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Virtuelle Welten & XR EXPO 2025

Baden-Württemberg is the first federal state in Germany to organize the event “Virtuelle Welten – Chancen im Metaverse erleben” (“Virtual Worlds – Exploring Opportunities in the Metaverse“), consisting of both a congress and a trade fair. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg is joining forces with the Virtual Dimension Center Fellbach (VDC) and partnering with XR EXPO to bring together expertise from pioneering companies in the Metaverse sector – including industry, the creative economy, research, and gaming – along with leading research institutes and developers. The two-day event, taking place on May 8 and 9, 2025, aims to showcase the diverse facets and existing possibilities of the Metaverse through demonstrators, while also offering fresh impulses for future developments.

The events Virtual Worlds and XR EXPO will be jointly organized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the VDC on May 8, 2025, and will take place at the Porsche Arena and the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart. Admission and exhibitor costs are free of charge. The target audience includes professionals and executives from industry, crafts, and services, startups, students, pupils, employees of state administrations and other federal states, as well as anyone eager not to miss out on the virtual age. The XR EXPO congress on May 9, 2025, will be exclusively organized by the VDC and held at the Maritim Hotel in Stuttgart (ticket costs for this day are 250 euros).

On behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, MFG Baden-Württemberg is organizing the THE CREATIVE LÄND exhibition area (May 8, starting at 13:30 CET in the Porsche Arena), featuring live demos, an open stage, and interactive experience labs. Companies from the fields of games, animation, VFX, and UX will showcase their creative XR applications, offering insights into the opportunities and potential of Metaverse technologies. The program will be hosted by Anna Katharina Brinkschulte, Head of Interactive Media at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut (read her guest article “Neue Perspektiven für die Kreativwirtschaft im Metaverse“.)

Additional AMCRS members will also be participating in THE CREATIVE LÄND exhibition area: Pixelcloud will take part in the “Pitch & Connect: Exhibitors ‘Games BW & Interactive Media” session at 14:15 CET. Halbautomaten will join the “Pitch & Connect: Exhibitors ‘Cross Innovation” session at 16:45 CET. Also on May 8, at 15:00 CET, the “Hands-on Workshop: Rapid Prototyping von Virtuellen Erlebnis-Welten mit Hilfe von KI-Tools und VR-Brillen” will take place, led by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Scheible, Professor of Interaction Design at Hochschule der Medien, in the CodeLab room at the Porsche Arena, At 15:30 CET, Maximilian Schmierer from b.ReX will present in the Creative Länd Experience Labs on the topic: “Das digitale Ich im Metaverse – Avatare als neue Kommunikationsform“ in the PixelRoom of the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle.

See the complete program: https://event.cyberlaend.eu/programm

More information: https://xrexpo.tech/cyberlaend-en

Nominations for the Deutscher Filmpreis 2025 announced!

LOLA Deutscher Filmpreis © Clemens Porikys

The Deutsche Filmakademie (German Film Academy) announced the nominations for the Deutscher Filmpreis 2025 (German Film Award 2025) a few days ago. Members of the AMCRS can also hope for a LOLA!

In the “Best Visual Effects” category, Max Riess, Sven Martin and Bernie Kimbacher and their team from PIXOMONDO have been nominated for “Woodwalkers” – Sven Martin is a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut. Additionally, LAVAlabs was involved in creating the VFX for the film, which has also been nominated as “Best Children’s Film.”

Also nominated in the category “Best Visual Effects” are teams from RISE. They can even celebrate nominations for two productions – Jan Stoltz, Franzisca Puppe, Sebastian Lauer and their team for their work on “Hagen – Im Tal der Nibelungen” as well as Robert Pinnow and his team for the effects in “Das Licht.” Jan Stoltz also studied at the Animationsinstitut.

On May 9, 2025, the Lola winners will be announced at the Theater am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for all the nominees!

All Nominees | All nominations of MFG-funded productions | All nominations of productions by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and its alumni

VFX Breakdown „Woodwalkers“ (PIXOMONDO)
VFX Breakdown „Hagen“ (RISE)
Trailer „Das Licht“ (X Verleih AG)

Event „Virtuelle Welten – Chancen im Metaverse erleben“

On Thursday, May 8, 2025, the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg (Ministry of Economic Affairs) invites you to the conference “Virtuelle Welten – Chancen im Metaverse erleben” (Virtual Worlds – Experiencing Opportunities in the Metaverse) at the Hans-Martin-Schleyer-Halle and the Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart. From 9.00 to 17.00 CET, the focus will be on the latest developments and applications in the Metaverse. Participation is free of charge!

The first program highlights and speakers have been confirmed, and the full program will be published soon. Among the speakers will be Maximilian Schmierer, CEO of our HEROES from b.Rex.

The MFG Baden-Württemberg is organizing the THE CREATIVE LÄND exhibition area on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. This space will feature live demos, an open stage, and interactive experience labs. Companies from the creative industries – such as games, animation, VFX, and UX – can showcase their innovative XR applications and provide insights into the opportunities and possibilities of Metaverse technologies. They have the opportunity to exhibit in THE CREATIVE LÄND area free of charge. Interested companies and institutions can register on the official website and select the option „Ich möchte im THE CREATIVE LÄND Bereich ausstellen“ at “Standwunsch”. For any questions regarding THE CREATIVE LÄND area please contact Ulrich Winchenbach (E-mail: winchenbach@mfg.de, Phone: 0711-90715313).

Sources, registration, and more information: Event | MFG Baden-Württemberg News | MFG Event | Flyer Ministry of Economic Affairs

The event is organized by the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg in cooperation with the XR Expo of the Virtual Dimension Center Fellbach (VDC). The XR Expo takes place alongside the Metaverse conference from May 8 to 9. More information

Four Projects from Baden-Württemberg at Cartoon Movie 2025!

Cartoon Movie is an annual pitching and co-production forum aimed at strengthening the production and distribution of animated feature films in Europe. This year, it took place from March 4 to 6 in Bordeaux. A total of 55 new projects from 16 countries were presented – and of the six projects from Germany, four came from Baden-Württemberg alone! Members of the AMCRS are also involved!

“Condenaditos”, pitched by Matisse Gonzales Jordán (director and author, a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut) and Stefan Michel (producer Studio Seufz). They had already presented the project at Cartoon Movie 2023. More about the project

“Nessie Junior“ is produced by FFL Film- und Fernseh-Labor Ludwigsburg and Uli Schwarz. Presenting on-site at Cartoon Movie was Matthias Drescher (producer, scriptwriter FFL). More about the project

“Cocobanana and the Dinosaur Hunt“ is the name of the project co-produced by SERU Animation with Sebastian Runschke. More about the project

“Valenti­no“ is produced by the Ludwigsburg-based company Zooper Film with Lilian Klages. More about the project

Cocobanana and the Dinosaur Hunt
Nessie Junior
Valentino
Condenaditos: Matisse Gonzales Jordán, Nidia Santiago (Co-Producer Ikki Films), Stefan Michel (Studio Seufz)

Pre-Fixe with Animation Lounge – with Kaleidoscube

Together with the Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH (organizer of Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film) and the AMCRS, MFG organizes the Pre Fixe with Animation Lounge as a prelude to the monthly network meeting of the film industry (Jour Fixe). Speakers from the animation film scene present practical examples of current projects and provide insights into their work.

The next Animation Lounge will take place on Monday, March 10, 2025, 18:00 CET. Dominik Schön, Managing Director, Founder & Game Designer of the Stuttgart-based game studio Kaleidoscube, presents the newly announced video game RECUR, which they are currently developing, and shares insights into the biggest challenges of the development process. A wild journey to the end of the world and back – in RECUR, time is linked to the player’s position. By running and jumping, players must manipulate time to save a city from an endlessly recurring catastrophe.

The event will take place at the Kulturzentrum Merlin, Augustenstraße 72, 70178 Stuttgart. Admission is free.

Dominik Schön, Kaleidoscube
Artwork RECUR
Screenshot RECUR
Screenshot RECUR

All participants are cordially invited to attend the subsequent MFG Jour Fixe from 19:00 CET. The Jour Fixe offers a unique opportunity for exchange and networking with colleagues from the MFG Film Funding Unit.

More information

GAMESCOM 2025: Apply now for the THE LÄND joint booth!

From August 20 to 22, 2025, the booth “THE LÄND – Games & Gamification Made in Baden-Württemberg” will showcase companies, games, interactive media, and apps at Gamescom 2025 in Cologne. To achieve this, MFG Baden-Württemberg is looking for the best games and interactive VR and XR applications – from entertainment to smart automotive industry and training solutions – made in Baden-Württemberg. The goal is to present the innovative strength of Baden-Württemberg’s gaming industry to an international trade audience at the world’s largest trade fair for computer and video games.

THE LÄND joint booth 2024, Photo: MFG Baden-Württemberg

Companies, developers, and institutions from the games, media, and digital industries – especially those with VR/AR/XR/UX projects – are invited to apply. Spots are limited, and selection will be made by a jury. The THE LÄND booth in the Business Area of Gamescom offers a prime location alongside other international exhibitors. In collaboration with Baden-Württemberg International and the K³ Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaftsbüro Karlsruhe, a diverse program will be provided, including networking opportunities and visits from political representatives.

Application Deadline: March 21, 2025 | Apply now!

Source and further information at the MFG website

Participants and impressions from previous years

TALENT Meet-Up BW 2025

TALENT Meet-up BW 2025 offers young professionals the opportunity to experience the Stuttgart Animated Week 2025 – FMX – Film & Media Exchange (May 6-9), the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (May 6-11), and the Animation Production Days Conference (May 6) – with a free Combi Ticket. This initiative supports participants in networking, provides personalized program recommendations, and creates an optimal framework for exchange – both among attendees and within the international industry. Additionally, participants will get to know regional support programs and key contacts.

Ahead of Stuttgart Animated Week, the Studi Stage, part of the Open Stage Games BW on March 12, 2025, in Stuttgart, offers a great opportunity for initial networking and exchanges. The official kickoff of the TALENT Meet-up BW 2025 program will take place on May 5, from 14:00 to 16:30 CET in Stuttgart, bringing participants together to start the week. To wrap up the eventful days, a Get-Together on May 9, from 12:30 to 15:00 CET provides a space for sharing experiences and reflections.

Specifically for talents and start-ups from Stuttgart, Wirtschaftsförderung der Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart offers additional support: Through the FMX NEW_Comer program, they have the opportunity to secure a booth, a workshop slot, and a speaker badge at FMX 2025 (for more information, please get in touch with Hannah Schneider at hannah.schneider@stuttgart.de).

The TALENT Meet-up BW 2025 program is aimed at individuals who are at the beginning of their own startup journey, those in the midst of developing animation-based content – such as games, XR, VFX, and animation – or those from non-industry but related fields, such as students of (humanities) sciences, who want to connect with professionals from the animation, film, and games industries.

Source (MFG Baden-Württemberg) and more information | Applications are possible until February 17, 2025. The program is free of charge.

Initiated and organized by: MFG Baden-Württemberg, Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart, Film Commission Region Stuttgart, Wirtschaftsförderung der Stadt Stuttgart, Animationsinstitut (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg) and AMCRS

Start-Up Monday at the Filmakademie in Ludwigsburg

The first Start-Up Monday in 2025 will be held on February 10, 2025, organized by the City of Ludwigsburg in collaboration with Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg‘s Animationsinstitut and the Kontaktstelle Frau und Beruf Ludwigsburg – Region Stuttgart. The event will take place at the Filmakademie, Filmgalerie, Akademiehof 10 in Ludwigsburg.

After a presentation and discussion of the “Ludwigsburg gründungsfreundlich” (Ludwigsburg Founding-Friendly) concept, the event moves into the Prompt Arena under the guidance and moderation of Florian Schweer.

Starting at 16:30 CET, institutions supporting startups will introduce themselves, providing an opportunity for direct exchange – with Baden-Württemberg International (BW_i) | Start-up BW | Senioren der Wirtschaft e.V. | MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH | IHK Region Stuttgart Bezirkskammer Ludwigsburg | bwcon und Accelerator M.Tech | Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH (WRS) | S-Wagnis der Kreissparkasse Ludwigsburg | Kokolores Collective.

At 18:00 CET, Ludwigsburg’s Mayor, Dr. Matthias Knecht, will officially open the evening program with a panel discussion featuring experts on the three key focus areas of Ludwigsburg’s startup strategy: creative industries, tech startups, and female founders. What are best practices? To what extent do these areas complement each other, or are they in competition? Which support programs are truly effective for the target audience? What are their needs and expectations?

Around 19:00 CET, it’s time to say, “Welcome to the Prompt Arena!” Prompting is a hot topic right now, as so-called prompts are used to give commands to AI. This interactive and entertaining format invites the audience to watch eight participants live as they use generative AI in the creative process. Here, you can experience prompting up close and see the results for yourself.

If you’d like to actively participate in the Prompt Arena, you can sign up with Max Höllen (m.hoellen@ludwigsburg.de) – teams are also welcome!

More information and registration | Event at LinkedIn

Source: City of Ludwigsburg

New Study: Baden-Württemberg Now Germany’s Leading Hub for Animation Film and VFX

Image: Cover Study, Goldmedia / MFG

Source: MFG Baden-Württemberg, January 24, 2025

A recent study by the research institute Goldmedia shows that Baden-Württemberg has risen to become Germany’s leading hub for animation films and digital feature film production in recent years. No other federal state in Germany is home to as many companies and professionals generating films and series entirely digitally. Many VFX companies based in Baden-Württemberg also collaborate on major Hollywood productions. Since 2010, the revenue of the local animation and VFX industry has grown by a remarkable 800 percent, reaching 170 million euros. According to the study, this development is largely attributed to the targeted support provided by Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (MFG).

MFG Managing Director Carl Bergengruen stated: “In 2014, we became the first federal state to introduce a highly effective funding instrument specifically tailored to the animation and visual effects sector, laying the foundation for the significant growth of this industry.” Currently, the revenue in the field of animation and visual effects in Baden-Württemberg is generated by 85 companies. In 2010, there were only around 30 such businesses.

In the field of digital games, the study also identified significant revenue growth of at least 90 percent since 2015, reaching 190 million euros in Baden-Württemberg. This revenue is generated by 146 companies. The substantial growth is partly due to a specialized funding program introduced by the MFG in 2020 for local games companies. This program supports innovative games projects from concept to production.

The study also highlights the industrial policy significance of the animation, VFX, and games sectors for Baden-Württemberg. Technological innovations from these fields are already being applied in a wide range of industries, from the automotive sector and mechanical engineering to healthcare. However, 48 percent of the orders in the VFX and animation industry come from the audiovisual media sector, including film and series productions for cinema, streaming, and television.

In the games market, a significant portion of orders – 45 percent – comes from the entertainment sector of audiovisual media. However, similar to the animation and VFX sectors, there is a growing trend in orders from other industries.

The study also underscores the importance of the 70 industry-relevant degree programs and the highly sought-after networking and advisory activities offered by the MFG in the fields of animation, VFX, and games. Examples include the “Animation Media Creators Region Stuttgart” (AMCRS) network.

Source (in German): MFG, Goldmedia

Link to the study

The Stuttgarter Zeitung also reported on this topic in the article “Region Stuttgart ist Spitze bei Spezialeffekten aus Deutschland” on January 24, 2025. To the article

THE LÄND Global Game Jam 2025

At the world’s largest event for game development, the Global Game Jam, up to 250 gaming enthusiasts from across Baden-Württemberg will come together at the invitation of  MFG Baden-Württemberg at the end of January 2025. The “THE LÄND Global Game Jam” will take place from January 24 to 26, 2025, at Karlshochschule in Karlsruhe. During this 48-hour development and programming hackathon, game design students will collaborate with game studios, passionate developers will work alongside experienced and professional coders, and disciplines such as sound, design, psychology, and communication will also find their place.

MFG, Image: Ingo Jürgens

After a successful debut in January 2024, the statewide THE LÄND site is once again introducing an exclusive offering: In two side tracks, participants can collaborate with exciting challenge providers to develop game ideas and build prototypes on specific topics. How can classical music, with all its emotions and tonal colors, serve as a foundation for the creative process of game development? This will be explored live in the “Classical Game Jam” hosted by SWR, featuring an ensemble from the SWR Symphony Orchestra. In “Blame the game, not the player!”, game developers will work together with researchers from Karlshochschule to design game rules that reflect an economic system respecting social foundations and planetary boundaries. Preceding kick-off workshops will set the stage for the side tracks. Afterward, participants will join the main THE LÄND Global Game Jam for a collaborative jam session.

The THE LÄND Global Game Jam is coordinated by MFG Baden-Württemberg as part of its Games BW initiative, in partnership with Karlshochschule International University, SWR Südwestrundfunk, game Verband Baden-Württemberg, and K³ – dem Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaftsbüro Karlsruhe. The Game Jam is supported by the Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg (Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg).

Interested participants can register via this link.

More information

Source: MFG Baden-Württemberg

Impressions from THE LÄND Global Game Jam 2024:

Photos: MFG Baden-Württemberg