Highlights for the upcoming festival include screenings of ‘Memory Hotel’ ‘Vengeance Most Fowl,’ with a masterclass hosted by Aardman’s Will Becher; ITFS runs from May 6-11.
Still from ITFS 2025 trailer. Image: Knubbels © Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg.
The 32nd Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) is set to spotlight handmade films, with a focus on stop-motion. ITFS and the Animation Production Days (APD) will also highlight the artistry of Switzerland. The fest runs from May 6-11.
Puppet animation, which was featured in multiple submissions, will be included in the “Tricks for Kids” and “International Competition” programs. StopTrik Festival’s Olga Bobrowska has crafted “best of” and historical puppet animation films for the “Focus on Stop-Motion.”
Recent feature films will be featured, such as Memory Hotel by German animator Heinrich Sabl and the stop-motion animated comedy Vengeance Most Fowl by Aardman. Animator and director Will Becher will host a masterclass and share behind-the-scenes insights from the film as well as screen the new Wallace & Gromit feature.
With a special focus on Swiss animation, the promotion agency Swiss Films has collaborated with the Swiss Consulate General, and GSFA (Groupement Suisse du Film d'Animation), to present programs such as “Women in Swiss Animation” and “Future Minds: Films by Upcoming Talents.”
The Swiss focus brings fresh discoveries alongside familiar faces, including animator Elie Chapuis, who presented his film No Dogs Or Italians Allowed at ITFS 2024 and hosted a masterclass. In 2025, he will organize a puppet and set exhibition for the stop-motion film Sauvages, which will be on display during the festival week.
Several teams have collaborated to create both 2025 trailers, with Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg producing. The ITFS trailer is based Knubbels by Ilya Lorenz Barret, while the APD 2025 trailer is based on the short film Song Of A Toad.
The ITFS website offers up-to-date information for the upcoming fest, including calls for submissions:
- Work in Progress (February 15)
- Trickstar Business Award (March 1)
- Children’s Jury (March 1)
Starting this year, projects competing for the Trickstar Business Award can pitch to industry professionals during the newly introduced Professional Afternoon (May 9, 2 PM) at the Festival Centre. The AniX Awards ceremony at 7 PM in the Eugen Bolz Hall will announce the winners of the screenplay awards and the €7,500 Trickstar Business Award, funded by the Stuttgart Region Association.
With prize money totaling nearly €60,000, ITFS features five competitions:
- International Competition for Animated Short Films
- Student Competition for film and art school students
- Tricks for Kids – Animated Short Films for Children
- Trickstar Nature Award – Animated Short Films on Nature and Environment
- AniMovie – International Feature Film Competition
Source: ITFS
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
