On February 11, 2026, the Vertretung des Landes Baden-Württemberg beim Bund – represented by the host at the Landesvertretung and State Secretary Rudi Hoogvliet – in cooperation with the Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS) and FMX – Film & Media Exchange, invited to the Berlinale Warm-Up.
The panel guests Arne Braun, State Secretary at the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst des Landes Baden-Württemberg, Carl Bergengruen, Managing Dirctor of the Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (MFG), Stefanie Larson, Manager of the Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS), Gerd Nefzer, special effects artist and multiple Academy Award winner, and Wiebke Wiesner, Deputy Managing Director of the Produktionsallianz, addressed – moderated by Dr. Andreas Bareiß, Director of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg – the question of “Zurück in die Zukunft: Wohin steuert Deutschlands führender Animations- und VFX-Standort?” (“Back to the Future: Where Is Germany’s Leading Animation and VFX Hub Heading?”).
The focus was on the investment package of the Bundesregierung, which strengthens the German film industry with €250 million annually, as well as the new Film Funding Act (FFG), which combines public funding with investment obligations for streaming services. The panelists largely agreed that reducing bureaucracy is a key factor in remaining internationally competitive.
Andreas Bareiss, Wiebke Wiesner, Gerd Nefzer, Arne Braun, Stefanie Larson, Carl Bergengruen, (c) Landesvertretung Baden-Württemberg
Andreas Bareiss, Arne Braun, Stefanie Larson, (c) Landesvertretung Baden-Württemberg
Wiebke Wiesner, Gerd Nefzer, Carl Bergengruen, (c) Landesvertretung Baden-Württemberg
Recur by Kaleidoscube, (c) Landesvertretung Baden-Württemberg
(c) Landesvertretung Baden-Württemberg
February 13, 2026
AMCRS Launch New AI Initiative
The Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart are developing a new initiative on the topic of Artificial Intelligence. Representatives of members of the AMCRS – including Jiayan Chen (SERU Animation), Andreas Hykade and Alexander Kreische (Animationsinstitut, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg), Matthias Drescher (FFL Film- und Fernseh-Labor Ludwigsburg), Maximilian Pfisterer and Willy Löbl (Frischvergiftung), Hanns-Martin Schurer (Octomotion) and the AMCRS Manager Stefanie Larson – came together in an initial round of discussions, to exchange ideas and perspectives.
This regularly held open format will focus on topics, developments, and challenges in working with Artificial Intelligence and offer interested participants opportunities for dialogue and further development. Stay tuned – we will keep you updated on upcoming dates.
left to right: Jiayan Chen, Willy Löbl, Matthias Drescher, Andreas Hykade, Alexander Kreische, Hanns-Martin Schurer, Stefanie Larson (Photos: Frischvergiftung)
Willy Löbl, Matthias Drescher
Maximilian Pfisterer, Jiayan Chen
Hanns-Martin Schurer, Stefanie Larson
January 30, 2026
TALENT Meet-up BW 2026
In 2026, the TALENT Meet-up BW will once again offer young professionals the opportunity to experience the Stuttgart Animated Week (FMX – Film & Media Exchange (May 5 to 7, 2026), Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (May 5 to 10, 2026), and the APD Conference (May 5, 2026))with a free combi ticket. The program supports participants in networking, provides personalized program recommendations, and creates a framework for optimal exchange – both among participants and within the international industry. In addition, attendees will get to know regional support services and contact persons.
The program is aimed at individuals who are at the beginning of their own startup journey, currently developing animation-based content such as games, XR, VFX, or animation, or who are from related but non-industry fields, such as students in (humanities) sciences seeking to network with professionals from the animation, film, and games sectors. The offer is free of charge.
Applications are open until February 23, 2026, with responses provided by March 19, 2026. Apply now via the online form!
Pre-Berlinale Panel Discussion – Animation & VFX in Baden-Württemberg
Invitation to the Pre-Berlinale panel discussion on Animation & VFX in Baden-Württemberg, taking place on Wednesday, February11, 2026 on the eve of this year’s Berlinale (February 12 to 22, 2026), at the Vertretung des Landes Baden-Württemberg beim Bund
Over the past years, Baden-Württemberg has developed into one of Europe’s leading hubs for animation and visual effects. International successes, renowned studios, and excellent training and educational institutions have turned the region into a hotspot of creative innovation.
Under the theme “Zurück in die Zukunft: Wohin steuert Deutschlands führender Animations- und VFX-Standort?” (“Back to the Future: Where Is Germany’s Leading Animation and VFX Hub Heading?”), the discussion will focus on key questions shaping the future of the industry: How can Baden-Württemberg maintain its leading position? What conditions are needed to foster an innovative, resilient, and internationally competitive sector? And what role do politics, education, networks, and funding structures play in this context?
On the eve of the Berlinale, these questions will be addressed by the panel guests Arne Braun, State Secretary at the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst des Landes Baden-Württemberg, Carl Bergengruen, Managing Dirctor of the Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (MFG), Stefanie Larson, Manager of the Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS), Gerd Nefzer, special effects artist and multiple Academy Award winner, and Wiebke Wiesner, Deputy Managing Director of the Produktionsallianz.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Dr. Andreas Bareiß, Director of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg.
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 18:00 to 21:30 CET Venue: Vertretung des Landes Baden-Württemberg beim Bund, Tiergartenstraße 15 in 10785 Berlin Organized byAnimation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS) and FMX – Film & Media Exchange
Global Game Jam goes THE LÄND 2026 – From January 26 to February 1, 2026, it’s time to design, code, and create amazing things once again: the Global Game Jam, the world’s largest game event, is coming to THE LÄND! Game studios, companies, universities, associations, and (cultural) institutions in Baden-Württemberg are organizing their own “sites” – locations where local game jams take place – often in collaboration with other stakeholders from their region. GGJ goes THE LÄND is coordinated by MFG Baden-Württemberg & Games BW and funded by the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg, in partnership with game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche e.V. Baden-Württemberg. The goal: to strengthen cooperation and expertise in game development, game design, and game art – regionally, interdisciplinarily, and across university and company boundaries.
The Kokolores Creative Collective e.V., in cooperation with the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and the Wirtschaftsförderung Ludwigsburg, is also taking part. GGJ goes THE LÄND: Kokolores Ludwigsburg will take place from Monday, January 26 to Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Filmgalerie of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Akademiehof 10, 71638 Ludwigsburg. There are still free spots available. Registration and further information can be found here.
Poster GGJ goes THE LÄND – Kokolores Ludwigsburg
Further sites of GGJ goes THE LÄND (including Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, Heidelberg, and the Lake Constance region) can be found here: https://hola.mfg.de/
In addition, GGJ26 @ Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart will take place at the Stuttgart City Library with Chasing Carrots from Friday, January 30 to Sunday, February 1, 2026. Further information and registration can be found here.
January 16, 2026
Unreal MegaMeetup #11 at b.Rex on February 4, 2026
Unreal Engine has quietly become a serious industrial tool: from high-fidelity CAD visualization and VR design reviews to production-ready automotive HMI prototyping. If you’re in engineering or automotive – especially in the Mittelstand – this meetup is designed to be practical: real pipelines, real constraints, and what actually works in day-to-day product development.
Expect a short, focused evening with four expert talks and plenty of time to network with engineers, product teams, innovation leads, and Unreal creators working on industrial use cases.
The topic of the Unreal MegaMeetup #11 on February 4 (organized by our CREATORS from b.Rex) is “Unreal in Engineering, Automotive HMI & CAD Workflows“, the program includes four talks:
Arjun Rai Gupta | Virtual Dimension Center (VDC), Fellbach Talk focus: A big-picture introduction: how Unreal is showing up in industrial contexts (engineering + automotive), and how initiatives like CyberLÄND support collaboration, knowledge transfer, and cross-company innovation in immersive tech.
Dennis Basgier | Threedy (instant3Dhub) Talk focus: CAD → Unreal without pain. Threedy will show how their Unreal Plugin streams complex CAD models into Unreal without preprocessing or simplification, while keeping engineering context/metadata.
Jouni Leino | Siili Auto (Siili) Talk focus: “Our journey with Unreal Engine” – how real-time 3D is reshaping automotive experiences: in-car interfaces, visualization tools, and next-gen UX.
Tillman Staffen & Tim Völker | B.REX / Bruce B. Talk focus: “AI-based Avatars in Corporate Communication” – how intelligent, real-time avatars are reshaping how organizations communicate with customers, employees, and stakeholders.
Participation is free! As always, there will be both meat and vegetarian dishes, as well as a selection of drinks. Register early to secure your spot! Registration and details here (communities.unrealengine.com) and here (meetup.com)
Date:Wednesday, Februar 4, 18 to 23 CET | Venue: at b.Rex, Reinsburgstraße 96/1, 70197 Stuttgart
The event is powered by the “NEW.STUTTGART” initiative.
January 9, 2026
Naked Web – exhibition by Students of the Merz Akademie
“Baroque“ by Merz Akademie student Vanessa Schmidt
In the dawn of the World Wide Web – before the separation of content and style, before CSS, in the age of pure HTML – webmasters worked with only a handful of <tags> to shape their pages.
Creating layouts, visuals and functionality was a challenge, yet not impossible. With the humble < table >, the elegant < hr >, the interactive < input type=“radio” > and < input type=“checkbox” >, and of course the legendary clear.gif, every trick became an act of invention. Even border=“0” or border=“100” carried a message.
The works in this exhibition by students of the Merz Akademie, curated by Olia Lialina, are built from these same elements – to make them shine once more, and never be forgotten.
Exhibition “Naked Web“ (as part of the 39th Filmwinter Stuttgart): January 13 to 25, 2026 – More information Vernissage: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 19:30 CET Workshop with Olia Lialina“Reclaiming Your Corner of the web“: Saturday, January 17, 2026, 11 to 16 CET– More information Get Together: Saturday, January 17, 2026, 16:30 CET
The winners of the Baden-Württemberg Film Awards2025 were announced last week. The awards of the 31. Filmschau Baden-Württemberg were presented during a festive ceremony at the Kulturlounge Dürnitz in the Altes Schloss in Stuttgart. AMCRS members were also honored.
All winners Filmschau BW 2025 (Photo: Filmschau BW)
Award Ceremony Filmschau BW 2025 (Photo: MFG)
Oscar Jacobson, a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut, was awarded the Baden-Württemberg Film Award in the Animation Film category for “Undying Pain of Existence.”
Statement Jury Animation Film(Nina Prange (Creative Producer), Regina Welker (Animation Director), and Sveta Yuferova (Animation Director)): “The films nominated this year demonstrate a remarkable diversity of visual signatures, techniques, and narrative approaches. Alongside student works, there are independent productions whose production conditions could hardly be more different. The winning film impresses with its visual language, through which the direction translates self-control and the subsequent loss of control into powerful images.”
The Baden-Württemberg Film Award in the VFX Studioscategory goes to artists Peter Lames(a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut), Apollonia Hartmann, and David Anastacio of Accenture Song Content Germanyin Stuttgart for “Dune – Prophecy” by Anna Foerster. The team had received Line Producer funding from the MFG.
Statement Jury VFX Studios (Jan Adamczyk (Professor at Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart), Johanna Manz (VFX Producer), and Julia Smola (VFX Producer / HoP BigHugFX)): “What stood out to us about “Dune”, in addition to the first-class quality of the visual effects, was above all the immense complexity, the elaborate development of the look, and the precise design. The visual effects integrate seamlessly into the demanding, iconic look of the “Dune” universe and enhance its visual power in an impressive way. For us, one thing is clear: something truly unique and extraordinary has been created here. The complex asset posed an enormous challenge -and it was mastered in a remarkable manner. We warmly congratulate Accenture Song on this outstanding project and on the well-deserved award.”
For “Habt ihr den gesehen” by Anton Kleinert, the artists David Schubert, Lia Bauer, and Katrin Wohnhas (all from Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart) received the Baden-Württemberg Film Award in the VFX Studentscategory.
Statement Jury VFX Students (Heiko Burkardsmaier (VFX Executive Producer, Head of Business + Legal Affairs, Accenture Song VFX), Johanna Manz (VFX Producer), and Julia Smola (VFX Producer / HoP BigHugFX)): “This project demonstrates in an outstanding way that the use of visual effects has been truly understood. The effects support the story being told in a subtle and effective manner without drawing attention to themselves, and they blend seamlessly into the scenery. In terms of quality, the VFX work is executed so excellently that even experienced professionals would hardly have noticed in some places what had been added without the breakdown – and that is exactly how it should be. At the same time, it is clear that the effort was not reduced to a minimum, but realized with great commitment and genuine passion. The attention to detail and the many creative ideas make the image come alive, atmospheric, and visually engaging.”
(European) Producers with a new animation project looking for partners (Registration/Submission Deadline: February 4, 2026, Early Bird Deadline: January 15, 2026) –> Producer Accreditation
Emerging European talents (up to 35 years old) with a project of their own (Registration/Submission Deadline: February 4, 2026) –> Talent Accreditation
Broadcasters, streamers, distributors, investors and sales agents interested in fresh content, and film and media funding institutions (Registration/Submission Deadline: February 4, 2026, Early Bird Deadline: January 15, 2026) –> Investor Accreditation
APD 2025 Best of Trailer
November 14, 2025
20 Years of Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey
Studio FILM BILDER and KiKA are celebrating the 20th birthday of the cult character TOM. Many TOM fans are sending their congratulations on social media, including beloved colleagues such as Sandmännchen, Günter Kastenfrosch, the raven Rudi, and “Die Pfefferkörner”. On Saturday, November 15, 2025, KiKA will host a TOM Day featuring 20 episodes of the series, embarking on a journey through the past two decades of “Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey”(„TOM & das Erdbeermarmeladebrot mit Honig“).
Tom’s Special Day, Image: Studio FILM BILDER
In November 2005, KiKA aired the first 13 episodes of the series. Since then, TOM has made many friends, experienced adventures across a total of 52 episodes – and received 52 half slices of strawberry jam bread with honey, each of which tasted as good to him as if it had been a whole one. The lovable hero was created by Stuttgart-based animation artist Andreas Hykade. He designed the characters and the world, developed the scripts, and directed the series. All episodes were produced entirely at Studio FILM BILDER in Stuttgart. The animated series was given a special touch by Dirk Bach, who – as narrator and the voice of all the characters – gave the series its unmistakable tone. “Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey” has received several awards, including the Grimme Online Award in 2009 and the prize for Best TV Series at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2013.
“Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey” is a co-production of Studio FILM BILDER Stuttgart and SWR, funded by MFG Baden-Württemberg.
