129 short films and 6 feature-length films will compete at the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film, running April 23-28.
The International Trickfilm Festival (ITFS), which takes place in Stuttgart April 23-28, has shared key highlights and scheduling from this year’s upcoming event. The festival received over 2,000 submissions from 74 countries and will feature more than 400 films in the cinema and over 100 films from 34 countries at the Open Air. Overall, 129 short films and six feature lengths films have been selected for the official competition.
The Competitions:
- International competition: ITFS is one of seven Oscar-qualifying animated film festivals
- Student Competition: Short films by international students
- Tricks for Kids: The best short films for children from nursery to teenage years
- Animovie: Feature film competition for children and adults
- Trickstar Nature Award: The best-animated shorts on climate protection, sustainability
Festival-Highlights 2024
The new Festival Centre in the Haus der Katholischen Kirche is walking distance from festival cinemas and the open air on Schlossplatz. It is also home to the Filmmakers Lounge and hosts the filmmakers’ talks, receptions, discussions, and presentations. INSIGHTS: events such as panels, masterclasses, and work in progress are at Eugen-Bolz-Saal. The complete program is available here.
Here’s the competition program schedule
Check out the films in competition here:
International Competition
- Tue – Sat at 20:00 | cinema: Gloria 1 - repeated at 2:30 the following day.
- Filmmakers Talk (at the Festival Centre) 10:00 the following day.
Student Competition
- Wed – Sat at 18:00 | cinema: Gloria 2 – repeated at 10:30 the following day.
- Filmmakers Talk (at the Festival Centre) at 12:30 the next following day.
Tricks for Kids
- Wed – Sat at 15:30 | cinema: Gloria 2
AniMovie
- AniMovie (adults): Wed – Sat at 20:30 | cinema: Gloria 2
- AniMovie (kids): Thu – Sat at 15:00 | cinema: Gloria 1
Trickstar Nature Award
- Fri at 20:00 | cinema: Cinema – repeated Sat at 10:00 | cinema: Gloria 1
Open Air
- Wed – Fri, 14:00 – 22:00
- Sat and Sun, 12:00 – 22:00
German Animation
The 2024 festival focuses on the domestic animation industry and will include several German short films screened in International Competition. In addition, two programs featuring current German films will illustrate the spectrum of German filmmaking. The festival will also host the world premiere of Fritzi and Sophie by Matthias Bruhn, Thomas Meyer- Hermann and Ralf Kukula.
Special Focus Ireland
The program will also look at the young progressive animation scene from the Emerald Isle, which has grown over the past two decades. A special program will feature films and guests in association with Animation Ireland and offer insights and encounters with Irish filmmakers – in cooperation with the Zeitgeist Ireland 24 initiative.
Strong Women
- Špela Čadež (Slovenia), co-founder of Finta Studio in Ljubljana, is presenting her films.
- Michaela Pavlátová (Czech Republic) is honored with the ASIFA Award in Stuttgart.
- Ebele Okoye, who focuses on the empowerment of women in animation in Africa, will lead a masterclass, "Impact Storytelling beyond borders, gender, and medium."
- Isabel Herguera presents her feature film Sultana's Dream and will offer insight into her work in a workshop discussion.
Visit the ITFS website for additional information; tickets are now on sale.
Source: ITFS
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
