Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS)

Overview

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart, or ITFS) is one of the world's leading animation festivals. Founded in 1982, it runs for six days in late April or early May in Stuttgart, Germany. The 33rd edition took place 5-10 May 2026, presenting approximately 150 events across city-centre cinemas, the Festival Centre (Haus der Katholischen Kirche), and the GameZone (Staatsgalerie). The festival welcomed approximately 30,000 guests to indoor venues, with an additional 40,000 visitors at the free Open Air programme at Schlossplatz. More than 300 filmmakers from across the globe attended in person.

ITFS is an Academy Award-qualifying festival. The Grand Prix winner in the International Competition automatically qualifies for the Academy Awards longlist. The festival awards approximately 60,000 EUR in total prize money across its five competition categories. The 34th edition is scheduled for 27 April - 2 May 2027.

What separates ITFS from other animation festivals is its concurrent industry program. The festival runs alongside FMX - Film and Media Exchange (one of the world's most important conferences for animation, VFX, and interactive media) and the Animation Production Days (a co-production and financing market). Together, these three events create a combined festival, conference, and market that covers the full animation value chain from artistic exhibition to professional development to project financing.

Submission Process and Fees

Submissions are accepted via Shortfilmdepot. The festival charges submission fees per film, varying by competition category.

Short Film Competitions (Deadline: 15 November 2025 for 2026 edition)

• International Competition: Animated short films up to 30 minutes - 10 EUR per submission
• Student Competition: Animated shorts by students or graduates of a film, art, or media university, up to 30 minutes - 5 EUR per submission
• Tricks for Kids Competition: Animated shorts and series episodes for children up to 12 years, up to 30 minutes - 5 EUR per submission
• Trickstar Nature Award: Animated shorts on climate protection, biodiversity, environment, and sustainability, up to 30 minutes - 5 EUR per submission

Feature Film Competition (Deadline: 15 January 2026 for 2026 edition)

• AniMovie: Animated feature films with a runtime of at least 60 minutes - 10 EUR per submission

Project Competitions (Deadlines vary, opening November)

• German Animation Screenplay Award - Deadline: 1 February 2026
• Animated Games Award Germany - Deadline: 15 February 2026
• Trickstar Business Award - Deadline: 25 February 2026

Key Sections

• International Competition - Animated short films up to 30 minutes from around the world. Grand Prix winner qualifies for the Academy Awards. Prize: 10,000 EUR.
• Student Competition - Animated shorts by students or recent graduates. Max 30 minutes.
• Tricks for Kids - Animated shorts and series for children up to 12 years. Max 30 minutes.
• Trickstar Nature Award - Animated shorts on environmental themes. Max 30 minutes.
• AniMovie (Feature Film Competition) - Animated features, minimum 60 minutes.
• Animation Production Days - Co-production and financing market for animation projects, running parallel to ITFS and FMX.
• FMX - Film and Media Exchange - Professional conference for animation, VFX, interactive media, and immersive technologies, running parallel to ITFS.
• Animated Video Market - Streaming platform for all competition entries, accessible to accredited professionals from 5 May to 5 August 2026.
• Open Air Programme - Free public screenings at Schlossplatz, attracting approximately 40,000 visitors.

Awards and Prizes

ITFS awards approximately 60,000 EUR in total prize money across its competitions:

• Grand Prix - Animation Award of the State of Baden-Wurttemberg and the City of Stuttgart: 10,000 EUR. The winning film automatically qualifies for the Academy Awards longlist.
• Audience Award - Sponsored by SWR, determined by audience vote
• Student Competition Awards - Multiple prizes for student films
• Tricks for Kids Award - Awarded at a separate ceremony
• Trickstar Nature Award - Prize for environmental animation
• AniMovie Award - Best animated feature film
• German Animation Screenplay Award - Best animation screenplay
• Animated Games Award Germany - Best animated game
• Trickstar Business Award - Best innovative business model in animation

Accreditation and Industry Access

ITFS offers several accreditation types for industry professionals:

• Festival Accreditation: 95 EUR - Access to all screenings, talks, master classes, workshops, and the Animated Video Market
• Young Professional Accreditation: 65 EUR - Discounted rate for emerging professionals
• Press Accreditation: Free of charge
• Combi Pass ITFS + FMX (Professionals): 450 EUR - Combined access to both ITFS and FMX
• Combi Pass ITFS + FMX (Students): 225 EUR - Combined student rate
• VVS Week Ticket (optional): 19 EUR - Stuttgart local transport zones 1 and 2

The Animated Video Market streaming platform is available to accredited professionals from 5 May to 5 August 2026, providing access to all competition entries for viewing after the festival.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For short animation filmmakers pursuing Oscar qualification: The Grand Prix at ITFS is an Academy Award-qualifying prize. Winning it places your film on the Oscar longlist. The International Competition is open to animated shorts up to 30 minutes from any country, with a submission fee of 10 EUR via Shortfilmdepot. The 15 November deadline for short film competitions gives you a clear target for the following year's festival.

For student animators: The Student Competition has a reduced submission fee (5 EUR) and is restricted to students or graduates of film, art, or media universities. This is a dedicated competitive track that does not compete against professional work, giving emerging animators a realistic path to festival recognition.

For animation industry professionals: The combination of ITFS + FMX + Animation Production Days is the primary draw. The Combi Pass (450 EUR for professionals, 225 EUR for students) gives access to both the festival and the FMX conference. FMX brings together the world's leading animation studios, VFX houses, and game developers for professional workshops, presentations, and networking. The Animation Production Days provide a structured co-production and financing market for animation projects.

For feature animation filmmakers: The AniMovie competition is for animated features of 60+ minutes, with a submission fee of 10 EUR and a deadline of 15 January. This is a separate competitive track from the short film categories.

For game developers: The Animated Games Award Germany recognizes animated games, with a project submission deadline of 15 February. This is one of the few festival competitions that explicitly includes games alongside film.

Festival History

ITFS was founded in 1982 and has operated for 33 editions, making it one of the longest-running animation festivals in the world. The festival has developed over four decades from a regional animation event into one of Europe's most important animation gatherings. The addition of FMX (Film and Media Exchange) as a parallel professional conference and the Animation Production Days as a co-production market transformed Stuttgart from a pure screening festival into a combined festival, conference, and market.

The 2026 edition (the 33rd) saw the Grand Prix go to "With Tapes and Toasts in the Car" by Kiana Naghshineh, a Filmakademie graduate and Stuttgart-based filmmaker. The film also won the Audience Award, making it a double winner. The 2026 edition attracted 300+ international filmmakers in person and drew 70,000 total visitors (30,000 indoor + 40,000 Open Air).

Practical Information

• 2027 dates: 27 April - 2 May 2027 (34th edition)
• Venues: City-centre cinemas (Gloria, etc.), Festival Centre (Haus der Katholischen Kirche), GameZone (Staatsgalerie), Open Air at Schlossplatz
• Submission platform: Shortfilmdepot
• Short film deadline: 15 November (for the following year's edition)
• Feature film deadline: 15 January (for the following year's edition)
• Accreditation: Available via the ITFS website
• Website: itfs.de

See Also

For the world's largest animation festival (FIAPF-accredited), see Annecy International Animation Film Festival. For visual effects and animation career resources, see Visual Effects Guide. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate the cost-benefit of submitting to ITFS and other animation festivals. For Finnish short film festivals, see Tampere Film Festival.