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!
Yi Luo, Photo: ITFS, Reiner Pfisterer
Dodo (directed by Yi Luo)
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
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:
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).
The last day of STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK – a week full of events and inspiration, great meetings with old and new friends, an incredible amount of new background knowledge about current developments in art, technology and research, hopefully many new project ideas and collaborations and above all films, games and other media projects and experiences – has almost arrived! We hope you’ve made it this far – here come the events our CREATORS are involved in at the ITFSon Sunday, April 28, 2024. We are keeping our fingers crossed for all nominees for the grand ITFS 2024 award ceremony!
The first award winners of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS)2024 have been chosen: In a joint awards ceremony – the AniX Awards – the German Animation Screenplay Award, the Trickstar Business Award, and the ASIFA Prize were presented on the evening of April 25, 2024 at the Festival Centre in the Haus der Katholischen Kirche.
on the left: Gisela Schäfer (gretels gold), Sunna Isenberg, Photo: AMCRS
The prize for the best German screenplay for an animated feature film in the amount of € 2,500 sponsored by the Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart (AMCRS), goes to:
Das NEINhorn, Authors: Marc-Uwe Kling, Marcus Sauermann), Producer: Nicole Kellerhals, Production: X Filme Creative Pool
We are delighted that gretels gold – one of our CREATORS – is among the honored!
The prize for the German screenplay with the greatest international market potential in the amount of € 1,500 sponsored by Pink Parrot Media goes to:
Out of Frame, Authors: Keiron Self, Giles New, Producers: Emely Christians, Sonja Matthes, Production: Ulysses Film Production
The jury consisted of: Peter Keydel (Producer, Mago Production, Barcelona/Düsseldorf), Nicole Kellerhals (Producer, Dramaturge, Berlin), Marco Kreuzer (Dramaturge/Script Consultant, member of the board of VeDRA – Verband für Film- und Fernsehdramaturgie e.V.), Tania Pinto de Cunha (Vice-President, Partner, Head of International Sales & Acquisitions, Pink Parrot Media, Madrid), Holger Weiss (CEO & Founder, Executive Producer, M.A.R.K. 13 Group, Stuttgart) und Silke Wilfinger (Founder & Owner, SILKWAYFILMS, Munich).
The Trickstar Business Award, the prize for the best innovative and forward-looking business model in the animation sector in the amount of € 7,500 sponsored by Verband Region Stuttgart, goes to Black Goblin, Ana Betancourt (CEO), United Kingdom, a Special Mention to Zeuniks, David Aguirre Hoffmann (Art Director & Illustrator), Germany.
Furthermore, the ASIFA Prize was awarded to the Czech director and animator Michaela Pavlátová.
We congratulate all the winners!
April 26, 2024
Animation Media Lounge April 2024
On April 24, 2024, we had our annual party, the Animation Media Lounge in the “Note”, to which we invited on the occasion of the STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK 2024 (FMX, ITFS and APD 2024), musically accompanied by the Caligari Band. Thank you for coming – we hope you had a blast!
April 26, 2024
Our CREATORS @ ITFS on Saturday, April 27, 2024!
Raise your hands, it’s the weekend! But the STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK 2024 is not over yet! Enjoy your time at ITFS and check here to see which of our CREATORS (and their works) will be there on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
ITFS, Photo: Reiner Pfisterer
10:30-19:30 ITFS Königsbau-Passagen GameZone „The Bear – A Story from the WORLD OF GRA“ (by ITFS/FMX/APD Trailer Team) Animationsinstitut Alumni (Mucks! Games) https://www.itfs.de/en/events/gamezone-2/
Our Creators @ FMX and ITFS on Friday, April 26, 2024!
Our CREATORS can be found at numerous talks, presentations, screenings, meetings and events at FMX and ITFS on Friday, April 26 – day 4 of the STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK2024. Find out where and when!
10:30-19:30 ITFS Königsbau-Passagen GameZone „The Bear – A Story from the WORLD OF GRA“ (by ITFS/FMX/APD Trailer Team) Animationsinstitut Alumni (Mucks! Games) https://www.itfs.de/en/events/gamezone-2/
11:15 FMX Turm Aalen Starting and succeeding as creative producers in animation and VFX production Animationsinstitut / FABW alumni, curated by: Christian Müller, Animationsinstitut / FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2024/detail/event/28832
20:00 Contain’t, Container City Kunstverein Wagenhalle, Nordbahnhofstr. 1 NIGHT OF SHAME by Studio Seufz Studio Seufz, ITFS, Animationsinstitut, AMCRS https://www.nightofshame.com/
10:30-19:30 ITFS Königsbau-Passagen GameZone „The Bear – A Story from the WORLD OF GRA“ (by ITFS/FMX/APD Trailer Team) Animationsinstitut Alumni (Mucks! Games) https://www.itfs.de/en/events/gamezone-2/
12:30 FMX Bertha-Benz-Saal Panel Discussion: How to pull it off? Jan Pinkava, Andreas Hykade, Animationsinstitut / FABW (Andreas Hykade also curator of the Track “Raw and Relevant”) https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2024/detail/event/28894
19:00 ITFS Haus der Katholischen Kirche, Königstr. 7 AniX Awards (with German Animation Screenplay Award) AMCRS German Animation Screenplay Award sponsored by the AMCRS https://www.itfs.de/en/events/anix-awards/
April 23, 2024
Our CREATORS @ FMX and ITFS on Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Day 2 of the STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK 2024! Find out where to find our CREATORS at FMX and ITFS on Wednesday, April 24!
10:30-19:30 ITFS Königsbau-Passagen GameZone „The Bear – A Story from the WORLD OF GRA“ (by ITFS/FMX/APD Trailer Team) Animationsinstitut Alumni (Mucks! Games) https://www.itfs.de/en/events/gamezone-2/
17:00 FMX Raum Reutlingen, Chaos Suite Bridging the Gap: Pre-viz and post into the LED stage production era David Gaspar Anastacio, Accenture Song, Oliver Markowski, RISE | Visual Effects Studios https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2024/detail/event/30131
19:00 FMX Plaza in front of Haus der Wirtschaft Get-Together
21:30 Die Note, Berliner Platz 1 Animation Lounge AMCRS
April 22, 2024
Our Creators @ FMX and ITFS on Tuesday, April 23, 2024!
Let’s get started with STUTTGART ANIMATED WEEK2024, during which animation, VFX and games fans and professionals from all over the world will come together in Stuttgart to experience and exchange the latest trends, most impressive projects and most exciting stories: FMX – Film & Media Exchange (April 23-26, 2024), the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (April 23-28, 2024) and the Animation Production Days (April 23-25, 2024) will take place! We could hardly wait!
10:00-18:00 FMX, Foyer Bertha Benz Immersive XR Demos Track “EU XR” curated by Volker Helzle, Animationsinstitut / FABW EMIL: FABW – Fate of the Minotaur: Alexander Kreische, Andreas Dahn, Eduard Schäfer, Justus Blönnigen, Leszek Plichta, Lisa Forelli, Simon Spielmann, Volker Helzle, Yvonne Krühler Pixelcloud – Climate Change VR: Christoph Rasulis, Elija Schneider, Jonas Kirchner MAX-R: FABW – VPET (Digital Locations) & AnimHost: Alexandru Tufis-Schwartz, Francesco Andreussi, Jonas Trottnow, Simon Haag, Simon Spielmann, Volker Helzle https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2024/detail/event/29798
14:30 FMX Meidinger-Saal Immersive Artwork: Pushing the boundaries of location based entertainment Track “Games & Beyond” curated by Anna Brinkschulte, Animationsinstitut / FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2024/detail/event/28782
15:45 FMX Meidinger-Saal, VOD Creating The Blackwall VFX for Cyberpunk 2077 : Phantom Liberty Track “Games & Beyond” curated by Anna Brinkschulte, Animationsinstitut / FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2024/detail/event/28881
16:00-19:30 ITFS Königsbau-Passagen GameZone „The Bear – A Story from the WORLD OF GRA“ (by ITFS/FMX/APD Trailer Team) Animationsinstitut Alumni (Mucks! Games) https://www.itfs.de/en/events/gamezone/
17:00 FMX Meidinger-Saal, VOD THE BEAR – Making Meaningful Mobile Games and Designing for Calmness Animationsinstitut Alumni Clara Deitmar, Julius Dorsel (Mucks! Games, FMX/ITFS/APD 2024 trailer team) Track “Games & Beyond” curated by Anna Brinkschulte, Animationsinstitut / FABW https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2024/detail/event/28880
17:00 LAVAlabs, Mittelstraße 9/1, 70180 Stuttgart BBQ Lavalabs All AMCRS members are cordially invited!
19:00 FMX Plaza in front of Haus der Wirtschaft Get-Together
April 19, 2024
German Computer Game Award 2024 for THE BEAR!
The Bear, Mucks! Games, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
The interactive bedtime story THE BEAR – A STORY FROM THE WORLD OF GRA has won the German Computer Game Award (DCP) in the category “Best Graphic Design”. THE BEAR is the debut work of Clara Deitmar, Julius Dorsel and Luzie Kehle – all former students of the Animationsinstitut at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. The team accepted the award yesterday evening in Munich.
THE BEAR is an interactive experience for tablets. Two friends, the bear and the little one, embark on a journey through a dreamy universe where they collect stars and experience stories together. THE BEAR is about rediscovering the intimate and emotional state just before falling asleep.
Winning the DCP feels like a dream for the team: “It was absolutely amazing to be part of the DCP this year! The nominations alone meant so much to us – winning is just phenomenal. We couldn’t have wished for a better start for our newly founded studio.”
The German Computer Game Award is the most important prize for games in Germany and is endowed with around 800,000€. It is awarded by the Federal Government, represented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, together with game – Association of the German Games Industry and the Digital Games Culture Foundation.
For Jan Pinkava, Director of the Animationsinstitut, the triumph at the DCP is a strong signal for Ludwigsburg as a games location: “To put it simply: The Filmakademie is in Ludwigsburg, and Ludwigsburg is a growing centre for the creative arts. Our Interactive Media teaching is about content – what the artwork does and what it means – with a special emphasis on storytelling. That is why our talented students produce meaningful work, like THE BEAR. At the Animationsinstitut we are proud of our extraordinary students and their contribution to the region.“
While still studying Interactive Media, Deitmar, Dorsel and Kehle founded the studio Mucks! Games, under whose name they recently published THE BEAR. The game is available for iOS systems.
Find out more about WORLD OF GRA and THE BEAR here.
