Our open air program offers animation fun for the whole family! In the tents and at the booths of our cooperation partners, workshops and hands-on activities are waiting every day and for the small and big hunger, our Festival Garden offers a wide selection of treats. Enjoy the incomparable atmosphere!
Daily from noon – 10:30 pm
By the way: On Saturday, May 7, you can travel to ITFS relaxed, environmentally friendly and free of charge by train and bus thanks to free public transport (Stuttgart Zone 1)!
From noon
with enchanting animated shorts from the Tricks for Kids competitions of recent years and a great animated feature film for the whole family every day awaits you on the LED screen in the afternoon.
From 5:00 pm
from the current ITFS program and the past years are available in the late afternoon at the ITFS Open Air Program.
From 8:15 pm
in the evening round off your festival day. Make yourself comfortable on your picnic blanket on the Schlossplatz and enjoy an animation adventure on the big LED screen.
Tue, 03. May, Open Air, 3:00 pm
Ralf Kukula, Matthias Bruhn // Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Czech Republic 2019, 86 min
In the summer of 1989, 12-year-old Fritzi looks after her best friend Sophie’s dog Sputnik. She is on vacation in Hungary with her family. But after the summer vacations Sophie and her family do not come back home, because they have fled the GDR. Fritzi decides to search for Sophie in order to bring Sputnik back to her.
Tue, 03. May, Open Air, 8:15 pm
John Donkin // USA 2022, 82 min
The heroes of Ice Age return: the two opossum brothers Crash and Eddie set out to find their own place to live. The two are supported by weasel and dinosaur hunter Buck Wild. A new adventure begins
Wed, 04. May, Open Air, 3:00 pm
Regina Welker, Nina Wels // Germany 2019, 82 min
The stream in the forest no longer carries water. Hedgehog girl Latte and squirrel boy Tjum set out to retrieve the missing magic water stone. Their plan is not so easy, because the stone was stolen by the Bantur the bear king.
Wed, 04. May, Open Air, 7:45 pm
Child poverty concerns us all, because for children, being poor means being excluded from society. That’s why MACH DICH STARK and the ITFS have joined forces to produce a short film that says “Look!”. Director Anna Levinson from monströös and Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Social Affairs Manne Lucha come to the premiere and tell how they stand up for children.
Wed, 04. May, Open Air, 8:15 pm
Liu Jian // China 2017, 77 min, Chinese OV with German ST
Xiao steals a bag with a million yuan. The bag belongs to “Uncle Liu”, a feared crime lord and gangster who sends his trusted and ruthless hitman “Skinny” to retrieve his money. But other inhabitants of the Chinese provincial town are also after the money. A crazy chase begins.
Thu, 05. May, Open Air, 3:00 pm
Verena Fels, Sandor Jesse // Germany 2019, 73 min
While cleaning up the attic, Rabe Socke finds a treasure map. Together with his friends, he sets off in search of it. In the process, they not only experience lots of adventures, but they also have to reach the treasure before their competitors the beaver brothers do.
Thu, 05. May, Open Air, 8:15 pm
Aurel // France, Spain 2020, 72 min, franz./ span. OV with engl. ST
February 1939. Spanish republicans are fleeing Franco’s dictatorship to France. The French government built concentration camps, confining the refugees, where they barely have access to hygiene, water and food. In one of these camps, separated by barbed wire, two men become friends. One is a guard, the other is Josep Bartoli, an illustrator who fights against Franco’s regime.
Fri, 06. May, Open Air, 3:00 pm
Swinton O. Scott III // USA 2021, 58 min
Greg Heffly, a lanky teenager, would like to become rich and famous after graduation. He looks enviously at his best friend Rowley, who seems to be able to do everything at the drop of a hat. In his diary, Greg reports on his funny and sometimes disastrous everyday life.
Fri, 06. May, Open Air, 6:30 pm
In these challenging times, it is important to showcase the beauty and variety of Ukrainian animation. This programme is curated by Linoleum, the International Contemporary Animation and Media Art Festival that is held in Kyiv every year, since 2014. The festival is the biggest platform for short independent animation in Ukraine.
Fri, 06. May, Open Air, 8:15 pm
Domee Shi // USA 2022, 100 min
13-year-old Mei Lee is a normal teenager with a big secret: when she gets too emotional, she transforms into a giant red panda. This leads to some problems. But together with her friends, being a panda is only half as bad.
Sat, 07. May, Open Air, from noon
How does sustainable mobility work in Stuttgart? The best way is by bike! Together with Paul Lange and SHIMANO, we invite you to the big Bicycle Saturday. Come with your bike to the free check-up at the Shimano professional workshop tent: care tips included. On the open air stage and the LED wall you can expect special guests and an exciting film program about the bike. By the way: if your bike is not yet ready for spring, you can also come by train and bike in a relaxed, environmentally friendly way and for free: on Saturday, public transport in Stuttgart (zone 1) is free.
Sat, 07. May, Open Air, 3:00 pm
Jens Møller, Toby Genkel // Germany 2020, 82 min
The Olchis are looking for a new home and land with their dragon in Schmuddelfing, a pretty town with a big, smelly garbage dump. When eleven-year-old Max meets the Olchis at the garbage dump, he immediately realizes that they are the perfect solution to the town’s problem: They eat garbage! But unfortunately the unscrupulous contractor Hammer has his own agenda…
Sat, 07. May, Open Air, 7:00 pm
Embark on an animated, experimental, and psychedelic journey between cultures. Based on 1970s prog rock and featuring animation and film footage by Renaud Armanet and Flavie Darchen of tigoboANIMATION, musicians create a synaesthetic experience, that will premiere at the ITFS. In cooperation with Staatsoper Stuttgart.
Sun, 08. May, Open Air, 11:00 am
Axel Ranisch (director), Christopher Schumann (musical director), Philipp Contag-Lada (Video and Animation) // A production of Staatsoper Stuttgart 2022, 105 min
Where Hansel and Gretel grow up, there is rarely more to bite into than dry bread. In director Axel Ranisch’s production, the wicked witch solves the problem as a Charity Queen distributing delicious colourful sweets. The catch: the sweet stuff is made from unusual ingredients. The ITFS will show the video recording of the fairy tale play on Sunday morning as a matinée on the large LED screen at Stuttgart’s Schlossplatz. Beforehand, there will be an introduction to the production with Viktor Schoner, the artistic director of the Stuttgart Opera.
Sat, 07. May, Open Air, 8:15 pm
Sylvain Chomet // France, Belgium, Canada 2002, 81 min, French OV with German ST
In midst of the Tour de France, Champion, the grandson of Madame Souza, is kidnapped by two dark figures and taken by ship to the town of Belleville. Grandma Souza and her dog Bruno immediately take up the chase – with the help of a pedal boat and the singing Belleville sisters.
Sun, 08. May, Open Air, 3:00 pm
Jeff Tudor, Steven de Beul, Ben Tesseur // Netherlands, Germany, Belgium 2021, 82 min
The young happiness of Swan and Franz is threatened by Doctor Coppelius, whose artificially created creature Coppelia manages to cast a spell over Franz. Finally, the evil Doctor succeeds in rendering Franz will-less by means of an elixir. Swan sets out to save her lover. Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Sandman”.
Sun, 08. May, Open Air, 8:15 pm
Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith // USA 2021, 103 min
Set against the beautiful backdrop of Columbia, Encanto follows the magical story of the Madrigal family whose members miraculously receive magical gifts which they use to serve the people in their community. Encanto won the 2022 Academy Award for Animated Feature.