Press release, Stuttgart, April 28, 2024
With ITFS 2024, a week full of animation comes to an end on Sunday
Packed cinemas, enthusiastic audiences, and a positive summary
The 31st Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) came to a successful close in the evening with the grand awards ceremony. For six days, the animation industry gathered in Stuttgart, and the festival delighted filmmakers, industry visitors, and animation fans from around the world. This year’s ITFS featured numerous innovations, including a new Festival Centre, and presented itself as a festival of hospitality.
The new festival management duo Annegret Richter and Heike Mozer had proclaimed a festival of short distances – and this was well received by the visitors: Stuttgart’s city centre was transformed into a creative meeting place for the international animation scene from April 23 to 28, 2024, with the festival cinemas, the free open-air events, the GameZone and the new Festival Centre just within walking distance. Over 500 industry guests attended the festival, an increase of 25 percent compared to previous years, 40 percent of whom travelled from abroad alone.
The Festival Centre was the central meeting point for the industry, attracting over 250 visitors each day to exchange ideas. “We wanted to create space for encounters at the festival, and we are delighted that our ideas met with such a positive response,” said Heike Mozer, Managing Director of Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH.
The clarity and easy accessibility were a significant benefit for the numerous events: Cinema attendance increased significantly. The screenings of the International Competition in particular were filled to capacity. Other film programmes, like the world premiere of the series “Fritzi und Sophie – Grenzenlose Freundschaft” also saw excellent attendance.
“The festival had a very special atmosphere. Even the late-night film programmes were fully booked, and new offerings like a live-drawing challenge were a huge hit. We couldn’t be happier,” said Annegret Richter, Artistic Director of Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH.
Not only the industry guests made intensive use of the offerings, but the Stuttgart audience was also drawn to the cinemas much more frequently than in previous years. After a rainy start, the weekend brought gorgeous spring weather, drawing thousands to Schlossplatz to enjoy the free open-air cinema, have a picnic, or participate in a range of interactive activities.
A total of 138 short and feature-length films were screened in five competitions and discussed by the international juries. Cinema audiences could also vote and award prizes. The winning films were announced Gloria Cinema on Sunday night, and the winner of the Animated Games Award Germany was also crowned. The winning films of the Children’s Competition, Tricks for Kids, were announced on Sunday afternoon on the open-air stage and then screened for free on the big screen. The German Animation Screenplay Awards, the Trickstar Business Award and the ASIFA Prize had already been presented on Thursday, April 25 as part of the AniX Awards.
The awards ceremony on Sunday marked the end of Stuttgart’s Animated Week. For the first time, ITFS and its partner events, FMX – Film & Media Exchange (April 23 – 26) and Animation Production Days (April 23 –25), jointly celebrated a week of animation that radiated far beyond the region.