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Virtuelle Welten & XR EXPO 2025

Baden-Württemberg is the first federal state in Germany to organize the event “Virtuelle Welten – Chancen im Metaverse erleben” (“Virtual Worlds – Exploring Opportunities in the Metaverse“), consisting of both a congress and a trade fair. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg is joining forces with the Virtual Dimension Center Fellbach (VDC) and partnering with XR EXPO to bring together expertise from pioneering companies in the Metaverse sector – including industry, the creative economy, research, and gaming – along with leading research institutes and developers. The two-day event, taking place on May 8 and 9, 2025, aims to showcase the diverse facets and existing possibilities of the Metaverse through demonstrators, while also offering fresh impulses for future developments.

The events Virtual Worlds and XR EXPO will be jointly organized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the VDC on May 8, 2025, and will take place at the Porsche Arena and the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart. Admission and exhibitor costs are free of charge. The target audience includes professionals and executives from industry, crafts, and services, startups, students, pupils, employees of state administrations and other federal states, as well as anyone eager not to miss out on the virtual age. The XR EXPO congress on May 9, 2025, will be exclusively organized by the VDC and held at the Maritim Hotel in Stuttgart (ticket costs for this day are 250 euros).

On behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, MFG Baden-Württemberg is organizing the THE CREATIVE LÄND exhibition area (May 8, starting at 13:30 CET in the Porsche Arena), featuring live demos, an open stage, and interactive experience labs. Companies from the fields of games, animation, VFX, and UX will showcase their creative XR applications, offering insights into the opportunities and potential of Metaverse technologies. The program will be hosted by Anna Katharina Brinkschulte, Head of Interactive Media at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut (read her guest article “Neue Perspektiven für die Kreativwirtschaft im Metaverse“.)

Additional AMCRS members will also be participating in THE CREATIVE LÄND exhibition area: Pixelcloud will take part in the “Pitch & Connect: Exhibitors ‘Games BW & Interactive Media” session at 14:15 CET. Halbautomaten will join the “Pitch & Connect: Exhibitors ‘Cross Innovation” session at 16:45 CET. Also on May 8, at 15:00 CET, the “Hands-on Workshop: Rapid Prototyping von Virtuellen Erlebnis-Welten mit Hilfe von KI-Tools und VR-Brillen” will take place, led by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Scheible, Professor of Interaction Design at Hochschule der Medien, in the CodeLab room at the Porsche Arena, At 15:30 CET, Maximilian Schmierer from b.ReX will present in the Creative Länd Experience Labs on the topic: “Das digitale Ich im Metaverse – Avatare als neue Kommunikationsform“ in the PixelRoom of the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle.

See the complete program: https://event.cyberlaend.eu/programm

More information: https://xrexpo.tech/cyberlaend-en

Jobs at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut

The Animationsinstitut is part of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and one of the world’s leading training institutions for Animation, Visual Effects, Technical Directing, Animation/Effects Producing and Interactive Media. 

They currently have the following job vacancies:

Assistance Study Coordinator (m/f/d)
Your role:

  • Help organize and manage lectures and events
  • Assist in implementing teaching and production projects
  • Handle correspondence, mailing lists, and maintain educational databases
  • Be a key point of contact for students regarding organizational matters

Application deadline: April 18, 2025 | Job posting and application

Communications Trainee (m/f/d)
Your role:

  • Create compelling content for social media, online, and print
  • Develop new social media formats and engage with our audience
  • Keep their website up to date
  • Support their press work (e.g., writing press releases)
  • Assist in the organization and media coverage of events like FMX – Film & Media Exchange and Gamescom

Application deadline: April 22, 2025 | Job posting and application

Save the Date – Night of Shame on May 9, 2025!

The Night of Shame is the curated film show that celebrates filmmakers’ worst! From charmingly incompetent to all out shameful – established directors from all over the world excavate their questionable films and submit them to the fascinated gaze of a live audience.

The Studio Seufz Event (powered by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg‘s Animationsinstitut, supported by AMCRS) takes place on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 20:30 CET – during Stuttgart Animated Week (aka ITFS (May 6-11, 2025), FMX (May 6-9, 2025) and APD (May 6-8, 2025)) – at a new location, the Kulturwerk in Stuttgart (Ostendstr. 106 A, 70188 Stuttgart).

Ticket Sale will start April 7, 2025. All past shows have sold out fast, so be faster!

Night of Shame makes you feel humbled, elated, and a bit closer to each other. Because ultimately: “We’re all the same in our shame.”

Follow them on Insta to stay up to date and get all the shameful details! Or check their web site: https://www.nightofshame.com/

Call for Applications: Two Professorships at Merz Akademie

The Merz Akademie in Stuttgart is a state-recognized university for design, art, and media under nonprofit sponsorship, offering approximately 250 study places. The fields of Film and Video, New Media, and Visual Communication are considered distinct yet closely related disciplines.

They are seeking to fill two positions:

Professorship in Emerging Media in Art and Design (f/m/d, W2, 80%)

They are looking for a candidate whose artistic-theoretical practice can relate current and emerging trends in media art to activism in a forward-thinking, ethical, and sustainable way. With this professorship, the Merz Alademie aims to promote experimental and documentary positions in areas such as media activism, human-computer interaction, networked environments, creative coding, AI, and games, while strengthening the critical and artistic engagement with social media.

Application Deadline: April 20, 2025 | Job Advertisement and Application

Professorship in Film and Video (f/m/d, W2, 80%)

They are looking for a candidate with an internationally recognized film practice, who represents fictional forms at the boundaries of documentary and experimental work in both research and teaching. Research and teaching in the field of Film and Video at the Merz Akademie should be in constant correspondence with the contemporary transformation of the film image, the implications of the digital media shift, and the current aesthetic, technical, and political challenges of time-based audiovisual narration. Their ideal candidate should demonstrate aesthetic experimentation, media reflexivity, and a strong affinity for culture- and society-critical theoretical discourse.

Application Deadline: June 22, 2025 | Job Advertisement and Application

    Nominations for the Deutscher Filmpreis 2025 announced!

    LOLA Deutscher Filmpreis © Clemens Porikys

    The Deutsche Filmakademie (German Film Academy) announced the nominations for the Deutscher Filmpreis 2025 (German Film Award 2025) a few days ago. Members of the AMCRS can also hope for a LOLA!

    In the “Best Visual Effects” category, Max Riess, Sven Martin and Bernie Kimbacher and their team from PIXOMONDO have been nominated for “Woodwalkers” – Sven Martin is a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut. Additionally, LAVAlabs was involved in creating the VFX for the film, which has also been nominated as “Best Children’s Film.”

    Also nominated in the category “Best Visual Effects” are teams from RISE. They can even celebrate nominations for two productions – Jan Stoltz, Franzisca Puppe, Sebastian Lauer and their team for their work on “Hagen – Im Tal der Nibelungen” as well as Robert Pinnow and his team for the effects in “Das Licht.” Jan Stoltz also studied at the Animationsinstitut.

    On May 9, 2025, the Lola winners will be announced at the Theater am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for all the nominees!

    All Nominees | All nominations of MFG-funded productions | All nominations of productions by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and its alumni

    VFX Breakdown „Woodwalkers“ (PIXOMONDO)
    VFX Breakdown „Hagen“ (RISE)
    Trailer „Das Licht“ (X Verleih AG)

    Stuttgart Animated Week 2025 – Programs and Trailers

    Image: ITFS

    Only a few weeks to go until the Stuttgart Animated Week 2025 – and we can’t wait! The teams behind the conference FMX – Film & Media Exchange (May 6–9, 2025), the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (May 6–11, 2025), and the industry platform Animation Production Days (APD, May 6–8, 2025) are in the midst of preparations to once again turn Stuttgart into a global hotspot for the animation and VFX industry this spring.

    The FMX recently released its program, which contains the large variety of topics the conference stands for and adresses the latest and hottest in VFX, animation and digital media production.
    Program | Speakers | Ticket Shop (Early Bird until March 20!) | Get their newsletter

    The ITFS competition films have been selected, and the first highlights of the supporting program have already been announced.
    Nominated films | Website | Ticket Shop (Early Bird until March 20!) | Get their newsletter

    Animation Production Days (APD) is the most important co-production and financing market for animation in Germany.
    Projects 2025 | Website | Registration | Get their newsletter

    All three events have released their own trailers. Check them out!

    FMX 2025 trailer “Dancing In Norms“ (DIN) – More information

    ITFS 2025 trailer “Knubbels“

    APD 2025 trailer “Krötenlied“

    INPUT/OUTPUT – Impulses, Exchange, Story Market 

    Image: FABW

    The Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg invites you to the symposium INPUT/OUTPUT – Impulses, Exchange, Story Market on April 7 and 8, 2025.

    This two-day event combines an impulse session (Input) with a story market (Output), providing a platform for exchange between technology and film. The focus will be on the highly relevant and forward-thinking topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    The symposium will take place at the Caligari Cinema of the Filmakademie in Ludwigsburg and is open to students, alumni, external guests, and students from other film schools. Its goal is to foster dialogue and initiate collaborative projects.

    The event will be moderated by Gerhard Maier, Artistic Director of the Seriencamp Festival & Conference.

    Participation is free of charge, and the symposium will be conducted primarily in English. Pitching sessions will take place in both German and English.

    More information / source & registration

    Event „Virtuelle Welten – Chancen im Metaverse erleben“

    On Thursday, May 8, 2025, the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg (Ministry of Economic Affairs) invites you to the conference “Virtuelle Welten – Chancen im Metaverse erleben” (Virtual Worlds – Experiencing Opportunities in the Metaverse) at the Hans-Martin-Schleyer-Halle and the Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart. From 9.00 to 17.00 CET, the focus will be on the latest developments and applications in the Metaverse. Participation is free of charge!

    The first program highlights and speakers have been confirmed, and the full program will be published soon. Among the speakers will be Maximilian Schmierer, CEO of our HEROES from b.Rex.

    The MFG Baden-Württemberg is organizing the THE CREATIVE LÄND exhibition area on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. This space will feature live demos, an open stage, and interactive experience labs. Companies from the creative industries – such as games, animation, VFX, and UX – can showcase their innovative XR applications and provide insights into the opportunities and possibilities of Metaverse technologies. They have the opportunity to exhibit in THE CREATIVE LÄND area free of charge. Interested companies and institutions can register on the official website and select the option „Ich möchte im THE CREATIVE LÄND Bereich ausstellen“ at “Standwunsch”. For any questions regarding THE CREATIVE LÄND area please contact Ulrich Winchenbach (E-mail: winchenbach@mfg.de, Phone: 0711-90715313).

    Sources, registration, and more information: Event | MFG Baden-Württemberg News | MFG Event | Flyer Ministry of Economic Affairs

    The event is organized by the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg in cooperation with the XR Expo of the Virtual Dimension Center Fellbach (VDC). The XR Expo takes place alongside the Metaverse conference from May 8 to 9. More information

    Four Projects from Baden-Württemberg at Cartoon Movie 2025!

    Cartoon Movie is an annual pitching and co-production forum aimed at strengthening the production and distribution of animated feature films in Europe. This year, it took place from March 4 to 6 in Bordeaux. A total of 55 new projects from 16 countries were presented – and of the six projects from Germany, four came from Baden-Württemberg alone! Members of the AMCRS are also involved!

    “Condenaditos”, pitched by Matisse Gonzales Jordán (director and author, a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut) and Stefan Michel (producer Studio Seufz). They had already presented the project at Cartoon Movie 2023. More about the project

    “Nessie Junior“ is produced by FFL Film- und Fernseh-Labor Ludwigsburg and Uli Schwarz. Presenting on-site at Cartoon Movie was Matthias Drescher (producer, scriptwriter FFL). More about the project

    “Cocobanana and the Dinosaur Hunt“ is the name of the project co-produced by SERU Animation with Sebastian Runschke. More about the project

    “Valenti­no“ is produced by the Ludwigsburg-based company Zooper Film with Lilian Klages. More about the project

    Cocobanana and the Dinosaur Hunt
    Nessie Junior
    Valentino
    Condenaditos: Matisse Gonzales Jordán, Nidia Santiago (Co-Producer Ikki Films), Stefan Michel (Studio Seufz)

    Pre-Fixe with Animation Lounge – with Kaleidoscube

    Together with the Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH (organizer of Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film) and the AMCRS, MFG organizes the Pre Fixe with Animation Lounge as a prelude to the monthly network meeting of the film industry (Jour Fixe). Speakers from the animation film scene present practical examples of current projects and provide insights into their work.

    The next Animation Lounge will take place on Monday, March 10, 2025, 18:00 CET. Dominik Schön, Managing Director, Founder & Game Designer of the Stuttgart-based game studio Kaleidoscube, presents the newly announced video game RECUR, which they are currently developing, and shares insights into the biggest challenges of the development process. A wild journey to the end of the world and back – in RECUR, time is linked to the player’s position. By running and jumping, players must manipulate time to save a city from an endlessly recurring catastrophe.

    The event will take place at the Kulturzentrum Merlin, Augustenstraße 72, 70178 Stuttgart. Admission is free.

    Dominik Schön, Kaleidoscube
    Artwork RECUR
    Screenshot RECUR
    Screenshot RECUR

    All participants are cordially invited to attend the subsequent MFG Jour Fixe from 19:00 CET. The Jour Fixe offers a unique opportunity for exchange and networking with colleagues from the MFG Film Funding Unit.

    More information