Are you working on an idea for a game, an animated series, or an animated short film? Are you convinced of its potential and wondering when the right people will finally listen? Do you live in Baden-Württemberg?
Then the Creators Pitch Lab is your chance! On January 21, 2026, you can present your idea to experienced industry professionals, gain valuable insights from their expertise, and receive honest feedback to help you develop your vision and move it forward professionally. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to make valuable connections within the industry.
Secure your slot for the pitch now – we can’t wait to hear your idea!
Register by January 16, 2026 via contact@amcrs.de (time slots will be assigned).
Venue: MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft BW, Breitscheidstr. 4, 70174 Stuttgart
Calls for Entries ITFS 2026 – German Animation Screenplay Award, Animated Games Award and Trickstar Business Award
The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS)2026 will take place from May 5 to 10, 2026. It focuses on artistic animated films and the promotion of young talent. In addition to the feature film competition (submission deadline January 15, 2026), additional categories are now open for submissions: the German Animation Screenplay Award, the Animated Games Award Germany, and the Trickstar Business Award.
The German Animation Screenplay Award recognises outstanding screenplays for feature-length animated films. The goal of the competition is to honor the central role of professional screenwriters in the creation of outstanding films and to encourage the development of exceptional stories for animated films.
The Award for the Best Screenplay for a Feature-Length Animated Film comes with €2,500, sponsored by the Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS).
The Award for the Screenplay with the Greatest International Market Potential is endowed with €2,500, sponsored by our CREATORS from SOLA MEDIA.
For the best screenplay award submissions are possible in German and English, for the market potential award submissions are only possible in English. Submission Deadline: February 1, 2026 | Regulations | Submit here
The two awards will be presented on May 7, 2026, as part of the AniX Awards.
Stefanie Larson with Peter Keydel, Producer of the Best Screenplay at ITFS 2025, “Miss December and the Moon Clan”
Jens Opatz (Authors) and Matthias Drescher (Author, Producer): Winner Screenplay with the Greatest International Market Potential ITFS 2025, “Nessie Junior“
The Animated Games Award Germany is endowed with €5,000 and is sponsored by MFG Baden-Württemberg. It targets developers of high-quality video games who have their primary or secondary residence in Germany.
Eligible for submission are completed games for commercially available platforms that were released after January 1, 2025. The top five games will be nominated for the GameZone and showcased to the public during the event. Submission Deadline: February 15, 2026 | Regulations | Submit here
The Trickstar Business Award honours the best innovative and groundbreaking business model for a particular project or a company in the field of animation. The prize of €7,500 is sponsored by the Verband Region Stuttgart and will be awarded on May 7, 2026, as part of the AniX Awards.
Winner Animated Games Award ITFS 2025: Slow Bros. GmbH with “Harold Halibut“
Winners AniX Award ITFS 2025, all photos: Reiner Pfisterer
October 24, 2025
Pre-Fixe with Animation Lounge – Mucks! Games
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, November 10, 2025, 18:00 CET. Under the title “Making Meaningful Games – Social Impact without the Seriousness,” the founders ofMucks! Games will talk about their studio and the games they create.
About Mucks! Games:We are a weird bunch of creatives located in Ludwigsburg, Germany. After working together on games and interactive installations during our studies at Animationsinstitut in Ludwigsburg, we decided to start something all our own. A place to show our unique visual style, to tell stories that go deep and create experiences with an impact. We want to make meaningful, beautiful games that stay with you, long after you have turned off the screen.
The event will take place at the Kulturzentrum Merlin, Augustenstraße 72, 70178 Stuttgart. Admission is free.
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.
The Spot: Recap of the Ludwigsburger Mediendialoge
On October 21, 2025, the opening event of the Ludwigsburger Mediendialoge took place on the campus of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Leading representatives from politics, business, and culture came together to discuss the future of the media landscape in southwest Germany – Arne Braun, State Secretary, Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg, Dr. Patrick Rapp, State Secretary, Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg, Carl Bergengruen, Managing Director, Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (MFG), Stefanie Larson, Director Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS), Clemens Bratzler, Program Director Information SWR, and Lisa Purtscher, producer at LiseLotte Film and graduate of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (FABW). The panel discussion was moderated by Andreas Bareiß, Director of the Filmakademie. The event was held in cooperation with the industry magazine The Spot.
„Klare Worte statt leerer Versprechen“(“Clear words instead of empty promises”) – that was the conclusion drawn by The Spot’s editor-in-chief Marc Mensch in his article published on October 22, 2025.
The TechTalks Stuttgart present technical topics from the fields of visual effects (VFX) and animation for scientists, creative professionals, students and the interested public. After the keynote speeches, people can spontaneously take to the microphone on their own behalf. The next event will take place on November 3, 2025 at 18:00 CET at Das Gutbrod, Friedrichstr. 10, 70174 Stuttgart.
Admission is free! Please register in advance at contact@amcrs.de. Please note: The event is not hybrid, but will be recorded and available at YouTube afterwards.
Program Schedule:
“Node-basiertes 2.5D Rendering“ | Michael Weigl, Student Technical Directing at Animationsinstitut Michael Weigl presents a stylized rendering framework that was developed as part of a research project and several animation productions. The prototype of this framework was implemented as a node-based toolset within Blender’s “Geometry Nodes.” The goal is to enable new, complex visual styles – both graphic and painterly – in open-source software. The framework includes, among other things, lighting nodes, algorithms for vectorization, tracking functions, as well as a novel 2.5D layer management logic that allows abstract image operations directly within the rendering process. Together with the native functions of Blender’s “Grease Pencil” engine, this enables innovative workflows that combine 2D and 3D within a single context, thus making it possible to intuitively integrate painterly techniques into a 3D production.
“Hybrid Cloud Rendering“ | Holger Schönberger, Royal Render We will explore how the combination of local infrastructure and the flexibility of the cloud can change your rendering workflows. From accelerating production to scaling resources according to demand, hybrid cloud solutions offer the best of both worlds: efficiency, security, and cost-effectiveness. Let us embark on this journey together and discover how you can overcome your creative challenges faster and more intelligently.
Are you working on an idea for a game, an animated series, or an animated short film? Are you convinced of its potential and wondering when the right people will finally listen? Do you live in Baden-Württemberg?
Then the Creators Pitch Lab is your chance! On October 22, 2025, you can present your idea to experienced industry professionals, gain valuable insights from their expertise, and receive honest feedback to help you develop your vision and move it forward professionally. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to make valuable connections within the industry.
Secure your slot for the pitch now – we can’t wait to hear your idea!
Register by October 17, 2025 via contact@amcrs.de (time slots will be assigned).
Venue: MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft BW, Breitscheidstr. 4, 70174 Stuttgart
MFG Baden-Württembergand Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Filmpresent the Baden-Württembergpremiere of “Alles voller Monster“ (“Stitch Head”), as ITFS Animation Special on Saturday, October 18, 15:00 CET, in the EM 1 (Innenstadtkinos Stuttgart). Following the screening, there will be a discussion with director and screenwriter Steve Hudson, producer Sonja Ewers and further guests.
Stitch Head
The ITFS is closely connected with the development of “Alles voller Monster”. At the ITFS 2020, the screenplay received the German Animation Screenplay Award – the award for the best screenplay for a feature film, sponsored by AMCRS. At the ITFS 2025 at the beginning of May, director Steve Hudson presented a making-of – from illustrated children’s book to fully rendered animated feature.
Our CREATORS from LAVAlabs and PIXOMONDO were also involved in the creative process. The production was carried out by Gringo Films (Sonja Ewers), Fabrique d’Images, Senator Film Produktion, Traumhaus Studios, Mia Wallace Productions, and Senator Film Köln.
Synopsis: In a castle, a mad professor brings monstrous creatures (almost) to life… and promptly forgets about them. Who will take care of the castle and the monsters, who will teach them NOT to be monstrous? Stitch Head – the professor’s very first creation. He does all the work until one day the “Travelling Fair of Unnatural Wonders” run by the shady circus director Fulbert Freakfinder arrives in town. In desperate need of a new attractions, he promises Stitch Head fame, fortune – and love.
At the kickoff of the Ludwigsburger Mediendialoge (Ludwigsburg Media Dialogues) on October 21, 2025, leading representatives from politics, business, and culture will discuss the future of the media industry in Southwest Germany.
Confirmed participants include:
Arne Braun, State Secretary, Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg
Dr. Patrick Rapp, State Secretary, Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg
Carl Bergengruen, Managing Director, Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (MFG)
Stefanie Larson, Manager, Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS)
Clemens Bratzler, Program Director Information, SWR
Lisa Purtscher or Lotta Schmelzer, Producer (LiseLotte Film), graduates of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (FABW)
Location:Campus of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg | Date & Time: October 21, 2025, 18.00 CET Registration required – limited seats available! Official invitations will be sent out at the end of September.
For questions, please contact Fenja Schnizer or Andreas Friedrich via presse@filmakademie.de.
July 4, 2025
Pre Fixe in July – with Dr. Andreas Bareiß
Together with the Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH (organizer of Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film) and the AMCRS, MFG organizes the Pre Fixe as a prelude to the monthly network meeting of the film industry (Jour Fixe). Speakers from the animation and film scene present practical examples of current projects and provide insights into their work.
The next Pre Fixe will take place on Monday, July 14, 2025, 18:00 CET. Guest: Dr. Andreas Bareiß has been Director of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg since May 1. In the Pre Fixe, he will share his perspective on the Filmakademie, where he identifies fields of action, and what strategy he is pursuing to make the Filmakademie and its students fit for the future in a rapidly changing media industry.
The event will take place at the Kulturzentrum Merlin, Augustenstraße 72, 70178 Stuttgart. Admission is free.
Dr. Andreas Bareiß, (c) FABW / Anja Fellerhoff
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.
What a wonderful afternoon it was! Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone involved and present for the great organization and all the amazing conversations!
