Programme Highlights for Students
ITFS 2026 is waiting for you – use the festival as a platform for your artistic voice, connect with the animation industry, and discover outstanding short and feature films in the ITFS 2026 competitions.
Looking for inspiration? Our exclusive Insights offer students the chance to gain valuable knowledge and benefit from first-hand experience – for example in Master Classes with Michel Ocelot, Jörg Herrmann or Vera Neubauer, and many other industry events.
New this year: in addition to innovative games, current university projects and interactive experiences, the GameZone will for the first time feature exclusive Game Talks, where universities and studios present and discuss their latest projects.
The ITFS 2026 Competitions
Our competition programmes this year showcase the diverse perspectives of contemporary animation – artistically, thematically and formally. The short and feature-length films tell stories of encounters, defining decisions, memory, identity and inner worlds – at times quiet and poetic, at others visually powerful and experimental. The 42 films in the Student Competition focus on fragile relationships, physical and emotional experiences, as well as social and political tensions, once again demonstrating the full range and experimental spirit of emerging animation talents.
Highlights for Students and Young Professionals
Whether you are already familiar with the field or completely new to it – there is animation here for every background.
German Adult Animation | Wed, 6 May, 10:30 pm, Cinema
Animation series for adult audiences are something German production companies excel at – as demonstrated by the three series featured in this special programme.
In Persona: Ülo Pikkov | Thu, 7 May, 3 pm, Cinema
In this programme, Ülo Pikkov – in person – presents and discusses both his most important films and those that have inspired and influenced his work.
AniMovie: BOUCHRA | Fri, 8 May, 10:30 pm, Cinema
Moroccan filmmaker Bouchra lives in New York and is going through a creative crisis. A phone call with her mother stirs up repressed conversations about her heritage, sexuality, and family. They lead her to produce a film within the film, playfully blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
Use Insights to expand your Knowledge
Master Classes with leading names in animation: At ITFS 2026, you can gain insights into the creative processes of three outstanding animation artists:
Jörg Herrmann | Thu, 7 May, 12:30 pm, Eugen-Bolz-Saal
Jörg Herrmann explains his distinctive visual language using the silhouette film DER SIEBENTE RABE as an example, offering insights into the aesthetic decisions and challenges of independent animation projects.
Michel Ocelot | Fri, 8 May, 12:30 pm, Eugen-Bolz-Saal
Michel Ocelot takes you on a journey through his poetic visual worlds and explains how African folktales, Oriental art, as well as silhouette animation, light and colour inspire his work.
Vera Neubauer | Sat, 9 May, 12:30 pm, Eugen-Bolz-Saal
Vera Neubauer demonstrates how form, technique and sound shape the storytelling of a film, and shares her methods, motivations, and how she found her artistic voice.
Workshops and Talks: Get hands-on or learn more about creative processes in filmmaking here:
Workshop: AR Story Telling | Sat, 9 May, 10:30, Veronika-Saal
This storytelling workshop covers the fundamentals, definitions and principles of AR, and participants will create their own small AR works.
Animation, Games and interactive Experiences: GameZone 2026
This year, the GameZone will once again take place in the Säulensaal of the Staatsgalerie and, with the Animated Games Award Germany, promises exciting insights into the best animated games from German studios.
In the GameZone Extended, four German universities – Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart, Merz Akademie, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and Hochschule Darmstadt – will present current projects that invite visitors to try them out, explore and be amazed.
This year, the GameZone is further expanded with so-called Game Talks, where studios and universities share insights into the development, design and ideas behind the exhibited games and interactive projects.
Come along and get involved – test games, connect with fellow students and discover new forms of digital storytelling.