane studied philosophy in Moscow, then worked for an animation studio in Riga and moved to New York City in 1996, where she first worked for independent director Bill Plympton while continuing to make her own films. In 1998, she founded her own studio and, with irrepressible energy, perseverance, and creativity, tackled the realisation of her feature-length films over many years.

Complementing the Honorary Trickstar Award, the ITFS presents her early films in a short film programme, including: The Witch and the Cow, (Latvia, USA, 1991), The Tiny Shoes (Latvia, USA; 1993), Gold of the Tigers (Latvia, 1995), Love Story (Latvia, USA, 1998). As a special highlight, the ITFS presents her two feature-length films, the multi-award winning “My Love Affair with Marriage” (Latvia, Luxembourg, USA, 2022) on 27 April, 8 p.m. at Cinema, and “Rocks in my Pockets” (Latvia, 2014) on 28 April, 8:15 p.m. at the Open-Air.

Der Beitrag The Winners of the Trickstar Professional Awards erschien zuerst auf ITFS - Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart.

Germany’s major animation film festival, the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS), is celebrating its 30th edition: The festival was officially opened on Tuesday evening, 25 April 2023, in the Gloria 1 cinema of Innenstadtkinos Stuttgart. At the opening gala, Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf welcomed the creator of Triton and other Disney favourites, supervising animator Andreas Deja, State Secretary Arne Braun (Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts), and Stuttgart’s Lord Mayor Frank Nopper, who delivered their forward-looking greetings to the audience in the sold-out cinema hall.

State Secretary Arne Braun emphasised: “The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film is an absolute stroke of luck for Baden-Württemberg – as a hub for animation, games and VFX that we want to cultivate, maintain and continue to develop with vigour. Together with the FMX and the Animation Production Days, it has enormous charisma in the wide world of animation and strengthens the creative industry in the State. The films at the Festival of Animated Film will again make people laugh and think; or move them to tears. Until Sunday, the State capital will be the worldwide centre of animated film.”

Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf, Managing Director of ITFS: ” To me, the art of animated film is a wonderful revelation, as serious as it is cheerful. For this, Stuttgart is the place to be!”

Special thanks are due to the long-standing Chairman of the Supervisory Board of FMF, Dr Walter Rogg (since 2006), who will retire in August 2023. Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf paid tribute to his committed and constructive way of bringing the four associates of FMF together over such a long time and thanked him on the big stage. In a personal statement, Andreas Hykade honoured artist Gil Alkabetz, who died in 2022, as an inspiring friend and teacher of many animation filmmakers.

The audience could watch the first section of the International Competition (IW) on the big screen: Eight animated shorts demonstrated the exuberant diversity of animated film, including “Ice Merchants”, an Oscar-nominated short film by João Gonzalez about a touching father-son relationship, Tal Kantor’s “Letter to a Pig”, telling the story of a Holocaust survivor with her unique technique, and “The Invention of Less” by Noah Erni, which shows in a humorous and entertaining way how the world could perhaps be saved with a little trick. On the podium, the filmmakers of IW 1 met for a round of talks and gave insights into their work. At the subsequent get-together in the festival café Café le Theatre, all guests were given space to network, talk, and celebrate!

For six days – from 25 to 30 April 2023 – one of the world’s largest festivals for animation will present 1002 animated films at the Innenstadtkinos and the Open-Air cinema on Schlossplatz, making Stuttgart the “Heart of Animation” (Andreas Hykade). Disney legend and character animator Andreas Deja will give an illustrated overview of his 30-year career at Disney as one of the greatest animators in the company’s 100-year history, e.g. on the development of famous characters such as Jafar (“Aladdin”), Scar (“The Lion King”) and King Triton (“The Little Mermaid”). He also brings along his short film “Mushka”, which will celebrate its European premiere at the ITFS. (Saturday, 29 April, Cinema, 15:30).

Der Beitrag “Animation Connects” – Grand Opening of the 30th ITFS erschien zuerst auf ITFS - Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart.

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) will celebrate its 30th edition this year from 25 to 30 April 2023, inviting families and culture enthusiasts from Stuttgart and the region as well as international filmmakers, young talents and professionals. For six days, the centre of Stuttgart will be the hub of animated film, with the Schlossplatz inviting everyone to a big get-together and the cinemas in the city centre filled with fans and creators of animation.

New cooperation: 100 years of Disney at the ITFS

But not only the ITFS is celebrating an anniversary – The Walt Disney Company with the world-famous animation studio Disney Animation is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023. With short film programmes (Disney+ Cult Night), Film Talks and current animated feature films at the Open-Air Cinema. As a highlight, Disney Legend and character animator Andreas Deja will come to Stuttgart and give an illustrated overview of his 30-year career at Disney as one of the greatest animators in the company’s 100-year history. In the Masterclass “Character Animation” (Saturday, 29 April, Cinema,    1 p.m.) Deja will give background information on the development of famous characters such as Jafar (“Aladdin”), Scar (“The Lion King”) and King Triton (“The Little Mermaid”). In a Film Talk (Thursday 27 April, Gloria 2, 12:30 p.m.), Disney EMEA Creative Directors Shamik Majumdar and Orion Ross will provide exclusive insights into the ten-part Disney+ anthology series “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire”, which looks at the future from a uniquely African perspective, created by directors from across the continent and in collaboration with African (including Triggerfish) and global studios.

European premiere of Andreas Deja’s “Mushka”

Andreas Deja will not only take a look back, but will also bring his short film “Mushka” to celebrate its European premiere at the ITFS. After the screening, the audience can take a backstage look at the film’s production (Saturday, 29 April, Cinema, 3:30 pm).

The Honorary Trickstar goes to…

She is one of the most important women in the animation industry: The 2023 Honorary Trickstar of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film goes to Latvian animation artist Signe Baumane. She creates animations from a female perspective, and in her later development often from a personal, autobiographical, painfully honest and provocative point of view, and she says: “In animation, you can just walk into a person’s mind and you can show everything going on in there. In animation you’re free to do anything you want.”

Signe Baumane studied philosophy in Moscow, then worked for an animation studio in Riga and moved to New York City in 1996, where she first worked for independent director Bill Plympton while continuing to make her own films. In 1998 she founded her own studio and with irrepressible energy, perseverance and creativity tackled the realisation of her feature-length films over many years. In a short film programme, the ITFS will present primarily her early films, including: “The Witch and the Cow”, (Latvia, USA, 1991), “The Tiny Shoes” (Latvia, USA; 1993), “Gold of the Tigers” (Latvia, 1995), and “Love Story” (Latvia, USA, 1998). As a special highlight, ITFS will show her two feature-length films, the multi-award winning “My Love Affair with Marriage” (Latvia, Luxembourg, USA, 2022) on 27 April at 8 pm at Cinema and “Rocks in my Pockets” (Latvia, 2014) on 28 April, 8:15 pm at the Open-Air. The Honorary Trickstar award will be presented personally to Signe Baumane at the Trickstar Professional Awards ceremony on 26 April.

Stuttgart welcomes the world of animation

More than 70 high-profile filmmakers from the competition programmes alone will attend the festival to present their films and answer questions in Film Talks. Directors will be present at the feature film premieres, such as Tahir Rana at the German premiere of “Charlotte” (Eric Warin, Tahir Rana, Canada 2022), director Kajsa Naess at the German premiere of “Titina” (Kajsa Næss, Norway 2022), and director Rasmus A. Sivertsen will be attending the German premiere of “Three Robbers and a Lion” (Rasmus A. Sivertsen, Norway 2021). Arnaud Demuynck will be present for the screening of “Yuku and the Himalayan Flower” (Arnaud Demuynck, Rémi Durin, Belgium, France 2022) in Stuttgart. For the supporting programmes and juries, the ITFS invites a further 100 animation artists to be on location and network with professionals and audiences.

A delegation of 18 dynamic, innovative creatives with different skills and backgrounds are also invited to actively participate in the festival’s Country Focus South Africa – supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Open Air at the Schlossplatz – A must go with free admission

Against the unique backdrop of Stuttgart’s city centre, the Festival Garden with its Open-Air Cinema gives the ITFS an incomparable atmosphere with lots of animation and a wide-ranging entertainment programme! All around, the Festival Garden offers a gastronomic range for small and large appetites. From Wednesday to Sunday (from noon to 10.30 p.m.), the large LED screen will be showing captivating animated short and feature-length films to amuse and amaze audiences. New this year are themed short film programmes for the whole family in the afternoon and for adults from 6:30 pm. As usual, current animation blockbusters and arthouse gems at 8:15 pm provide each festival day with a finale full of atmosphere. In cooperation with various partners and supporters of the festival, the ITFS offers an exciting daily programme of workshops and activities. Feature-length film highlights for the whole family (Wednesday to Saturday at 3 p.m.).

Audiences can look forward to three Disney blockbusters, including the animated science fiction adventure “Lightyear” (Angus MacLane, USA 2022), the heartwarming classic “Soul” (Pete Docter, USA, 2020) and the adventure film “Strange World” (Don Hall, Qui Nguyen, USA 2022).

In the evenings, the ITFS will show the following arthouse films on the LED wall: “Persepolis” (Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi, France 2007), “Rocks in my Pockets” (Signe Baumane, USA, Latvia 2014) and “The Congress” (Ari Folman, Israel, France, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Luxembourg 2013).

Sunday morning is once again dedicated to a very special cooperation: ITFS will show the family opera “Räuber Hotzenplotz” on the big screen free of charge. Composer Sebastian Schwab has recomposed Otfried Preußler’s enchanting story as a singspiel for the ensemble of the Stuttgart State Opera, just in time for Preußler’s 100th birthday.

A registration form for press accreditation is available at https://www.itfs.de/presse/akkreditierung/

Contact Press and Public Relations: presse@festival-gmbh.de
Katrin Dietrich, dietrich@festival-gmbh.de, +49 (0) 711-925 46-102

Der Beitrag ITFS celebrates, awards, and invites you into the centre of animated film! erschien zuerst auf ITFS - Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart.

AniMovie is the name of the international feature-length film competition of the 30th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS), which takes place from 25 to 30 April 2023. The films selected this year have a chance to win the coveted Trickstar award. Many directors have announced their attendance at the premieres and screenings.

With their power to tell unique stories in artful images with a distinctive signature style, animated films often create a more intense cinematic experience than many a live-action film. With characters that the viewer can identify with, unfazed by their colours, shapes and language, a projection screen is created. This year’s films in the ITFS programme take us into the past of historical figures such as the artist Charlotte Salomon or Friedrich Hölderlin, we accompany strong women through times of war in Angola or Syria or travel to the North Pole with a small Italian dog. The AniMovie competition includes films for children and adults. In addition, the ITFS shows extraordinary feature-length films in the supporting programme (AniMovie Special) – among them a world premiere.

AniMovie – Feature-lenght Films in Competition

German premiere: „Charlotte“

Directors: Eric Warin, Tahir Rana // Canada 2022 // 92 min.
Friday, April 28, 6:30 pm, Gloria 1

The true story of Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of the Second World War and defies incredible odds to create a timeless masterpiece.

In the original English version with the voices of Keira Knightley, Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent, among others. Salomon’s autobiographical life’s work, a collection of drawings, texts and scenic notes, is currently on display at the Lenbachhaus Munich. Tahir Rana will be present in Stuttgart.

German premiere: „Titina“

Director: Kajsa Naess // Norway 2022 // 90 min.
Wednesday, April 26, 6:30 pm, Gloria 1

Italian airship engineer Umberto Nobile enjoys a quiet life with his beloved dog Titina, who charmed him into rescuing her from the streets of Rome. One day, Norwegian explorer superstar Roald Amundsen contacts him and orders an airship to conquer the North Pole. Nobile seizes the opportunity to go down in history. He brings Titina along, and the unlikely trio sets out on an expedition to the last undiscovered place on Earth. Their quest is successful but, in the aftermath, the two men start to quarrel over the glory.

Director Kajsa Naess will be present for the German premiere in Stuttgart. The film is based on the true adventures of the dog Titina, who won the hearts of Europeans in the 1920s. Naess presented the film in the Work in Progress series at ITFS 2022.

„Nayola“

Director: José Miguel Ribeiro // Portugal, Belgium, France, Netherlands 2022 // 83 min. // Thursday, April 27, 6:30 pm, Gloria 1

Angola. Three generations of women in a 25-year-long civil war: Lelena (the grandmother), Nayola (the daughter) and Yara (the granddaughter). Past and present interlace. Nayola goes in search of her missing husband at the height of the war. Decades later, the country is finally at peace but Nayola has not returned. Yara has become a rebellious teenager and a subversive rap singer. Lelena tries to contain her for fear of the police coming to arrest her. One night, a masked intruder breaks into their house. An encounter like nothing they could have imagined.

With “Nayola”, José Miguel Ribeiro realised the first Portuguese animated feature film ever, which won the prize for best animated feature film at the Guadalajara International Film Festival and the audience award at the São Paulo International Film Festival 2022.

AniMovie Kids – Feature-lenght Films in Competition for Kids

German premiere: “Three Robbers and a Lion”

(Folk og røvere i Kardemomme by)

Director: Rasmus A. Sivertsen // Norway 2021 // 79 min.
Thursday, April 27, 4:00 pm, Gloria 1
Recommended for ages 6 and older, live German narration

Chaos rules the everyday life of the three troublemakers Casper, Jasper and Jonathan – also in their household. As they co-live with a lion, they are in desperate need for a housekeeper and come up with a plan to kidnap Aunt Sophie who is famous to be a domestic goddess. However, her management skills are even better than her housekeeping: She bosses the robbers around and has them do the job. Little by little, the three realize they are in a trap. The only solution is to get rid of Sophie by bringing her back to town.

Director Rasmus A. Sivertsen will be present for the German premiere in Stuttgart. The film is based on one of the best-known Norwegian children’s books and impresses above all with its innovative fusion of miniature buildings with CGI-animated characters.

“Dounia & the Princess of Aleppo” (Dounia & la Princesse d’Alep)

Directors: Marya Zarif und André Kadi // Canada, France 2022 // 72 min.
Friday, April 28, 2:00 pm, Gloria 1
Recommended for ages 8 and older, live German narration.

A few nigella seeds tucked in the palm of her hand, 6-year-old Dounia leaves Aleppo with the Princess of Aleppo’s help and travels towards a new world.

In her debut film, director Marya Zarif tells her own story of escape from Aleppo in a fabulously impressive way.

“Yuku and the Himalayan Flower” (Yuku et la fleur de l’Himalaya)

Directors: Arnaud Demuynck, Rémi Durin // Belgium, France 2022 // 65 min. // Saturday, April 29, 2:00 pm, Gloria 1
Recommended for ages 4 and older, German version

On top of the highest mountains on earth grows a plant that feeds on the most perfect sunlight – the Himalayan flower. Yuku, a young mouse, leaves her family to search for this flower of eternal light and give it to her grandmother, who will soon have to follow the little blind mole through the twists and turns of the earth. But to succeed, there is a long journey ahead, full of obstacles. Arnaud Demuynck will be present.

AniMovie Special – Feature-length Films in the Supporting Programme

ITFMX Screening: „Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

Director: Guillermo del Toro // USA 2022 // 116 min.
Thursday, April 27, 8:30 pm, Gloria 2

In a joint screening, ITFS and FMX – Film and Media Exchange will show a darker version of the story about the famous wooden boy by Hollywood filmmaker del Toro. Present at the screening will be Georgina Haynes, Head of Character Creation on “Pinocchio”. The film won the OSCAR 2023 in the category “Best Animated Feature”.

World Premiere: „Hölderlins Echo“

Directors: Hannes Rall, Susanne Marschall // Germany 2023 // 90 min.
Saturday, April 29, 6:30 pm, Gloria 1

One famous poet, hundreds of famous composers: the work of Friedrich Hölderlin was set to music about 1800 times in the 20th century. In the history of modern music, Hölderlins poetry has been transformed into avant-garde Liedkunst, which is interpreted globally, but especially in Asia. “Hölderlins Echo” resonates with many voices in the film’s elaborately designed animations, which were created by an international team. Four poetic animated scenes show episodes from Hölderlin’s life and constantly reinterpret the figure of the restless, loving, ever-breaking, multi-faceted poet through the individual styles of the animation artists. Susanne Marschall (director live-action film) and Hannes Rall (director Animation) will be present at the world premiere.

„Teheran Tabu“

Director: Ali Soozandeh // Germany, Austria 2017 // 96 min.
Thursday, 27. April, 6:30 pm, Delphi

Pari, Babak, Sara and Donya live in the Iranian capital Tehran. In order to earn a living for herself and her five-year-old son Pari works as a prostitute and sells her body to an influential judge, who supposedly helps her lead a better life. life. Her neighbour Sara, who ekes out an obedient existence as a housewife under her husband and his devout parents, also dreams of a better life, but would much rather go back to work. Young Donya faces a similar fate. In a few days she will get married. Nevertheless, she agrees to spend the night with the young musician Babak and afterwards demands that he pays for an operation to restore her virginity.

The ITFS will also show a film about the Islamic Revolution in Iran at the free open-air cinema on Schlossplatz: “Persepolis” (directed by Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi, France 2007), at 8:15 pm on Wednesday, 26 April.

„My Love Affair with Marriage”

Director: Signe Baumane // Latvia, Luxembourg, USA 2022 // 108 min. // Thursday, April 27, 8:00 pm, Cinema

From an early age, songs and fairytales convinced Zelma that Love would solve all her problems as long as she abided by societal expectations of how a girl should act. But as she grew older something didn’t seem right with the concept of love: the more she tried to conform, the more her body resisted. A story about the acceptance of the inner female rebellion.

Signe Baumane will be present for the screening. The Open Air programme will also feature her feature-length film “Rocks in My Pockets”.

Der Beitrag Strong Women in Times of Crisis – The Feature Films of the 30th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film erschien zuerst auf ITFS - Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart.

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS), which will take place from April 25 to 30, 2023, is now offering a glimpse of the supporting programme for the 30th edition: From “Best of Programmes” to the country focus on South Africa and the latest topics such as “AI – Artificial Intelligence” – in addition to the numerous competition films, the supporting programme offers multifaceted and exciting insights for professionals and the interested public. Such as the inspiring lecture “A Winter’s Journey” (Alex Helfrecht) with Monika Folkierska-Żukowska, top-class studio presentations by Triggerfish Animation Studios (South Africa) or Those Eyes (Denmark) and JOB, JORIS & MARIEKE (Netherlands). In the impressive retrospectives, the festival will present a film programme by Izabela Plucińska (Germany, Poland) and by outstanding young talent Sander Joon (Estonia). Gil Alkabetz, a great filmmaker and loyal ally of the ITFS, will be honoured with a Tribute.

Accreditations and festival passes are now available at www.itfs.de/en/tickets/.

Country focus South Africa

African animated films have recently received increased international attention and recognition, and the industry beyond already established studios like Triggerfish Animation is beginning to gain a foothold in the global market. Animation is a perfect medium to bring Africa’s stories, design, art, and music to the world, to encourage and inspire artists and filmmakers. The rapid digital development, the streaming revolution allow the distribution of content like never before. Artists on the African continent have as much talent and potential as on any other continent, but they often lack opportunities to become part of the global digital creative industry to tell their own stories there.

With two short film programmes curated by Kaydee de Villiers (curator, Cape Town International Animation Festival), studio presentations of, among others, Triggerfish by Stuart Forrest and Cabblow Studios by Kabelo Maka, a workshop talk with filmmaker and producer Lesego Vorster and Ross Lelliot (Creative at The Hidden Hand Studios), Leroy Le Roux (Thaba Ye) and Mogau Kekana (Thaba Ye) on “The Establishing of Authentic African Aesthetics on an International Stage through the lens of Hidden Hand”, school presentations by The Animation School and the Triggerfish Academy, work-in-progress presentations, film talks and workshops, a delegation of South African animation talents and animation professionals will celebrate the festival in this year’s country focus on South Africa.

The collaboration between Triggerfish, the Cape Town International Animation Festival, the ITFS, the Animation Production Days (APD) and FMX is supported by Employment and Skills Development in Africa (E4D), a programme funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Topic: Artificial Intelligence

This year, the ITFS is dedicated to the exciting question of what role artificial intelligence can play in and for animation. Two film programmes offer an insight into the artistic engagement with self-learning machines and the possibilities for art but also the abysses that could result. In the International Competition, Nikita Diakur, in his film “Backflip” (France/Germany, 01/2022), has his self-learning avatar work on a sports exercise in a highly amusing way.

In the lecture “A Winter’s Journey” by Alex Hefrecht (Germany/France/Poland, original title: WINTERREISE / status: in production) Monika Folkierska-Żukowska (VFX and animation producer, Breakthru Productions sp. z o.o.) gives the audience insights into the status and making of the animated feature film. Painted by the animation artists behind the Oscar-nominated “Loving Vincent”, “A Winter’s Journey” is a romantic and epic story that blends live action with CG and painted animation. The world of the film is the first that has been created using PlayStation Dreams, developed by multiple BAFTA award-winning games studio Media Molecule. The film is an adaptation of Franz Schubert’s timeless masterpiece “Winterreise”, the most performed classical song cycle in the world.

Work Shows, Tributes & Best of Programmes

The ITFS brings together established filmmakers with emerging talents: In the Work Shows, the festival will present a film programme by Izabela Plucińska (Germany, Poland) and Sander Joon (Estonia), who won the Young Animation Award at ITFS 2019 for “Sounds Good” (Estonia, 06/2018). Gil Alkabetz, a loyal ally of the ITFS, will be honoured with a Tribute curated by Christina Schindler, complemented by a previously unreleased film as well as films he created in workshops with Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF students and a film by his students in his honour.

The Friends (Förderverein) of the ITFS are delighted with the task of organising four Best of – animation programmes. In the exciting film programme “Was aufs Ohr” (“get an earful”), one learns how complex sound design is and how crucial for an emotional and almost immersive film experience. Another programme takes an in-depth look into the festival. It is about specials and little secrets of the ITFS and will reveal which was the shortest film ever shown, which filmmaker’s works were screened most, or which film was the first ever to be shown in competition. A film journey well worth taking. Another highlight is that the outstanding animation artists of the Baden-Württemberg region from various festival years will be presented in not one but two film programmes. It is astonishing to see the unbelievable diversity and extraordinary quality of the respective filmmakers’ highly unique artistic and narrative attitudes towards creation; they are highly regarded not only in the region, but internationally too.

Studio Presentation & School Presentation

Alongside an exciting mix of presentations by internationally renowned and upcoming talented studios like Triggerfish Animation Studios (South Africa) or Those Eyes (Denmark) and JOB, JORIS & MARIEKE (Netherlands), again selected higher education institutes will present their work to the industry and the public. Among them: Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF; Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Turin; Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg: The Animation School, Johannesburg; Triggerfish Academy, Cape Town.

Tickets now available at the Early Bird rate

Whether for film fans, families, or professionals – the ITFS offers events and programmes for every target audience. This is also reflected in the different types of tickets, which are now available in the ticket shop at www.itfs.de/tickets. For the public, there is the Festival Pass, which grants access to almost all events during the festival. For the industry, the ITFS offers accreditation. Until 15 March 2023, the Festival Pass as well as the industry accreditation are available at the reduced Early Bird rate.

Der Beitrag South Africa as a Guest in Stuttgart, Artificial Intelligence in Animation and other Highlights from the ITFS Supporting Programme is confirmed erschien zuerst auf ITFS - Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart.

“Animation Connects!” is the motto of the anniversary edition of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film, which will take place from 25 to 30 April 2023 for the 30th time. True to this motto, the ITFS will focus on connections between the audience, professionals, artists, talents and established filmmakers.

In different film programs and events, an arc is spanned from “best of programs” to the most current films and topics. As one of the world’s most important festivals for animated film, ITFS 2023 will take place at various venues in Stuttgart, including the Schlossplatz and the Innenstadtkinos, and will bring the world of animation together locally.

Tickets for accreditation and festival passes are now available at www.ITFS.de/en/tickets

 At the heart of the festival is the International Competition, featuring the latest animated short films from around the world. The diverse programme showcases important themes such as the exploration of migration and trauma, sexuality and gender, environment, social anxiety and loneliness, as well as films on human abysses. OSCAR 2023 nominated short films will also be screened.

Complete lists of the short film competitions programmes can be find here: https://www.ITFS.de/en/programme/short-and-feature-films

Migration and trauma

„Letter to a Pig“, Tal Kantor (France/Israel, 01/2022)

In “Letter to a Pig” (France/Israel, 01/2022), award-winning animator and visual artist Tal Kantor shows a unique technique that combines drawing, photography, video, painting, and animation. The story is about a Holocaust survivor reading a letter he wrote to the pig who saved his life. While listening, a young schoolgirl falls into a strange dream, where she is confronted with questions of identity, collective trauma, and the extremes of human nature.

“Salvation Has No Name”, Joseph Wallace (Czech Republic/France/United Kingdom, 07/2022)

Joseph Wallace’s “Salvation Has No Name” (Czech Republic/France/United Kingdom, 07/2022) is dedicated to the topics of migration and narrow-mindedness. A troupe performs a play about a priest and a refugee woman. As their misguided story unfolds, the boundaries between fiction and reality begin to blur and the situation escalates.

Films with a view to the human abyss

“Scale”, Joseph Pierce (Belgium/France/United Kingdom, 04/2022)

The ITFS will screen the short film “Scale” (Belgium/France/United Kingdom, 04/2022) by award-winning filmmaker Joseph Pierce (among Screen International’s “Stars of Tomorrow” in 2008). Losing the sense of scale: As Will’s drug addiction gets worse, he tries to unravel the sequence of events that led to his predicament before he is lost forever.

“Pachyderme”, Stéphanie Clément (France, 01/2022)

French filmmaker Stéphanie Clément’s “Pachyderme” (01/2022) offers a glimpse into one of Louise’s summer days in the countryside with her grandparents. But the familiar is overshadowed by anxiety, sadness, and a monster – so subtle and frightening.

Gender & Identity

„Sasha“ (Serghei Chiviriga, Romania, 03/2022)

The Romanian short film “Sasha” (Serghei Chiviriga, 03/2022) is about a teenager in the shape of a snail, who, confused by the whole world and the own body, is forced to discover the truth about the own sexual identity in a strange way.

 Environment & Society – With a pinch of humour

„Sandwich Cat“, David Fidalgo Omil (Spain, 09/2022)

In a humorous short film, the film “Sandwich Cat” by David Fidalgo Omil (Spain, 09/2022) shows us a mirror image of humanity – with all its good and especially bad qualities. David himself plays a decisive role. Can we humans still be saved?

„The Invention of Less“, Noah Erni (Suisse, 12/2021)

In 2031, a young female polar bear has to leave her home due to global warming and moves to Zurich. Together with the other animals who have fled, she manages to get by with odd jobs. But then she has a world-changing idea! “The Invention of Less” by Noah Erni (Switzerland, 12/2021) shows in a humorous and entertaining way how the world might be saved by a little trick.

OSCAR Nominated Films at ITFS

In addition to some nominated shorts that screened at ITFS last year, this year ITFS is screening several OSCAR nominated films, and thus possibly the winning film of this year’s Academy Awards. These include the following:

“Ice Mechants”, João Gonzalez (France/Portugal/United Kingdom, 05/2022)

João Gonzalez was the first Portuguese filmmaker ever to be nominated for an Academy Award. In addition to the Jury Prize for Best Short Film in the Critics’ Week Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, “Ice Merchants” (France/Portugal/United Kingdom, 05/2022) received a nomination for Best European Short Film at the 2022 European Film Awards. The film tells the story of a father and his son who parachute out of their vertiginous cliff-mounted cold house every day to go to the distant village on the ground where they sell their ice.

„The Flying Sailor“ Amanda Forbis & Wendy Tilby (Canada, 02/2022)

“The Flying Sailor” by Amanda Forbis & Wendy Tilby (Canada, 02/2022) is a film based on a true incident and a meditation on the unexpected voyage of a sailor.

In addition, the OSCAR nominated film “My Year of Dicks” (Sara Gunnarsdottir, Iceland/USA, 03/2022) will be screened in the ITFS supporting programme.

Social anxieties and loneliness

„Pasajero“ („Passenger“). Juan Pablo Zaramella (Argentinia, 01/2022)

In “Pasajero” (“Passenger”) by Juan Pablo Zaramella (Argentina, 01/2022), we accompany a man on his train journey where he gets into numerous social conflicts. He travels from the solitude of the countryside to the populated city, establishes superficial relationships with random passengers, confronts them with their social codes and finally processes these deep inside himself to find a way to adapt to his surroundings.

Koerkorter (“Dog-Apartment”), Priit Tender (Estonia, 2022)

The dark stop-motion film Koerkorter (“Dog-Apartment”, Estonia, 2022) by award-winning Priit Tender is about the bizarre relationship between a discarded ballet dancer and his butcher, where he has a job to satisfy his voracious rented apartment. A film full of metaphor, about daily routines, broken souls trapped in a bleak world with their anxieties and hardships.

Tickets now available at the Early Bird rate

Whether for film fans, families, or professionals – the ITFS offers events and programmes for every target audience. This is also reflected in the different types of tickets, which are now available in the ticket shop at www.ITFS.de/en/tickets.For the public, there is the Festival Pass, which grants access to almost all events during the festival. For the industry, the ITFS offers accreditation. Until 15 March 2024, the Festival Pass as well as the industry accreditation are available at the reduced Early Bird rate.

To register for press accreditation, please go to: https://www.ITFS.de/en/press-pr/accreditation/

Contact Press and Public Relations: presse@festival-gmbh.de
Katrin Dietrich, dietrich@festival-gmbh.de, +49 (0) 711-925 46-102

Der Beitrag The first cinematic highlights of the ITFS programme erschien zuerst auf ITFS - Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart.

SpongeBob, Minions or Peppa Pig – Successful Filmmakers launched Careers at ITFS in Stuttgart

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) will take place for the 30th time from April 25 to 30, 2023. Since its beginnings in 1982, it has established as a meeting place, think tank and career springboard for filmmakers and animation artists from all over the world – until today.

Since 1982, the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) has been gathering the international animation scene in the capital of Baden-Württemberg – at that time every two years and since 2006 annually – and has established as one of the most important festivals in the animation industry. This will be celebrated with a selected anniversary programme in Stuttgart’s city centre cinemas and at the Open Air. In four “Best of Animation” programmes, the ITFS will show the range of artists and films of the past years: From talents from Baden-Württemberg in “Best of Locals” to films that have shaped the ITFS to international greats who maintain a long-standing intensive relationship with the festival.

The ITFS as a career springboard

A look at recent years shows just how important festivals and the ITFS are for launching the careers of young talents: The US American Stephen Hillenburg, then a student at the California Institute of the Arts, was represented in the Young Animation competition in 1994 with his film “Wormholes”(1992) and won the prize for the best student film in the “Young Animation” category. In 2009, he returned to Stuttgart as the world-famous “SpongeBob – SquarePants” creator and took over as jury president. Hillenburg was also interested in regional culture: For research purposes for a new film, the ITFS organized him a tour to the nearby Black Forest. In 2018, Hillenburg, who was already working on the third SpongeBob film, was awarded a special Emmy for his contribution to the world of cartoons and animation.

Animator, film director and voice actor Pierre Coffin from France paid a visit to Stuttgart in 1994 and brought his graduation film “We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story” (1993). He was later celebrated, among others, for his work on the animated feature film “Despicable Me” (1-3) and as the inventor and voice actor of the popular yellow “Minions,” who were given their own film series as a spin-off. In 2011, he returned to Stuttgart with a making of and an Open Air performance of “Despicable Me “.

Another example is Mark Baker: “The Hill Farm” (1988) was shown in the competition programme of the ITFS and was nominated for an Oscar in 1990. However, the British animator is best known for the successful children’s series “Peppa Pig” (with Neville Astley and Phil Davis), of which over 100 episodes are currently being broadcast worldwide and whose brand is considered a British export hit.

ITFS films nominated for the 95th Academy Awards in 2023

Once again, the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film proves that its programme is of international quality: Nominated for an Oscar 2023 in the category “Short Film (Animated)” is “An ostrich told me the world is fake and I think I believe it” (Australia 2021) by Lachlan Pendragon – the short film was represented at ITFS 2022 in the programmes International Competition and Young Animation and was nominated for the Lotte Reiniger Award. Another Oscar-nominated film in the animated feature-length category is “Turning Red” (USA, 2022) by Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins. Last year, Stuttgart audiences were able to enjoy the feature-length film free of charge on the large Open Air screen on Stuttgart’s Schlossplatz. Other Academy Award-nominated films will also screen at ITFS this year, and the programme for 2023 will be announced soon. The ITFS is one of the few Oscar-qualifying festivals in Germany. The Grand Prix winner of the International Competition automatically qualifies for the Oscars longlist.

Der Beitrag The ITFS celebrates its 30th anniversary erschien zuerst auf ITFS - Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart.

 Animated togetherness, new contacts and cohesion, that promises our motto for the coming spring. The creativity of the international artists who have already submitted their latest films to the competitions inspires confidence. Clever thoughtfulness, empathy for difficult lives and moments of free laughter emerge when looking through the record-breaking number of submissions from 77 countries. Animation is a universal medium that does not recognize or transcend language and national boundaries.

In 30 editions, the ITFS has become one of the world’s most important festivals for animated film. It is a living showcase for animated film, an open space where professionals and audiences come together live, in the Schlossplatz and in the cinemas in the center of the state capital Stuttgart. The 30th ITFS bridges past and future. It offers tributes and retrospectives as well as the most current films in the various competition categories.

„With a bit of luck, we will create a climate of closeness and inspiration with the artists and the audience, in which everyone’s eyes will be opened to animated film and its wide range of themes, a celebration in the middle of Stuttgart that will radiate out into the wider world,“ says Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf, managing director of the ITFS.

Bundled competencies for a strong performance

The management team of the 30th ITFS consists of Andrea Bauer, Annegret Richter, Marlene Wagener and Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf. Andrea Bauer and Annegret Richter lead the programmatic work and determine the programme of the anniversary edition in collaboration with the five preselction juries. Marlene Wagener heads the Animation Production Days, the platform in Europe for financing and developing animation projects. Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf is responsible for organization and finances as managing director. Please see the vitas below!

 Record number of entries in the film competitions

They are the heart of the festival – the ITFS competitions: In total, more than 2,300 films and projects from 77 countries were submitted in the various cinematic competitions – more than ever before! This year, most of the submissions came from France, South Korea, China and Germany. Compared to last year, an average increase of over 10 percent was achieved.

Especially in the Trickstar Nature competition, there has been a continuous increase for years, which shows that animated films dealing with the topics of nature, environment and sustainability are booming.

The pre-selections for the Young Animation and International Competitions have already been completed. From the viewings, it was clear that gender issues, identity, diversity and social media are high on the agenda among filmmakers. Recurring themes are masquerades that reflect realities and question identities socioculturally.

The local focus of the 30th ITFS is primarily centralized in the cinemas and on the Schlossplatz.

Vitas of the ITFS Team:

Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf, Managing Director ITFS:

Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf has been entrusted with the management of the Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH for 8 months since October 1, 2022. He has worked as a lawyer in Cologne, as a director and dramaturge in Düsseldorf, Amsterdam and in Italy, and as a theater, concert and festival manager in Munich, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Bochum and Linz on the Danube. In Baden-Württemberg, he previously worked for the Schlossfestspiele Ludwigsburg and the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart. He was born in Cologne and has two daughters.

What you may not have known about Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf: Uwe Schmitz-Gielsdorf is studying Perimortal Sciences at the Catholic Faculty of the University of Regensburg and will in the future devote himself to people in death, mourning and dying.

Andrea Bauer, Head of Programme ITFS:

Andrea Bauer has been with the FMF since January 2001: Initially she was responsible for programme realization, later for the programme design. Since 2015, she has headed the programme department. In the course of her work as well as various festival and jury participations, she developed a comprehensive expertise in the field of animated film and has a very good network within the national and international industry. Previously, she worked as a freelance translator and editor and as an assistant festival director, programme and guest coordinator of the French Film Festival Tübingen and the Mediterranean Film Festival Tübingen (1995-2000). Andrea Bauer studied Romance Philology and Art History (M.A.) at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen and Lettres Modernes at the Université Rennes 2.

What you may not have known about Andrea Bauer: She won 1st prize for the most original sandcastle on vacation in Italy at the tender age of 6.

Annegret Richter, Programme Consulting / Curation ITFS:

Already after her studies, she taught and researched animated documentaries and hybrid formats as a research assistant in the field of communication and media studies at the University of Leipzig. A short time later she took over the position of festival director at the international short film festival „Filmfest Dresden“. Afterwards, she worked as the director for the programme area animation at the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film „DOK Leipzig“. Since 2016, she has been the executive director of AG Animationsfilm, the federal association of the German animation film industry, and works as a curator, consultant and moderator for film events and film policy talks. In July 2022, she also became Vice President for Communication at ASIFA International, the largest and oldest association of animation filmmakers. She is a member of the award committee of the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung and the award commission animation of the Züricher Filmstiftung.

What they may not have known about Annegret Richter: Back then, she had to take the compulsory subject of practical work at school and learned sewing, welding, woodturning and many other exciting skills. Today she is still pretty good with tools and can repair almost anything.

Marlene Wagener, Head of Animation Production Days

Back in 2008, for the second edition of the Animation Production Days (APDs), Marlene Wagener joined the APDs team as project manager. Since 2019, she has been managing the event, which has long since established itself as an important co-production and financing platform in the European animation industry.  Marlene Wagener studied applied cultural sciences with a focus on media and public relations at the University of Lüneburg and subsequently worked, among others, for the communications agency muehlhausmoers in Cologne and for film production companies such as Colonia Media (Cologne) and UFA (Babelsberg).

What you may not have known about Marlene Wagener: She doesn’t stand a chance against her 108-year-old grandma at Doppelkopf (card game).

Der Beitrag First glimpses of the anniversary edition of the ITFS 2023 erschien zuerst auf ITFS - Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart.