Being home to almost 80,000 participants the the 23rd Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) gave its awards. The animated documentary Kaputt (Broken) by Alexander Lahl and Volker Schlecht (Production: Die Kulturingenieure)  won the festival's Grand Prix (15,000 EUR, donated by the State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Stuttgart).

 Kaputt is based on interviews with former prisoners, and provides a glimpse into the most notorious women's prison in East Germany.

Volker Schlecht (middle) wins the Grand Prix at Stuttgart Festival (c) ITFS

 The jury stated that this is a powerful record of the strength and cruelty of human nature. With raw and haunting images, the film examines a part of history which should not be forgotten.

 The Korean Afternoon Class (2015, 3' 50'') by Seoro Oh, an animation festivals favorite, won the Lotte Reiniger Promotion Award for Animated Film (10,000 EUR, sponsored by MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg).

Seoro Oh wins the Lotte Reiniger award for Afternoon Class (c) Stuttgart Festival for Animated Film

The jury commented on its highly imaginative story straight out of life, with confident direction, excellent timing, great animation, a very good sense of humour, and powerful imagery.

Paniek! by Dutch directors Joost Lieuwma (Things You'D Better Not Mix Up) & Daan Velsink (Production: il Luster Films) took home the SWR Audience Award (6,000 EUR).

Paniek! , Joost Lieuwma & Daan Velsink

 The award for best feature film (AniMovie Award) went to the Spanish Psychonauts: The Forgotten Children by Pedro Rivero and Alberto Vázquez, Production: Basque Films, ZircoZine Animation, Abrakam Estudio, La Competencia.

Psychonauts: The Forgotten Children

This post-apocalyptic tale was awarded for its wonderfully creative ideas and captivating abundance of styles.

The Russian film Pro Mamu (About a Mother) by Dina Velikovskaya (Production: School Studio "Shar")  won the Best Student Award.

Pro Mamu is a story about a other who has given so much that it looks like she has nothing left... but the life opens up the new opportunities.

 The full awards list:

International Competition

Grand Prix (15,000 EUR, donated by the State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Stuttgart):  Kaputt (Broken), Germany 2015, 7:00 min., Directors: Alexander Lahl, Volker Schlecht, Production: Die Kulturingenieure

Lotte Reiniger Promotion Award for Animated Film (10,000 EUR, sponsored by MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg): Afternoon Class
Republic of Korea 2015, 3:50 min,  Director: Seoro Oh

SWR Audience Award (6,000 EUR):  Paniek! Directors: Joost Lieuwma, Daan Velsink Production: il Luster Films

TELE 5 "Leider geil!" Special Award (2,500 EUR): Ivan's Need,  Switzerland 2015, 6:20 min Directors: Veronica L. Montaño, Manuela Leuenberger, Lukas Suter (Production: Hochschule Luzern – Design & Kunst)

Amazon Audience Award (5,000 EUR): Chateau de Sable France 2015, 5:43 min. Directors: Quentin Deleau, Lucie Foncelle,Maxime Goudal, Julien Paris, Sylvain Robert Production: École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (ESMA)

Young Animation – Award for the Best Student Film (2,500 EUR, sponsored by the Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg (LfK) and MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg):  Pro Mamu (About a Mother) Russia 2015, 8:00 min. Director: Dina Velikovskaya Production: School Studio "Shar"

FANtastisc Award ( 1,000 EUR,donated by the Animation Family, the most faithful fans of the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film):  Toutes Nuancées (All their shades) Belgium 2015, 5:46 min. Director: Chloé Alliez Production: Ecole national supérieur des arts visuels de la Cambre

Tricks for Kids – Award for the Best Animated Children's Short Film ( 4,000 EUR, sponsored by Studio 100 Media GmbH):  Alike, Spain 2015, 8:01 min. Directors: Daniel Martínez Lara, Nicolás Matji Production: La Fiesta PC

Tricks for Kids – Award for the Best Children's Animated Series National: Petzi: Schildkröteninsel, Germany 2015, 11:00 min., Directors: Michael Bohnenstingl, Paul Cichon, Johannes Weiland Production: Studio Soi GmbH&Co KG

International: The long Long Holiday: The Secret France 2015, 26:14 min., Director: Paul Leluc, Production: Les Armateurs, Blue Spirit Studio

AniMovie – Award for the Best Full-Length Animated Film: Psiconautas, los niños olvidados (Psychonauts, the forgotten children)
Spain 2015, 75 min. Directors: Pedro Rivero, Alberto Vázquez, Production: Basque Films, ZircoZine Animation, Abrakam Estudio, La Competencia

German Animation Screenplay Award (2,500 EUR, sponsored by Telepool GmbH):  Die Olchis – der Film, Writer: John Chambers

German Voice Actor Award: Kostja Ullmann for the role of Sam in the film "Sam O'Cool – Ein schräger Vogel hebt ab".

Crazy Horse Session – The 48 H Animation Jam In cooperation with M.A.R.K. 13, supported by the Landesanstalt für Kommunikation (LFK)
Team Lebanon: Lea Azar, Marylin Haddad

Local Heroes Games Award (5,000 EUR, donated by MFG Baden-Württemberg):  The Inner World by Tobias Frisch Production: Studio Fizbin

The next Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film takes place from May 2 to May 7, 2017.