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/

May 5, 2026

Silent Film with Live Music: Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film 2026 pays tribute to the art of silhouette animation in a special film screening: DIE ABENTEUER DES PRINZEN ACHMED, the oldest surviving feature-length animated film in cinema history, will be brought to life anew in an extraordinary live performance featuring its original score.

Lotte Reiniger, Carl Koch, Germany, 1926
Copyright: Stadtmuseum Tübingen

Members of the SWR Symphony Orchestra will accompany Lotte Reiniger’s 1926 silhouette film live, adding a new musical dimension to its intricate figures and fairy-tale imagery. The result is a striking interplay between early animation artistry and contemporary interpretation – honoring both the pioneering animation classic and its creator, Lotte Reiniger, along with her distinctive and influential technique.

Date: Friday, May 8, 18:30 CET | Location: Innenstadtkinos Stuttgart, Gloria 1 |Tickets

With a focus on silhouette animation, the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film honors the pioneer of animation, Lotte Reiniger, and her influential animation technique. The occasion is this year’s anniversary: 100 years ago, on May 2, 1926, DIE ABENTEUER DES PRINZEN ACHMED by Lotte Reiniger premiered in Berlin. This silhouette film is considered the oldest surviving feature-length animated film in the world.

Lotte Reiniger is regarded as a trailblazer of silhouette animation. Her remarkable life story reflects her strength and resilience: she fled the Nazis and lived in London, Paris, and Rome – eventually also settling in Baden-Württemberg. Her work is therefore rightly at the center of a dedicated program focus at this year’s ITFS.

In addition, the ITFS has long awarded the Lotte Reiniger Promotion Award, a prize of €10,000 for the best animated graduation film in the Student Competition, sponsored by MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg.

Source: I TFS