Whether artistically unusual or pure entertainment – experience some of the best animated films from around the world in the festival programme. The ITFS 2022 will take place hybrid – on site in the cinemas and other venues in Stuttgart as well as online at OnlineFestival.ITFS.de.
In our festival library you will find a large part of this year’s competitions as well as other supporting programs to watch from your home – and for an extended period of time! Access is available with a Short Film Pass ONLINE+ or an Accreditation Professionals. Please note: The films in the ONLINE+ media library can only be accessed from Germany.
The International Competition (IC) is the beating heart of the festival. The best of current animated shorts from around the world are shown in this section. Films are humorous, contemplative, creative, or critical.
TheYoung Animation Competition (YA) shows selected animated short films made by students of international film and art schools. Young animation artists tell touching stories, create fantastic worlds and open new perspectives.
The Tricks for Kids Competitionconsists of age-based programmes of selected episodes of the most beautiful, international animated series for children of all ages. Children and their families can look forward to a journey across different continents, full of surprises and discoveries.
The 15 films in the Trickstar Nature competition are all dedicated to the topics of nature and sustainability in their own special, unique way. They show the beauty of our world and humorously point out grievances. The Trickstar Nature Award is presented by the NaturVision Film Festival.
The AniMovie competition for feature films presents a selection of internationally outstanding animated films of feature length.
At noon, we will gather the filmmakers from the International Competition and Young Animation at Café le Théâtre for a film discussion. Here you can ask your questions about the films that were shown the day before. Moderated by Franka Sachse and Shadi Adib (Young Animation Talks) and Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck (International Competition Talks).
The Panorama section is a showcase for current trends in the international animation scene. Discover creative films, explore recent topics and innovative animation techniques in different short film blocks.
Experience an exclusive selection of the most remarkable animated films since 1994 in four Best of Animation programs, with curator Mark Shapiro presenting his personal Animated Favourites from the ITFS competition history.
This year’s motto program is about animated film and its twelve principles, which range from abstraction to anticipation. And we are not exaggerating when we say that it is precisely the reduction to black and white that creates diversity at Black is Back! Hooray for the shades in between!
In our In Persona programs, outstanding and internationally renowned animators give personal insight into their work and answer your questions.
A special highlight this year is the Music & Animation Special: we show the short films of the old master Jochen Kuhn with live piano accompaniment by Daniel Kothenschulte. In addition, for all celluloid freaks, we will be playing the three In Persona programs at the Delphi Arthaus Kino in true 35 mm style.
These animated film highlights have rocked festival screens for the past 20 years and tackle what affects us all. It’s about bodies, lust, body awareness, but also about abuse, anorexia and social taboos. The three Wonderwomen programs, curated by Waltraud Grausgruber (Festival Director TRICKY WOMEN/TRICKY REALITIES, Vienna), are a femmage to the incredible strength of women’s animated film.
In this year’s Country Focus, we are turning our attention to Austria. The event formats in Focus Austria are as diverse as the animation landscape of the Alpine Republic. In addition to presentations and In Persona programs, 2 shorts programs from sixpackfilm will show avant-garde and experimental treasures, partly on 35mm. Fans of Austrian indie music should not miss the Austrian Animated Music Videos and if you like deep black humor, we welcome you to Siegheilkirchen.
Come with us on a journey through Europe’s animated film scene: In 3 programs we show selected short films from Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. Animation Around Europe: Bulgarian Animated Cinema we show courtesy of the National Film Center Executive Agency (NFC EA). At the open air cinema on Schlossplatz we show animated short films from Ukraine as a sign for peace and artistic freedom, curated by Linoleum Festival Kiev.
Weird, colorful, cult night! In collaboration with the Pop-Büro Region Stuttgart we will show the Best Animated Music Videos from the years 2021/22 and with the short film program Sous le tapis rouge (Under the Red Carpet) the artists of Tigobo Animation celebrate the artistic freedom beyond the usual festival circus. Animation of the Extreme takes you on a journey to the limits of the imaginable and into the abysses of animation. Pandemic Animation looks back at the highs and lows of the last two Pandemic years and shows that creativity and inspiration are everywhere and always possible.
Saturday afternoon at Gloria 2 is all about animation and engagement for and in Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg. With MACH DICH STARK – the initiative for children in the southwest we present “Hidden Heroes”: the filmmakers from the Berlin animation studio monströös show how the short film against child poverty was created and why. In addition, Götz Gruner presents the plans for the new foundation of the ITFS Förderverein and Kathrin Haag presents the Haus für Film und Medien. There will also be animated films to discover at all presentations. Admission is free.
Member of the Academy Ron Diamond presents the award-winning and nominated animated shorts of this year’s Oscars fresh from Hollywood and chats from the secrets of the dream factory!
You can discover contemporary positions in experimental animation in the XPRMTL Animation program. Some of the films take up traditions of abstract film, others are personal reflections on identity and home, or they formulate subversive media practices.
The 2021 program, put together by Max Max Hattler (City University of Hong Kong), Giovanna Thiery (Wand 5, Stuttgarter Filmwinter) and Ulrich Wegenast, has now been expanded to include more recent films.