Press Release: Stuttgart, 28 August 2024

 

Call for Entries: Filmmakers can submit their Work starting 1 September

The Starting Signal for ITFS 2025

The 32nd Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) will take place from 6 to 11 May 2025. With focuses on artistic animated films and the promotion of young talent prizes totalling over 45,000 euros will be awarded across five competitions. Filmmakers worldwide are invited to submit their works starting September 1. The submission deadline for the short film competitions is 15 November 2024, while feature-length films can be submitted until 15 January 2025.

 

The submission deadline for the following short film competitions is 15 November 2024:

  • International Competition for animated short films
  • Student Competition for animated short films
  • Tricks for Kids – competition for animated short films and series for children
  • Trickstar Nature Award – competition for animated short films on nature and the environment

The submission deadline for the feature-length film competition AniMovie is 15 January 2025.

Film submissions are handled via the online submission platform Shortfilmdepot. Registration forms and regulations can be found on the ITFS website, where you can also find more information about the festival, the competition categories, and the contact persons.

 

From Completion to Celebration: A Film’s Festival Voyage

For those interested in how a festival programme is made up, we have outlined the process. It is available both as a diagram and in a detailed description on our website. The Call for Entries is the invitation for filmmakers worldwide to submit their works and marks the starting signal for the next festival. From that point on, we focus on acquiring as many strong current films as possible, which will be considered for the pre-selection. In 2024, 2,206 films from 74 countries were submitted.

In winter, the process continues with the pre-selection committees viewing the entries. From then on, the ITFS programme department will be busy clearing film rights, collecting film copies, and inviting jurors and guests. By March, the selection for the five competitions will be finalised. For ITFS 2024, 129 short films and six feature films from 34 countries were selected.

During the festival, our juries watch and evaluate all films nominated in the five categories International Competition, Student Competition, Trickstar Nature, Tricks for Kids, and AniMovie. The festival culminates at the award ceremonies, where the golden Trickstars will be presented.

 

ITFS Animation Tour

In the autumn following the festival, the ITFS Animation Tour begins: Starting in October, the best films from this year’s festival edition will be showcased worldwide in three programmes: Best of ITFS, Best of Tricks for Kids, and Trickstar Nature Award. They will be available free of charge until September of the following year. Cinemas, cultural events, and other non-profit organisations that wish to screen the programme as part of a public event are eligible to rent them.

 

About ITFS
Every spring, the festival transforms the city into the vibrant centre of animation. As one of the world’s most important industry meeting places, the festival offers a unique opportunity for exchange and networking. ITFS is not only a place-to-be for professionals but also a crowd-puller for the regional audience. It encompasses short and feature films, high-end productions, and state-of-the-art works. It’s a blast in the cinema and the deep dive on the podium.

It turns Stuttgart’s city centre into a free open-air cinema for children and families, blockbuster fans, and indie film lovers. Gaming enthusiasts meet like-minded individuals in the GameZone. As a family-friendly and accessible event ITFS provides programmes for all ages, interests, and backgrounds.

The STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK leverages synergies with parallel events: At the same time as ITFS, the co-production market Animation Production Days (APD) and the FMX – Film and Media Exchange conference take place. This unique combination of festival, conference, and market draws up to 6,000 professional visitors to Stuttgart each year.

 

Impressions from ITFS 2024

Photos of ITFS 2024 is available for download on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/195570354@N05/albums/

 

Press contact:

Any questions? You can reach us at kommunikation@festival-gmbh.de or by phone:

Kathrin Stärk: +49-711/92 54 61 02

Rebecca Pfister: +49-711/92 54 61 20