Since 2006, the ITFS has been touring the world with a selection of the best animated films from the preceding festival. From October 2023, the programmes “Best of ITFS”, “Best of Tricks for Kids” and “Trickstar Nature Award” will present award-winning films, festival highlights and audience favourites of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film 2023.
“Best of ITFS” presents the award-winning films of the International Competition and the Young Animation student film competition, as well as a selection of other outstanding short films from the 2023 festival programme.
Fascinating abstract worlds meet humorous but also serious explorations of existential, historically relevant, and politically/socially explosive issues.
Priit Tender // Estonia 2022 // 14:07 // Puppet animation // Producer: Kerdi Oengo-Kuusik // Production: Oü Nukufilm // World sales: Oü Nukufilm
Ills of fortune have deported the aged ballet dancer Sergei to a suburban kolhoz. Here he’s having his mundane fight against routine, domestic animals and alcohol.
Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw // Netherlands 2022 // 9:15 // 2D / 3D computer // Producers: Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw // Production: Job, Joris & Marieke // World sales: SND Films
When the obsessive Instagrammer Florian takes too many selfies, he becomes transparent and has to struggle to keep his beloved followers.
Isaac Wenzek, Titouan Tillier, Trinidad Plass // France 2022 // 3:30 // 2D / 3D computer, animated objects, puppet animation // Producer: Cécile Proust // Production, school: EMCA (École des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation) // World sales: Miyu Distribution
Andy, followed by a friend filming the scene, goes to his recycling appointment. Wanda, the secretary of the company, welcomes him. We follow Andy through the whole process, until his last seconds of life.
Tal Kantor // France, Israel 2022 // 16:50 // Traditional animation, rotoscopy, mixed media // Producers: Emmanuel-Alain Raynal, Pierre Baussaron // Production: Miyu Production, The Hive Studio // World sales: Miyu Distribution
A Holocaust survivor reads a letter he wrote to the pig who saved his life. A young schoolgirl hears his testimony in class and sinks into a twisted dream where she confronts questions of identity, intergenerational collective trauma, and the extremes of human nature.
Jonatan Schwenk // Germany 2022 // 4:25 // 2D / 3D computer, puppet animation // Producer: Jonatan Schwenk // School: Hochschule Offenbach // World sales: Miyu Distribution
In the dark swamps of a nocturnal forest, a group of gleaming axolotls is in heat, nuzzling and nibbling one another’s limbs. Soon a much larger, two-legged forest-dweller encounters the lustful group and reaches down to gobble one of the small shimmering creatures. His plump friends start to partake as well, and a feast begins. While dawn is slowly breaking, a cheerful game begins higher up in the branches.
Juan Pablo Zaramella // Argentinia 2022 // 10:00 // paper cut-outs, other animation techniques // Producer: Sol Rulloni // Production: JPZtudio // World sales: JPZtudio
A journey through the conflictive relationship between a man, his social environment and
codes.
Volker Schlecht // Germany 2023 // 15:35 // cel animation // Producers: Alexander Lahl, Max Mönch // Production: mobyDOK // World sales: mobyDOK
In the rainforest of Costa Rica, a researcher lives for several years in a tiny little shack to observe frogs. When she leaves the place for a short time and returns, not a single frog is to be found anymore. The woman sets out to find them – and encounters a gruesome mystery.
Noah Erni // Switzerland 2021 // 3:03 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Noah Erni // Production: Studio uuuh! // World sales: Studio uuuh!
In 2031, due to global warming a young polar bear has to leave her home and moves to Zurich. Together with the other animals who have fled, she ekes out a living with odd jobs. But then she has a world-changing idea!
The programme presents a selection of the seven most beautiful short films of the Tricks for Kids competition that were met with enthusiastic reception by both young and older ITFS 2023 audience. The topics and stories are varied and powerful, entertaining, and thoughtprovoking.
The young audience gets an insight into fantastic worlds full of adventure, excitement and fun. In addition to loose, varied stories that at the same time have emotional depth, topics such as dealing with a child’s imagination, longing, friendship and family cohesion are conveyed in an aesthetically impressive and child-friendly way.
The film selection incorporated the ratings of the ITFS Children’s Jury and the voting for the Tricks for Kids Audience Award. The films have no dialogue, except for ELEGY OF ELEPHANT, which is still understandable to a younger audience with three short lines of dialogue in Mandarin and English subtitles. The films are recommended for children aged 5 years and older.
Adriana Bouissie, Chloé Lauzu, Elisa Drique, Marie Bordessoule, Nadine de Boer, Solenne Moreau, Vincent Levrero // France 2022 // 6:41 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Coline Moire // Production, school: École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (ESMA) // World sales: Yummy Films
Living in the forest, little spider Temi dreams of catching the moon. For that, she will do anything.
Sean McCarron // Kanada 2022 // 10:31 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Sean McCarron // Production: McCarron Productions // World sales: McCarron Productions
A little boy who loves nature, especially crows, struggles to fit in with his schoolmates.
Julia Ocker // Germany 2022 // 3:37 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Thomas Meyer-Hermann // Production: Studio FILM BILDER GmbH // Distribution: Studio FILM BILDER GmbH // tv station: KiKA, SWR
The cat has a special delicious recipe: Mouse Soup!
Anne-Sophie Gousset, Clément Céard // France 2022 // 7:15 // 2D / 3D computer, cel animation // Producers: Ivan Rouveure, Reginald de Guillebon // Production: Les Armateurs, Folimage // World sales: Folimage
To be sisters is about a special bond and laughing together. To be sisters is to be propelled by
love. But these particular sisters share an extra something a bit different, and that’s absolutely fine.
Dina Velikovskaya // Germany 2022 // 7:37 // 2D / 3D computer, paper cut-outs // Producers: Florian Grolig, Lilia Schneider // Production: smplfilms Florian Grolig, CINÉ-LITTÉ Productions // World sales: CINÉ-LITTÉ Productions
A king and a queen have almost everything: Love, castles, horses, gardens but something is missing. Desperately they search for the perfect seed to grow a child, but the only thing sprouting is their garden.
Sergio Lu // China 2022 // 8:29 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Shengying Ai // School: School of Animation and Digital Arts, Communication University of China // World sales: Communication University of China
The leading elephant Nana was rescued by an old man when she was young. Many years after Nana returned to nature, she sensed the old man’s death, which led her back with the herd to mourn for him.
Alžbeta Mačáková Mišejková // Czech Republic 2022 // 8:16 // cel animation // Producers: Martin Vandas, Ondrej Sejnoha // Production: Maur Film, FAMU – Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts // School, world sales: FAMU – Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts
Two little girls are playing with a ball. But after a petty quarrel, they get angry with each other and take offense. Their umbrage makes them inflate like balloons and they fly all the way up to the clouds. The Girls get stuck up there, with no idea how to get down and save their kitten stuck in the tree.
The Trickstar Nature Award films tackle issues of climate change, biodiversity, the environment, and sustainability, spotlighting them in visually powerful and shrewd animations and encouraging critical reflection in both humorous and more serious ways.
This Trickstar Nature Award reel reflects the fears and hopes of humans facing an uncertain future. What changes will take place in our relationship with nature? What shape will our coexistence take in an ever-changing society? The short films from the competition give us a sense of foreboding, but also allow us to dream.
The award is sponsored by Verband Region Stuttgart
Adeline Faye // Belgium, France 2022 // 11:50 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Marc Faye // Production: Novanima // World sales: Novanima
One morning, a group of citizens discovers a big dying whale in the middle of the city. They can’t get around it, so they’ll have to face the animal body. This encounter is about to transform them in an unexpected way.
Simon de Diesbach // Switzerland 2022 // 7:37 // 2D / 3D computer, other animation techniques // Producer: Fred Truniger // Production, school: Hochschule Luzern Design & Kunst // World sales: Simon de Diesbach
In a forest he digitized, Simon runs. Within an autobiographical narrative where the images were entirely captured in the forest of Chaney in Switzerland, running embodies the intimate link between the protagonist and the forest, a forest that is now being destroyed by a gravel pit. Immersed in a fragmented world, Simon questions the reasons that pushed him to 3D scan his forest.
Volker Schlecht // Germany 2023 // 15:35 // cel animation // Producers: Alexander Lahl, Max Mönch // Production: mobyDOK // World sales: mobyDOK
In the rainforest of Costa Rica, a researcher lives for several years in a tiny little shack to observe frogs. When she leaves the place for a short time and returns, not a single frog is to be found anymore. The woman sets out to find them and encounters a gruesome mystery.
Noah Erni // Switzerland 2021 // 3:03 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Noah Erni // Production: Studio uuuh! // World sales: Studio uuuh!
In 2031, due to global warming a young polar bear has to leave her home and moves to Zurich. Together with the other animals who have fled, she ekes out a living with odd jobs. But then she has a world-changing idea!
Nicholas Hooper H. // Chile 2022 // 13:45 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Tomás Benavente // School: School of Communication, UC Chile // World sales: Nicholas Hooper H.
Mecha is the wandering soul of an environmental activist who dies under suspicious circumstances. Her death generates commotion in town and unleashes mixed feelings in her family. This leads Mecha to seek reconciliation with her son Juan and make him take charge of her fight.
Kalp Sanghvi, Nandini Rao, Nirupa Rao // Inda 2022 // 6:51 // 2D / 3D computer, other animation techniques // Producers: Nandini Rao, Nirupa Rao // World sales: Nirupa Rao
A little girl stumbles into a sacred grove near her village in south India. She disturbs the spirit of the forest, who takes her on an adventure through time to illuminate the origins of this ancient swamp and her place in its continuing legacy.
Isaac Wenzek, Titouan Tillier, Trinidad Plass // France 2022 // 3:30 // 2D / 3D computer, animated objects, puppet animation // Producer: Cécile Proust // Production, school: EMCA (École des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation) // World sales: Miyu Distribution
Andy, followed by a friend filming the scene, goes to his recycling appointment. Wanda, the secretary of the company, welcomes him. We follow Andy through the whole process, until his last seconds of life.
Jérôme Cortie // France 2022 // 15:24 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Natalia Trebik // Production, school, world sales: Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains
When its scientific mission comes to an end, a satellite monitoring climate change deorbits to a devastated Earth. In this mad race for survival, it meets a guide operating for Pelerin, an apocalypse tourism agency that offers survivors expeditions to thrilling places.
David C. Crisp // Hungary 2023 // 9:46 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: József Fülöp // Production, school: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest // World sales: Hungarian National Film Institute
A series of insights into the meaning of life and the moral concerns of humans, told through a selection of animals in their natural habitats, re-enacting unfortunate everyday situations and highlighting the absurd nature and preposterous consequences of ethics, emotion, behaviour and the very concept of humankind on planet earth.
This film is not available in Hungary.
“Best of ITFS” presents the award-winning films of the International Competition and the Young Animation student film competition, as well as a selection of other outstanding short films from the 2023 festival programme.
Fascinating abstract worlds meet humorous but also serious explorations of existential, historically relevant, and politically/socially explosive issues.
Priit Tender // Estonia 2022 // 14:07 // Puppet animation // Producer: Kerdi Oengo-Kuusik // Production: Oü Nukufilm // World sales: Oü Nukufilm
Ills of fortune have deported the aged ballet dancer Sergei to a suburban kolhoz. Here he’s having his mundane fight against routine, domestic animals and alcohol.
Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw // Netherlands 2022 // 9:15 // 2D / 3D computer // Producers: Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw // Production: Job, Joris & Marieke // World sales: SND Films
When the obsessive Instagrammer Florian takes too many selfies, he becomes transparent and has to struggle to keep his beloved followers.
Isaac Wenzek, Titouan Tillier, Trinidad Plass // France 2022 // 3:30 // 2D / 3D computer, animated objects, puppet animation // Producer: Cécile Proust // Production, school: EMCA (École des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation) // World sales: Miyu Distribution
Andy, followed by a friend filming the scene, goes to his recycling appointment. Wanda, the secretary of the company, welcomes him. We follow Andy through the whole process, until his last seconds of life.
Tal Kantor // France, Israel 2022 // 16:50 // Traditional animation, rotoscopy, mixed media // Producers: Emmanuel-Alain Raynal, Pierre Baussaron // Production: Miyu Production, The Hive Studio // World sales: Miyu Distribution
A Holocaust survivor reads a letter he wrote to the pig who saved his life. A young schoolgirl hears his testimony in class and sinks into a twisted dream where she confronts questions of identity, intergenerational collective trauma, and the extremes of human nature.
Jonatan Schwenk // Germany 2022 // 4:25 // 2D / 3D computer, puppet animation // Producer: Jonatan Schwenk // School: Hochschule Offenbach // World sales: Miyu Distribution
In the dark swamps of a nocturnal forest, a group of gleaming axolotls is in heat, nuzzling and nibbling one another’s limbs. Soon a much larger, two-legged forest-dweller encounters the lustful group and reaches down to gobble one of the small shimmering creatures. His plump friends start to partake as well, and a feast begins. While dawn is slowly breaking, a cheerful game begins higher up in the branches.
Juan Pablo Zaramella // Argentinia 2022 // 10:00 // paper cut-outs, other animation techniques // Producer: Sol Rulloni // Production: JPZtudio // World sales: JPZtudio
A journey through the conflictive relationship between a man, his social environment and
codes.
Volker Schlecht // Germany 2023 // 15:35 // cel animation // Producers: Alexander Lahl, Max Mönch // Production: mobyDOK // World sales: mobyDOK
In the rainforest of Costa Rica, a researcher lives for several years in a tiny little shack to observe frogs. When she leaves the place for a short time and returns, not a single frog is to be found anymore. The woman sets out to find them – and encounters a gruesome mystery.
Noah Erni // Switzerland 2021 // 3:03 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Noah Erni // Production: Studio uuuh! // World sales: Studio uuuh!
In 2031, due to global warming a young polar bear has to leave her home and moves to Zurich. Together with the other animals who have fled, she ekes out a living with odd jobs. But then she has a world-changing idea!
The programme presents a selection of the seven most beautiful short films of the Tricks for Kids competition that were met with enthusiastic reception by both young and older ITFS 2023 audience. The topics and stories are varied and powerful, entertaining, and thoughtprovoking.
The young audience gets an insight into fantastic worlds full of adventure, excitement and fun. In addition to loose, varied stories that at the same time have emotional depth, topics such as dealing with a child’s imagination, longing, friendship and family cohesion are conveyed in an aesthetically impressive and child-friendly way.
The film selection incorporated the ratings of the ITFS Children’s Jury and the voting for the Tricks for Kids Audience Award. The films have no dialogue, except for ELEGY OF ELEPHANT, which is still understandable to a younger audience with three short lines of dialogue in Mandarin and English subtitles. The films are recommended for children aged 5 years and older.
Adriana Bouissie, Chloé Lauzu, Elisa Drique, Marie Bordessoule, Nadine de Boer, Solenne Moreau, Vincent Levrero // France 2022 // 6:41 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Coline Moire // Production, school: École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (ESMA) // World sales: Yummy Films
Living in the forest, little spider Temi dreams of catching the moon. For that, she will do anything.
Sean McCarron // Kanada 2022 // 10:31 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Sean McCarron // Production: McCarron Productions // World sales: McCarron Productions
A little boy who loves nature, especially crows, struggles to fit in with his schoolmates.
Julia Ocker // Germany 2022 // 3:37 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Thomas Meyer-Hermann // Production: Studio FILM BILDER GmbH // Distribution: Studio FILM BILDER GmbH // tv station: KiKA, SWR
The cat has a special delicious recipe: Mouse Soup!
Anne-Sophie Gousset, Clément Céard // France 2022 // 7:15 // 2D / 3D computer, cel animation // Producers: Ivan Rouveure, Reginald de Guillebon // Production: Les Armateurs, Folimage // World sales: Folimage
To be sisters is about a special bond and laughing together. To be sisters is to be propelled by
love. But these particular sisters share an extra something a bit different, and that’s absolutely fine.
Dina Velikovskaya // Germany 2022 // 7:37 // 2D / 3D computer, paper cut-outs // Producers: Florian Grolig, Lilia Schneider // Production: smplfilms Florian Grolig, CINÉ-LITTÉ Productions // World sales: CINÉ-LITTÉ Productions
A king and a queen have almost everything: Love, castles, horses, gardens but something is missing. Desperately they search for the perfect seed to grow a child, but the only thing sprouting is their garden.
Sergio Lu // China 2022 // 8:29 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Shengying Ai // School: School of Animation and Digital Arts, Communication University of China // World sales: Communication University of China
The leading elephant Nana was rescued by an old man when she was young. Many years after Nana returned to nature, she sensed the old man’s death, which led her back with the herd to mourn for him.
Alžbeta Mačáková Mišejková // Czech Republic 2022 // 8:16 // cel animation // Producers: Martin Vandas, Ondrej Sejnoha // Production: Maur Film, FAMU – Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts // School, world sales: FAMU – Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts
Two little girls are playing with a ball. But after a petty quarrel, they get angry with each other and take offense. Their umbrage makes them inflate like balloons and they fly all the way up to the clouds. The Girls get stuck up there, with no idea how to get down and save their kitten stuck in the tree.
The Trickstar Nature Award films tackle issues of climate change, biodiversity, the environment, and sustainability, spotlighting them in visually powerful and shrewd animations and encouraging critical reflection in both humorous and more serious ways.
This Trickstar Nature Award reel reflects the fears and hopes of humans facing an uncertain future. What changes will take place in our relationship with nature? What shape will our coexistence take in an ever-changing society? The short films from the competition give us a sense of foreboding, but also allow us to dream.
The award is sponsored by Verband Region Stuttgart
Adeline Faye // Belgium, France 2022 // 11:50 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Marc Faye // Production: Novanima // World sales: Novanima
One morning, a group of citizens discovers a big dying whale in the middle of the city. They can’t get around it, so they’ll have to face the animal body. This encounter is about to transform them in an unexpected way.
Simon de Diesbach // Switzerland 2022 // 7:37 // 2D / 3D computer, other animation techniques // Producer: Fred Truniger // Production, school: Hochschule Luzern Design & Kunst // World sales: Simon de Diesbach
In a forest he digitized, Simon runs. Within an autobiographical narrative where the images were entirely captured in the forest of Chaney in Switzerland, running embodies the intimate link between the protagonist and the forest, a forest that is now being destroyed by a gravel pit. Immersed in a fragmented world, Simon questions the reasons that pushed him to 3D scan his forest.
Volker Schlecht // Germany 2023 // 15:35 // cel animation // Producers: Alexander Lahl, Max Mönch // Production: mobyDOK // World sales: mobyDOK
In the rainforest of Costa Rica, a researcher lives for several years in a tiny little shack to observe frogs. When she leaves the place for a short time and returns, not a single frog is to be found anymore. The woman sets out to find them and encounters a gruesome mystery.
Noah Erni // Switzerland 2021 // 3:03 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Noah Erni // Production: Studio uuuh! // World sales: Studio uuuh!
In 2031, due to global warming a young polar bear has to leave her home and moves to Zurich. Together with the other animals who have fled, she ekes out a living with odd jobs. But then she has a world-changing idea!
Nicholas Hooper H. // Chile 2022 // 13:45 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Tomás Benavente // School: School of Communication, UC Chile // World sales: Nicholas Hooper H.
Mecha is the wandering soul of an environmental activist who dies under suspicious circumstances. Her death generates commotion in town and unleashes mixed feelings in her family. This leads Mecha to seek reconciliation with her son Juan and make him take charge of her fight.
Kalp Sanghvi, Nandini Rao, Nirupa Rao // Inda 2022 // 6:51 // 2D / 3D computer, other animation techniques // Producers: Nandini Rao, Nirupa Rao // World sales: Nirupa Rao
A little girl stumbles into a sacred grove near her village in south India. She disturbs the spirit of the forest, who takes her on an adventure through time to illuminate the origins of this ancient swamp and her place in its continuing legacy.
Isaac Wenzek, Titouan Tillier, Trinidad Plass // France 2022 // 3:30 // 2D / 3D computer, animated objects, puppet animation // Producer: Cécile Proust // Production, school: EMCA (École des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation) // World sales: Miyu Distribution
Andy, followed by a friend filming the scene, goes to his recycling appointment. Wanda, the secretary of the company, welcomes him. We follow Andy through the whole process, until his last seconds of life.
Jérôme Cortie // France 2022 // 15:24 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: Natalia Trebik // Production, school, world sales: Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains
When its scientific mission comes to an end, a satellite monitoring climate change deorbits to a devastated Earth. In this mad race for survival, it meets a guide operating for Pelerin, an apocalypse tourism agency that offers survivors expeditions to thrilling places.
David C. Crisp // Hungary 2023 // 9:46 // 2D / 3D computer // Producer: József Fülöp // Production, school: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest // World sales: Hungarian National Film Institute
A series of insights into the meaning of life and the moral concerns of humans, told through a selection of animals in their natural habitats, re-enacting unfortunate everyday situations and highlighting the absurd nature and preposterous consequences of ethics, emotion, behaviour and the very concept of humankind on planet earth.
This film is not available in Hungary.
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