May 10, 2026

ITFS 2026 – Winners announced

For one week, Stuttgart was immersed in animation fever as ITFS invited both the national and international industry as well as a broad regional audience to discover and experience the very best of animation on screen across around 150 events. The Award Ceremony took place on Saturday evening, May 9, 2026, at Gloria 1. Six film awards and one project award were presented across the various competition categories.

The ITFS International Competition Grand Prix, endowed with € 10,000, went to the short film WITH TAPES AND TOASTS IN THE CAR by Stuttgart-based filmmaker Kiana Naghshineh, a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut. The award automatically qualifies the film for the Academy Awards. The French-German co-production also impressed audiences and additionally received the Audience Award, sponsored by SWR. The graduation film SENSUAL by Tanja Nuijten, a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut, recieved a Special Mention at the Lotte Reiniger Promotion Award.

WITH TAPES AND TOASTS IN THE CAR, Kiana Nagshineh

Kiana Nagshineh receives the Trixie statue, photo: ITFS, Reiner Pfisterer

Kiana Nagshineh, photo: ITFS, Reiner Pfisterer

ITFS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Grand Prix (Animation Award of the State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Stuttgart in the amount of 10,000 euros) and Audience Award (Award for the Best Animated Film voted by the Audience in the amount of 6,000 euros,
sponsored by SWR):

WITH TAPES AND TOASTS IN THE CAR (IM AUTO TAPES UND BUTTERBROT)
Germany, France 2025
Director: Kiana Naghshineh | Production: Laïdak Films, ManicMonday | Producers: Antoine Liétout, Henrik von Müller, Ivan Zuber, Kiana Naghshineh | World Sales: Miyu Distribution

Jury: Hisko Hulsing, Melanie Beisswenger, Vera Neubauer

Special Mention at the Lotte Reiniger Promotion Award (Award for the Best Animated Graduation Film in the amount of 10,000 euros, sponsored by MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg)

SENSUAL
Germany 2026
Director: Tanja Nuijten | Production: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH | Producer: Avina Graefe | World Sales: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

Earlier in the festival, on Thursday evening, the German Animation Screenplay Awards and the Trickstar Business Award were presented during the AniX Awards ceremony at the Festival Centre. The festival’s final award was presented on Sunday afternoon on the Open Air stage: the Kids’ Jury honoured the best lm in the ITFS Tricks for Kids Competition in front of an eagerly awaiting audience.

All Winners at ITFS 2026: htt ps://itfs.de/en/programme/winners-2026/

Save the Date: The 34th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film will take place from 27 April to 2 May 2027. h ttps://itfs.de/

April 29, 2024

ITFS Awards for Animationsinstitut Graduates!

On Sunday evening, April 28, 2024, the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film 2024 came to an end with the festive awards gala. Among the winners are also animated film projects by graduates and alumni of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut!

In the International Competition, the Lotte Reiniger Promotion Award for Animated Film (award for the best graduation film with a cash prize of 10,000 Euro, sponsored by MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg) goes to

Dodo, Director: Yi Luo, Producer: Jiayan Chen (Germany 2023)
More about the film and the complete credits

Jury Statement:
We saw a film that deals with the trauma of losing a father in a crucial stage child’s development. Executed in a very impressive art style that meticulously draws the viewer into the essence of the story.

Bianca Scali, Photo: ITFS, Reiner Pfisterer

it’s just a whole (directed by Bianca Scali)

The Award for the best student film with a cash prize of 2,500 Euro, sponsored by LFK Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg and MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg goes to:

It’s just a whole, Director: Bianca Scali, Producer: Paulina Larson (Germany 2023)
More about the film and the complete credits

Jury Statement:
We would like to give the award to the film “It‘s just a whole“ for the brilliant way in which the artists lead us into a dramatic experience in which one negotiates one’s existence facing a sometimes cold reality, loneliness and the primal fear of disappearance. For the film’s unique animation style in which graphics, sounds and textures are used in a way that immediately convey emotions that are transposed into physical reactions.

At the Grand Prix (State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Stuttgart Grand Award for Animated Film with a cash prize of 10,000 Euro), director and Animationsinstitut alumna Sofiia Melnyk was honored with a Special Mention for Mariupol. A Hundred Nights (Ukraine 2023).

All winners of the ITFS 2024

We wholeheartedly congratulate all the winners!