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Studio Seufz’ Lucky Tower Ultimate released!

Our CREATORS at Studio Seufz released their game “Lucky Tower Ultimate” (publisher AMC)! After five years of development, a successful Early Access phase came to an end on April 16, with over 1,600 positive reviews on Steam.

“Lucky Tower Ultimate” (genre: Roguelite, available on PC, Apple, Linux, and Nintendo Switch) takes players on an adventure with the narcissistic knight Von Wanst as he finds himself zapped into the perplexing Tower with no armor, weapons, or clear path to escape. The original Lucky Tower games were a two-part flash game series, first released in 2010, and the sequel released in 2012. “Lucky Tower Ultimate” is the first premium title in the cult classic series and beckons seasoned fans and new players alike to experience the unique pleasure of getting all geared up… just to slip on a banana peel and die.

“Lucky Tower Ultimate” has already picked up several awards, including “Best Game Mechanic” at GermanDevDays 2025, “Best Quirky & Funny Game” from the Indie Arena at Gamescom 2023, and an Honorable Mention at AMAZE 2024. The game was supported by MFG Baden-Württemberg / Games BW, the Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA, and the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

Congratulations to Benedikt Hummel (Game Design & Animation), Anselm Pyta (Game Design & Art), Stefan Michel (Executive Producer), as well as to everyone else involved (among them many Animationsinstitut alumni)!

Lucky Tower Ultimate | More information & credits | Steam | Nintendo

Lucky Tower Ultimate – Release Trailer

Psyop – new CREATORS in our network!

Dreamgames – Royal Kingdom

The Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart are growing: we’re delighted to welcome PSYOP as a new member!

The studio Psyop has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Stuttgart, Berlin, and Mexico City. The first European office opened in Stuttgart in 2021, when longtime Creative Director & VFX Supervisor Matthias Bäuerle moved back from New York City. Psyop’s fully cloud-based pipeline connects teams across the world – giving artists the freedom to create and collaborate everywhere.

Learn more about the work of the Psyop team here.

Ubisoft – Anno 117
Supercell – Brawl Stars

Indie Arena Booth at Gamescom 2026 – Apply Now!

Indie game studios from Baden-Württemberg can now apply for one of five spots at the THE LÄND booth within the Indie Arena Booth at Gamescom in Cologne (August 26-30, 2026). MFG Baden-Württemberg is once again supporting with exclusive spaces at the Indie Arena Booth. All indie game studios based in Baden-Württemberg are eligible to apply – regardless of whether they have received funding from Games BW (by the way: the next submission deadline is July 30, 2026!). The Indie Arena is considered the platform with the highest visitor reach for independent developers at Gamescom.

The THE LÄND booth at the Indie Arena Booth in the entertainment area of Gamescom 2025. | © MFG Baden-Württemberg / Tobias Vollmer

After the application deadline, an expert jury will decide which studios are selected. Particular emphasis will be placed on the quality and innovative potential of the submitted games.

At last year’s Gamescom, the THE LÄND booth was presented for the first time at the Indie Arena Booth. Four indie studios from Baden-Württemberg showcased their games there (including two AMCRS members, kaleidoscube and Studio Seufz):

  • “Morriton Manor Stories: Nordic Whispers” by Application Systems Heidelberg (Heidelberg)
  • “RECUR” by kaleidoscube (Stuttgart)
  • “Lucky Tower Ultimate” by Studio Seufz (Stuttgart)
  • “Walk The Frog” by Walk the Frog (Ludwigsburg)

Apply now until April 13, 2026! More information & application

Sources: MFG Kreativ | MFG News

Nominations for the Deutscher Filmpreis 2026 announced!

LOLA Deutscher Filmpreis © Clemens Porikys

The Deutsche Filmakademie (German Film Academy) has announced the nominations for the Deutscher Filmpreis 2026 (German Film Award 2026).

In the category “Best Visual Effects,” VFX supervisors Max Riess and Mona Mohr from PIXOMONDO are nominated for “Woodwalkers 2.” Max Riess will present “How to Turn Actors into Animals: The VFX Behind Woodwalkers S2” at FMX on May 5, 2026.

Also nominated in this category are Michael Wortmann from RISE and Frank Schlegel for “Momo.” Michael Wortmann is a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut.

“Woodwalkers 2,” as well as the third nominee in the “Best Visual Effects” category, “Die Schule der magischen Tiere 4,” received funding from MFG.

The Lola winners will be announced on May 29, 2026, at the Palais am Funkturm in Berlin. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for all the nominees!

All nominees | All nominations of MFG-funded productions (LinkedIn) | All nominations of productions by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg alumni

XR DAY 2026: Immersion | Art | Performance

LEDWall, ADK Workshop 2026, (c) JonasTrottnow

On “XR DAY” on Friday, April 10, 2026, Akademie für Darstellende Kunst Baden-Württemberg (ADK) and Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (FABW) will offer insights into the diverse applications of eXtended Reality (XR). Keynote speeches and hands-on experiences with Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) demonstrate the broad spectrum of what can be achieved with non-linear, user-controlled (XR) technologies in film, theatre, media, art, and industry – and where new fields of application are emerging.

The event is organized by Akademie für Darstellende Kunst and Carl Laemmle Institut for Research & Media Innovation (CLI) with contributions from the Animationsinstitut.

In the morning, the program features numerous keynote talks, including contributions from Max Schmierer (b.Rex), Volker Helzle (Head of the CLI), Diana Arellano (Senior Lecturer in Technical Directing at Animationinstitut), as well as many alumni and students of the Animationsinstitut.

From 14:00 CET onwards, XR experiences can be explored on site, including “EGON SCHIELE. A Personal Encounter – a journey into the life of an artist in Vienna around 1900,” “TREMENS. Integrating Live Performance and Virtual Reality on stage in a Shakespearian play,” “REVERSE TURING TEST. How AI-systems can identify humans,” “MAIA in CyberLÄND. How AI-avatars rethink Storytelling, Community and Value Creation,” and “FATE OF THE MINOTAUR. Location-based VR Experience developed at the Filmakademie’s Animationsinstitut.”

You can find the full program with details and registration information for the experiences here https://animationsinstitut.de/en/xr-day-2026 and here https://www.filmakademie.de/en/news-blog/article/xr-day-2026-immersion-kunst-performance-2.

Date: Friday, April 10, 2026, 9:00-18:00 CET
Venue: Campus FABW / ADK, Akademiehof, Ludwigsburg

Jobs at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

The Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg is one of the most renowned training institutions for film and media in Germany and also enjoys an excellent international reputation. This is ensured by a strongly team- and practice-oriented teaching concept and more than 300 guest lecturers each year. In addition, the Filmakademie includes the Animationsinstitut and is home to the Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris. The Filmakademie is organizer of the annual international conference FMX – Film & Media Exchange.

They are currently offering the following job opportunities:

User Experience (UX) and XR Application Designer (m/f/d): within the research project “Reallabor Metaverse”, starting at April 1, 2026, or later, application no later than March 31, 2026 – Job Posting

Virtual Production, XR & VFX Specialist (m/f/d) (Mitarbeiter*in (m/w/d) Virtual Production, XR & VFX): starting at May 1, 2026, application no later than March 20, 2026 – Job Posting

Campus Software Coordination & Development Specialist (m/f/d) (Mitarbeiter*in (m/w/d) Koordination & Development Campus-Software): starting at May 1, 2026, application no later than March 20, 2026 – Job Posting

Technical Coordinator – Editing & Post-Production (m/f/d) (Mitarbeiter*in (m/w/d) Technische Koordination Montage/Schnitt): starting at May 1, 2026, application no later than March 20, 2026 – Job Posting

Executive Assistant to the Director (m/f/d) (Persönliche*r Referent*in des Direktors (m/w/d)): starting at April 1, 2026 – Job Posting

IT Systems Engineer (m/f/d) (Systemadministrator*in (m/w/d) IT-System Engineer): starting at May 1, 2026, application no later than March 20, 2026 – Job Posting

All open positions at Filmakademie and Animationsinstitut

Grimme Award for “Lena’s Farm”!

Lena’s Farm, Studio FILM BILDER

“Lena’s Farm” has been awarded a Grimme Award 2026! The series by Studio FILM BILDER and MINYA Film for ZDF (broadcast on KiKA) received the Audience Award from the Marler Gruppe.

We congratulate the entire team – Director: Elena Walf, Producer: Thomas Meyer-Hermann, and many more (you can find the full list of contributors here: https://filmbilder.de/lenas-farm/)! The series was funded, among others, by MFG Baden-Württemberg.

You can find all award winners here: https://www.grimme-preis.de/62-grimme-preis-2026/preistraeger

The award ceremony will take place on April 24, 2026.

About the Grimme Award, presented by the Grimme-Institut: The Grimme Award honors television programs and achievements that serve as exemplary and model contributions to broadcasting. The guiding principle of the television critique institutionalized in the Grimme Award is to encourage a comprehensive engagement with television as a central and significant medium that has diverse societal connections and impacts. This critical examination encompasses all topics and forms of television.

Cartoon Movie 2026

Director Reza Memari was honored with the Cartoon Tribute for Director of the Year at the European animation forum Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux. He received the award for the animated film “The Last Whale Singer.”

“The Last Whale Singer” is Memari’s second animated feature film following „Überflieger – Kleine Vögel, großes Geklapper“ (“Richard the Stork”). An animated fantasy for family audiences, the film follows Vincent, the orphaned son of the last Whale Singer, who must overcome his fears and discover his own voice to help save the oceans.

The award is presented annually by the attending industry professionals and recognizes outstanding achievements in the European animation industry. The ceremony took place at the Palais des Congrès in Bordeaux, concluding the 28th edition of the international pitching and co-production forum. The project was presented at Cartoon Movie at different stages – from concept in 2018 to development in 2020 and production in 2025 – and is an international co-production between Germany, the Czech Republic, and Canada. The film has already been sold to more than 30 territories worldwide and was funded by MFG.

In 2020, the screenplay won the German Animation Screenplay Award at Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film. It was also selected for Animation Production Days 2020. At ITFS 2026, “The Last Whale Singer” will appear multiple times in the program, including a talk, a making-of session, and a screening.

Cartoon 2026 Winners, Photo: Cartoon Movie, © Celia Lenoir

Presentation „Sam & Julia“, Photo: Cartoon Movie, © Celia Lenoir
Director of the Year: Reza Memari, Photo: Cartoon Movie, © Celia Lenoir

At Cartoon Movie 2026, several projects were presented that involve members of the AMCRS:

Sources: News MFG | Cartoon Movie, Press Release | ITFS

AMCRS are FMX 2026 Gold Partner!

We, the Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart, are beyond excited and very proud to be the first GOLD PARTNER of FMX 2026! At FMX – Film & Media Exchange, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, an outstanding program awaits you from May 5-7, 2026, at the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart – this time under the theme “THE ROAD AHEAD.”

On May 8, the program continues with the “On Campus” segment. True to the motto “FMX is coming home!”, events will take place at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and its Animationsinstitut, featuring a special program with a focus on talent and education. Online, a full day of exclusive sessions awaits you on May 8 on the website of FMX www.fmx.de.

Many of the presentations will be available online on demand from May 9 to June 9.

The first program highlights for 2026 have already been announced: https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026X/schedule. FMX is excited to welcome a very special guest to its 30th edition: the internationally renowned director, producer and screenwriter Roland Emmerich is returning to his home town of Stuttgart to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his blockbuster hit “Independence Day”.

To the FMX Ticket Shop (Early Bird tickets are available until March 20).

In the coming weeks we’ll keep you posted on the topics and events the AMCRS HEROES will be involved in at the Stuttgart Animated Week aka FMX, Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and Animation Production Days (APD). We look forward to seeing all of you there!

The trailer for FMX 2026 was created by students from the Animationsinstitut. Read more about it here: Press Release & Trailer Credits

Trailer FMX 2026

ITFS 2026 – First Program Highlights

From May 5 to 10, 2026, this year’s Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) will present the diversity of animation art in the Stuttgart city centre with films, workshops, talks and exhibitions. With the first short films announced in the competitions and confirmed international guests, the festival program is taking shape.

ITFS Open Air, Photo: Max Kullmann

From around 2,000 film submissions from all over the world, the four pre-selection juries have chosen a total of 104 animated short films for the ITFS International Competition, ITFS Student Competition, ITFS Tricks for Kids Competition and ITFS Trickstar Nature Award. All films have the chance to win the coveted prizes, which will be awarded on Saturday, 9 May and Sunday, 10 May. An overview of all films and dates can be found in the calendar at https://itfs.de/en/programme/calendar/. The final festival program will be published there in mid-March.

For this year’s focus on silhouette film, the ITFS welcomes award-winning animation filmmakers Michel Ocelot from France and Jörg Herrmann from Germany, among others, who will both hold Master Classes. With the Netherlands and Kenya, the ITFS is also focusing on several countries in different formats this year. In an In Persona presentation, Dutch director and animator Hisko Hulsing will reflect on the defining moments of his career. Director and screenwriter Voline Ogutu will also present Kenyan animated film projects in various formats. A new program at the festival is dedicated to adult animation in German series. 

Accreditations for film industry representatives and students are available at a reduced early bird rate until March 22, 2026. In addition to all film programmes, Accreditation allows participation in industry-relevant workshops, talks and Master Classes. For professionals and students planning to attend both ITFS and FMX – Film & Media Exchange, the ITFS + FMX Combi Pass is recommended (Early Bird Discount until March 20). Accreditations and tickets are available at https://itfs.de/en/tickets/.

The 2D computer-animated trailer “KEY” was developed exclusively for the festival by students of the Animationsinstitut at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. At the centre of the trailer is a curious character standing before a mysterious door. What follows is a journey into a world of colour, music and unexpected encounters. KEY symbolises the diversity and creativity of the international animation scene, which will take centre stage at the ITFS. More information about the trailer and its production process can be found at: itfstrailer.de

Trailer KEY ITFS 2026

Sources: Press Release ITFS and itfs.de