Festival Description

Founded in 1982, ITFS ranks among the world’s most important events for animated film in all its aspects, and with its intersections with visual effects, architecture, art, design, music, science, games, et al. Every year, it attracts up to 100,000 visitors and industry professionals from all over the world with the best of high-quality animations and interactive works.

ITFS is organized by Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH, established in 2000, which has made it its business ever since to promote high-quality media content and create outstanding film and media events, so as to achieve a sustainable strengthening of the creative industries in the Stuttgart region.

ITFS is an Oscar-qualifying festival that offers directors, production companies and distributors as well as talent and all further professionals from the animation and games industries a platform to present their films, interactive and transmedia works as well as VR and AR projects to an interested, wide audience and a large number of industry representatives. The competitions and film programmes screened at Innenstadtkinos are the heart of the festival. A total of up to 90,000 € in prize money is awarded by international expert juries in currently twelve competition categories.

 ITFS Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film Coverage

(Featured Articles)

2026

• ITFS 2026 Winners

2025 

• Swiss Animation Directors, Films and Projects to Watch at the Swiss Focus @ ITFS 2025
• Interview with Antonin Niclass (Swiss Focus @ ITFS 2025)

2024

• '27', 'Sirocco' in the 2024 ITFS Winners

2020 

• REPORT: Impressions from online ITFS festival 2020

 ITFS Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film Call for Entries

2027 ITFS call for entries - Currently not open. Submission details will be reported here when announced by the festival

(2026 Archive)
Animated films completed after October 1, 2024 can now be submitted for the main competitions of the Festival. Only Animated Films of up to 30 minutes in length are admitted for entry in the International Competition, the Student, the Trickstar Nature Award and in the children’s film competition Tricks for Kids.

Short Film Competitions

• International Competition: International animated short films up to 30 minutes in length (fee: € 10.00 for each submission).
• Student Competition: Animated short films by students or graduates of a film, art or media university up to 30 minutes in length.   (fee: € 5.00 for each submission)
• Tricks for Kids: Animated short films and series episodes for children up to 12 years of age, up to 30 minutes in length  (fee: € 5.00 for each submission)
• Trickstar Nature Award: Animated short films on climate protection, biodiversity, the environment and sustainability up to 30 minutes in length.  (fee: € 5for each submission)

AniMovie: Animated feature films with a running time of at least 60 minutes that have not been distributed commercially in Germany (fee: € 10.00 for each submission).

• Festival Regulations
• Submit via ShortFilmDepot
• Deadline: 15 November 2025 (all categories except for AniMovie competition), 15 January 2026 (AniMovie Competition)

Browse the Festival Coverage Archive

NB: 2027 Festival Dates are tentative