On July 25 and 26, 2026, the IPAI Foundation’s KI Festival in Heilbronn creates a space for people of all generations to experience artificial intelligence firsthand, engage with it critically, and actively help shape its future. Bringing together research, real-world applications, and art, the two-day interactive festival showcases what human-centered AI looks like – from innovative use cases and interactive art installations to inspiring keynotes, hands-on workshops, live music, and street food.
Our HEROES will also be part of the program:
Sat., July 25, 2026, 15:45-16:35 CET| “Gaming in Zeiten von KI“ Max Schmierer, CEO b.rex, Anna Katharina Brinkschulte, Head of Interactive Media Animationsinstitut / FABW, Sebastian Tyzak, Journalist, and Prof. Dr. Sabiha Ghellal, Professor for Experience and Game Design at Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart (Moderator) | Wirtschaftsministerium Baden-Württemberg The panel explores how AI is transforming the development, design, and player experience of modern games. | More information
Sat., July 25, 2026, 11:00-19:00 CET / Sun., July 26, 2026, 11:00-18:00 CET | “Carl Laemmle Institut AI Startup Colibri Project“ The joint booth of the Colibri Project and the Carl Laemmle Institut (CLI) at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg demonstrates practical applications of AI in media production – running locally, ensuring data privacy, and operating independently of cloud services. More information
Sat., July 25, 2026, 17:45-18:45 CET | “AI in Film: Insights into the Creative Use of Artificial Intelligence at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg“ Prof. Volker Helzle (Director Carl Laemmle Institut (CLI)/ FABW) and Jan Pinkava (Director Animationsinstitut / FABW) The session opens with a screening of productions from the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg that explore artificial intelligence either as a subject or through its use in the production process. The screening is followed by a discussion offering deeper insights into the creative and technical workflows behind the films. More information & registration
Sat., July 25, 2026, 11:00-19:00 CET / Sun., July 26, 2026, 11:00-18:00 CET | “The Länd of Games“ The Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Handwerk und Tourismus presents the joint pavilion “The Länd of Games” together with the SWR X Lab, featuring, among other things, the arcade game “Fish of Zen” and the VR experience “lichtung”, both by Animationsinstitut / FABW. More information
Sun., July 26, 2026, 12:30-13:20 CET | “KI & Film“ Cedric Engels (Doktor Whatson) and Prof. Volker Helzle (Director Carl Laemmle Institut (CLI)/ FABW) present new AI films showcasing the latest possibilities available today. More information
Admission to the KI Festival is free of charge. The festival takes place at Zukunftspark Wohlgelegen, at the IPAI SPACES in Heilbronn.
Our Creators @ FMX and ITFS on Friday, May 8, 2026!
STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK 2026 – Day 4: Where will you find our CREATORSon Friday, May 8, at FMX and ITFS? Let’s find this out, and other highlights! Please note: All FMX program sessions on Friday will take place either on the Filmakademie Campus in Ludwigsburg or online.
FMX, Photo: Dominique Brewing
11:00-20:00 ITFS, Staatsgalerie Säulensaal GameZone Extended Hochschule der Medien, Animationsinstitut / FABW, Merz Akademie, Studio Seufz https://itfs.de/en/show/gamezone-extended-10/
12:30 FMX, Ade-Studio, Filmakademie Campus Can animated content reach beyond the tween audience? Can talent earn a living from it? Arne Hain, Eliza Plocieniak-Alvarez, Alumni Animationsinstitut / FABW; Panel “Fresh Visions” curated by Christian Müller, Animationsinstitut / FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/detail/event/36162
Our Creators @ FMX, ITFS und APD on Thursday, May 7, 2026!
Our CREATORS are involved in numerous talks, presentations, screenings, meetings and events at FMX, ITFS and APD on Thursday, May 7 – Day 3 of the STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK2026. Find out where and when, and discover many more highlights!
11:00-20:00 ITFS, Staatsgalerie Säulensaal GameZone Extended Hochschule der Medien, Animationsinstitut / FABW, Merz Akademie, Studio Seufz https://itfs.de/en/show/gamezone-extended-2/
9:00-12:15 APD, Landesmuseum Württemberg – Altes Schloss Co-Production and Financing Market, Tailored One-to-One Meetings “The Little Dormouse”, gretels gold https://animationproductiondays.de/programme/market/
10:00 FMX, König-Karl-Halle The Craft of Sound: Innovation and Workflows at Walt Disney Animation Studios Panel “Sound Design” curated by Nami Strack, Animationsinstitut / FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/detail/event/35083
10:00 FMX, Raum Reutlingen From Prototype to Market: Building the Next Wave of Creative Startups and Founders in Baden-Württemberg Veljko Sekelj, Hochschule der Medien, Panel “LÄND-made” curated by Christian Müller, Animationsinstitut / FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/detail/event/35068
10:30 ITFS, Festival Centre, Veronika-Saal Making of: German Children’s Series “Kito & Maja – The Dream Globe Tales” by Eliza Plocieniak-Alvarez & Carol Ratajczak, Alumni Animationsinstitut / FABW https://itfs.de/en/show/making-of-german-childrens-series-2/
12:30 FMX, Meidinger-Saal & VOD From Pixels to Waveforms: How AI Bridges the Gap Between Picture and Sound Panel “Sound Design” curated by Nami Strack, Animationsinstitut / FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/detail/event/35085
17:00 FMX, Raum Reutlingen & VOD Adult Animation in a Kids’ Industry: Making Task Force Querlitz in Germany Arne Hain, Alumnus Animationsinstitut / FABW; Panel “Fresh Visions” curated by Christian Müller, Animationsinstitut / FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/detail/event/35022
19:00 ITFS, Festival Centre, Eugen-Bolz-Saal AnixAwards German Animation Screenplay Awards (sponsored by AMCRS, Sola Media), Trickstar Business Award https://itfs.de/en/show/anixawards-2/
21:30 Die Note, Berliner Platz 1 Animation Lounge AMCRS
May 5, 2026
Our Creators @ FMX, ITFS and APD on Wednesday, May 6, 2026!
Day 2 of the STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK 2026! Discover when and where our CREATORS are participating at FMX, ITFS, and APD on Wednesday, May 6! And further highlights!
11:00-20:00 ITFS, Staatsgalerie Säulensaal GameZone Extended Hochschule der Medien, Animationsinstitut / FABW, Merz Akademie, Studio Seufz https://itfs.de/en/show/gamezone-extended-6/
9:00-12:15 APD, Landesmuseum Württemberg – Altes Schloss Co-Production and Financing Market, Tailored One-to-One Meetings “The Little Dormouse” (gretels gold) https://animationproductiondays.de/programme/market/
10:00 ITFS, Robert-Bosch-Saal (vhs Stuttgart) Kitaprogramm: Komm, ich helfe dir! “3 Kapitäne” by Julia Ocker, Thomas Meyer-Hermann (producer, Studio Film Bilder); “Lenas Hof: Volles Nest” by Elena Walf, Thomas Meyer-Hermann (producer, Studio Film Bilder); “Kito, Maja und die Kugelkiste – Vom PUMPHUT und der Windstille” by Eliza Plocieniak-Alvarez, Alumni Animationsinstitut / FABW https://itfs.de/en/show/kitaprogramm-komm-ich-helfe-dir-2/
10:00 FMX, Turm Aalen & VOD CrossDot / Umbraven – A Dark Fantasy Short / On the Road to Caen / Blue Tent / Hang In There School Presentations, presented by Alexandra Joshi, Animationsinstitut / FABW and Mark Szilagyi, FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/detail/event/35005
11:15 FMX, Turm Aalen & VOD DOPAMIN100 / The Tyrant / SCREWED / Vincent School Presentations, presented by Alexandra Joshi, Animationsinstitut / FABW and Mark Szilagyi, FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/detail/event/35006
18:15 FMX, Turm Aalen & VOD The future of immersive excellence, innovation, and collaboration in THE CYBERLÄND. Maximilian Schmierer, b.ReX, Panel “LÄND-made” curated by Christian Müller, Animationsinstitut / FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/detail/event/35036
19:00 ITFS, Staatsgalerie, Metzler Saal Open Stage Games BW, Keynote „Animation und Immersion in The Longing und Lucky Tower Ultimate“ Anselm Pyta, Studio Seufz, MFG https://itfs.de/en/show/open-stage-games-bw-2/
19:45 FMX, Metropol Cinema METROPOL CINEMA: Special Screening of Independence Day with Introduction by Roland Emmerich To attend the screening, pick up your ticket at the ticket counter on Level 0 starting on Wednesday, May 6 at 11:00! https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/detail/event/36445
Our Creators @ FMX, ITFS and APD on Tuesday, May 5, 2026!
Let’s dive into STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK 2026! Animation, VFX and games fans, professionals, and students from around the world are coming together in Stuttgart to explore the latest trends, cutting-edge technologies, stunning projects, and the most exciting stories. With FMX – Film & Media Exchange (On Site: May 5-7, Online & On Campus: May 8, On Demand: May 9 – June 9), the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (May 5-10) and the Animation Production Days (May 5-7), there’s a lot to look forward to!
FMX, Photo: Dominique Brewing
Alongside numerous highlights, of course our CREATORS are on board as well! Let’s take a look at how they’re contributing during these inspiring days: the talks, presentations, and workshops they’re leading, where you can meet and chat with them in person, what they’ve curated – and which of their projects you can see on site or even try out for yourself. You can find more information via the links. We’re kicking things off on Tuesday, May 5, 2026!
9:00-12:15 APD, Landesmuseum Württemberg – Altes Schloss Co-Production and Financing Market, Tailored One-to-One Meetings gretels gold “The Little Dormouse” https://animationproductiondays.de/programme/market/
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.
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.”
Date: Friday, April 10, 2026, 9:00-18:00 CET Venue: Campus FABW / ADK, Akademiehof, Ludwigsburg
January 24, 2026
Filmakademie BW establishes the Carl Laemmle Institute for Research & Media Innovation (CLI)
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH (FABW) is sharpening its profile as an internationally leading institution for education and research in film and media: with the establishment of the new Carl Laemmle Institute (CLI), the academy will consolidate its activities in artistic-technological research, digital innovation, and forward-looking production methods.
The centrally anchored institute within the Filmakademie will be headed by Professor Volker Helzle, who has long served as a key driver at FABW’s Animationsinstitut, where he coordinated research and development. Under his leadership, the institute is set to function as an interdisciplinary platform for applied research and development and to foster knowledge transfer between art, science, and industry.
Andreas Bareiß, Volker Helzle, Photo: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
About the Carl Laemmle Institute (CLI): The Carl Laemmle Institute (CLI) consolidates the research and development activities of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH (FABW) into a centrally embedded research and development department and serves as a key interface between education, applied research, and industry partnerships. The institute emerges from the former research and development department of FABW’s Animationsinstitut and advances its work structurally, conceptually, and strategically.
The institute’s research fields include, among others, virtual production methods, extended reality, AI-supported creative and production processes, cross-innovation, new forms of human–machine interaction, as well as sustainable and resource-efficient production models for film, games, and immersive media.
With the naming of the institute, FABW deliberately connects to the legacy of Baden-Württemberg–born pioneer Carl Laemmle. In 1912, he founded the film studio Universal Pictures in Los Angeles, played a decisive role in the rise of Hollywood, and significantly shaped the international film industry. The reference to Laemmle stands for a spirit of innovation, visionary entrepreneurship, and the courage to create new structures for creative work. At the same time, it underscores the institute’s ambition to rethink film as a cultural, technological, and social force – with an international perspective and openness to radically new ideas.
Full announcement by the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (FABW) with further information and quotes from Dr. Andreas Bareiß, Director of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Professor Volker Helzle, Petra Olschowski, Minister of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg, and Rosemary Laemmle Hilb, great-grandniece of Carl Laemmle.
