Highlights for Professionals

Workshop Talk: Comic “Ahmadjan and the Wiedehopf”

in German only

Maren Amini talks about the life and art of her father Ahmadjan Amini along the story of the “Conference of Birds” (by Fariduddin Attar 1136 to 1220). The story moves through the hippie era in Afghanistan, the music and art scene of the 1970s in Kabul and in Hamburg, and to freedom fighters far up in the mountains of the Hindu Kush, at a time of peace movements, wild parties and a looming endless war.

Speaker:
Maren and Ahmadjan Amini (Berthold Leibinger Prize winners) on the comic “Ahmadjan and the Hoopoe”.

Wed, 26. April, 1:00 PM, Cinema

Studio presentation: Job, Joris & Marieke and Those Eyes

In this studio presentation, two innovative studios give insight into current projects and their working methods. Under the motto “Three heads are better than one”, Job, Joris & Marieke (The Netherlands) present their children’s series “Swop”, while Those Eyes (Denmark) discuss how they work with interactive and authentic storytelling according to the principle “Do the Story”.

Speaker:
Marieke Blaauw – Job, Joris & Marieke
Trine Laier – Those Eyes

Wed, 26. April, 3:30 PM, Cinema

Lecture: Breakthru – New Directions in Painting Feature Films

“Loving Vincent”, both a box office and critical success, was the first animated feature film comprised of oil paintings. With three new animated films based on oil paintings and a further developed animation technique, BreakThru Films are striving to build on their success. As “The Peasants”, based on the Nobel Prize winning novel by Władysław Reymont, nears completion, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream“ and “The Blaze“ are currently in production.

Speaker:
Monika Folkierska-Zukowska (VFX- und Animationsproduzentin) – Breakthru Films

Thu, 27. April, 11:00 AM, Cinema

Workshop: Musikdesign and scoring for animated short films: A transcultural collaboration

Since 2012 the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University Singapore and the programme Musikdesign at Musikhochschule Trossingen are collaborating: Students from Trossingen create the scores for the graduate film of the Singaporean animation students. The workshop provides – using film examples – fascinating insights into this very modern form of working together: Digitally connected across continents and cultures.

Speaker:
Prof. Hannes Rall (Nanyang Technological University Singapore)
Prof. Olaf Taranczewski (Musikhochschule Trossingen).

Thu, 27. April, 1:00 PM, Cinema

Panel-Talk: Animating AI – Die Rolle der KI in der Animation

The influence of artificial intelligence in film production is steadily growing. Yet behind every AI there are still human artists. While a hybrid between human and AI speaks to us on screen, the panel talk will offer a voice to the people who are in an artistic dialogue with AI.

Fri, 28. April, 11:00 AM, Cinema

Workshop Talk: Enter late, exit early: Dramturgy in the animated Short film

“Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.” This is Alfred Hitchcock’s answer to the question of what is key and what to avoid in story development. What is true for feature films is especially true for animated shorts. Unlike any other form of visual storytelling, here the focus is on the essence of the narrative through condensation and selection.

Speaker:
Marco Kreuzer (VeDRA – Association for Film and Television Dramaturgy) discussing with animation artists Tal Kantor, Izabela Plucinska and Joseph Pierce, as well as Gesa Engel, producer and lecturer for story development at the Animation Institute Ludwigsburg

Fri, 28. April, 1:00 PM, Cinema

Film Talk: From Programmes to Programming:
Building Access and Diverse Talent Pipelines in Animation

In cooperation with Animation Production Days

The HBO Max X WBD Access Animated Shorts Programme provides underrepresented artists, who have not had the opportunity to create an original work for a network or streaming service, with access to a production budget, mentorship and support to create their original animated short film. We will explore this as a model for identifying and championing new voices in animation, going from programmes to programming.

In addition, selected films from “Only you” [HBO Max Original Series], a collection of animated short films, will be shown.

Speaker:
Vanessa Pfeiffer (Director, Equity + Inclusion, North America Warner Bros. Discovery)
Amanda Miller (Producer, Psyop)
Orsolya Sipos (Producer, Salto Films)

Fri, 28. April, 3:30 PM, Cinema

Work in Progress 1 – 2

In cooperation with Animation Production Days

The Work in Progress slots feature selected animated projects which are in various stages from “in concept” to “in production”. The directors and producers share first samples of their projects, which include animated feature films, short films, series or cross-media projects.

 

Work in progress – German projects & co-productions

Fri, 28. April, 6 PM – 7 PM, Cinema

  • UNDER THE CLOUDS (in concept / 2D animated short film / families and children, 4-10 years)
    presented by Sebastian Gadow (writer, director, design, arkanum pictures, Germany) and Lukas Knoll (producer, arkanum pictures, Germany)
  • THE DRAGON’S TREASURE (in development / 2D animated feature-length film / families and children)
    presented by Ashkan Rahgozar (writer, director, Hoorakhsh Studios, Iran), Ali Samadi Ahadi and Fran Geiger (producers, Little Dream Entertainment, Germany)
  • WOODBLOCK
    Bye Bear (finished mid May 2023 / animated short film / young adults, adults)
    Dungeon Police (in financing / animated series / young adults)
    VOID (in financing / animated feature length film / 90 minutes / adults)
    BLUE MARBLE (in financing / animated series / children 9-12 years)
    presented by Ilija Brunck (CEO Woodblock, Germany) and Helen Choi (CD Woodblock, Germany)

 

Work in progress – International animated series

Sat, 29. April, 11 AM – 12:30 PM, Cinema

  • BUG CITY (in development / live puppets w/2D and VFX / animated series / teenagers 13-25 years)
    presented by Kjersti Greger (producer, Klipp og Lim, Norway) and Jøran Wærdahl (director, Norway)
  • Las Almas de Escazú (in development / digital rotoscope/ animated documentary series / 15 – 50 years)
    presented by Nicholas Hooper H. (director and producer, CUBHO Audiovisual, Chile)
  • MEERTALES (in development / 2D animated series / children 8-12 years)
    presented by Jenna Gien (producer Mind’s Eye Creative, South Africa)

Character Animation with the Disney Legend Andreas Deja

Disney Legend Andreas Deja offers an illustrated overview of his 30-year career at Disney as one of the company’s most celebrated animators. From his early days, being mentored by one of Disney’s renowned “Nine Old Men” Eric Larson, to working on the ground-breaking animated/live-action hybrid “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” right up to becoming one of Disney’s go-to lead animators who has created some of the most memorable and awe-inspiring Disney villains. Highlights include backstories from his development of iconic characters such as Jafar (“Aladdin”), Scar (“The Lion King”), Gaston (“Beauty and the Beast”) and King Triton (“The Little Mermaid”).

Sat, 29. April, 1:00 PM, Cinema

 

European premier: “Mushka” by Andreas Deja

Following the film screening, the audience receive a glimpse behind the scenes of the film’s developement – starting from classic animation influences, such as Disney’s “101 Dalmations”, up until the search for the perfect team to help bring the vision of “Mushka” to life.
https://mushkathemovie.com/about

Sat, 29. April, 3:30 PM, Cinema

Focus South Africa

In cooperation with the South-African Cape Town Internation Animation Festival (CIAF) and the Triggerfish Foundation, as well as the support of the Deutschen Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), ITFS is offering South African animation talents, well-known players and professionals a platform to showcase the new voices and trends of an aspiring South African animation industry, in the form of case studies, workshop and panel talks, studio- und school presentations.
On Wednesday, Triggerfish Animation Studio & Foundation describe the company’s mission and vision. On Thursday, Cabblow Studios, Pixcomm und Dipopaai introduce themselves in a joint studio presentation. Later, a film talk offers an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of Disney’s “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire”. In a workshop talk / case study on Saturday, creatives from The Hidden Hand Studios and the Makers of Taba Ye discuss establishing an authentic, African aesthetic on the international stage. Finally, a master class about the successful women in the animation industry takes place on Sunday.

  • Studio presentation – Triggerfish Connects:
    Wed, 26. April, 11:00 AM, Cinema
    Speaker: Stuart Forrest, Mike Buckland – Triggerfish
  • School presentaion – Triggerfish Academy & The Animation School:
    Wed, 26. April, 12:30 PM, Gloria 2
    Speaker: Colin Payne, Nuno Martins
  • Film Talk – Disney’s “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire”:
    Thu, 27. April, Gloria 2, 12:30 PM
    Speaker: Lesego Vorster, Kaya Kuhn, Stuart Forrest, Shamik Majumdar, Orion Ross
  • Studio presentation– Shaping and Diversifying the South African Animation Landscape:
    Thu, 27. April, 6:00 PM, Cinema
    Speaker:
    Nic Buchanan – Pixcomm
    Kabelo “Cabblow” Maaka, Dr Tshepo P. Maaka – Cabblow Studios
    Kearatwa “KK” Sedidi – Dipopaai
  • Workshop-Talk & Case Study – The Establishing of Authentic African Aesthetics:
    Sat, 29. April, 12:30 PM, Gloria 2
    Speaker: Lesego Vorster, Ross Lelliott, Mogau Kekana, Leroy Le Roux – The Hidden Hand Studios
  • Master Class – Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Empowering Women in the Animation Industry:
    Sun, 30. April, 1:00 PM, Cinema
    Speaker: Kate Forsdick, Kaya Kuhn and Kaydee de Villiers

School Presentations:

Leading schools showcase a selection of outstanding animated works by their students as well as their study programs

  • The Animation School & Triggerfish Academy: Wed, 26. April, 12:30 PM, Gloria 2
  • Filmhochschule Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF 1: Wed, 26. April, 6:00 PM, Cinema
  • Filmhochschule Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF 2: Thu, 27. April, 3:30 PM, Cinema
  • Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia Torino: Fri, 28. April, 12:30 PM, Gloria 2
  • Cartoon Network meets Hochschule Luzern: Sun, 30. April, 12:30 PM, Gloria 2
  • Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg & Animationsinstitut: Sun, 30. April, 3:00 PM, Gloria 2