International Animation Film Festival Stuttgart (ITFS)
Germany's largest animation film festival with Open Air at Schlossplatz
About ITFS
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ITFS — World-Class Animation Film Festival
The International Animation Film Festival Stuttgart was founded in 1994 and is now Germany's largest animation film festival and one of the most important worldwide. The organizer is Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart e.V., supported by the City and State of Baden-Württemberg, the BKM (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media), and numerous sponsors. With Oscar qualification for several competition categories, the ITFS is part of the global festival circuit eligible for nominations by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Schlossplatz Open Air — Free Animation Cinema for Everyone
A hallmark of the ITFS is the free Open-Air Cinema at Schlossplatz in Stuttgart-Mitte. On the five main festival days, Wednesday to Sunday, the open-air program starts daily from 4 PM and features a mix of short film highlights, classics, and festival previews – free of charge, with seating for hundreds of viewers. The Open Air is one of Stuttgart's most popular city festival stages and makes animation art accessible to a broad audience. The trailer film for 2026 is titled "KEY" and was created by animation students.
City Center Cinemas — The Competition Section
In parallel, the curated competitions and special programs run in Stuttgart's city center cinemas – Atelier am Bollwerk, EM Innenstadt-Kinos, and Metropol. Several competition categories are featured: International Competition, Feature Films, Children's Film, AniMovie, AniMatch, Young Animation. The prize money totals up to €90,000 – a significant amount in the international animation comparison.
Focus 2026: Lotte Reiniger and Silhouette Animation
The thematic focus for 2026 is silhouette animation with a tribute to the pioneer Lotte Reiniger (1899–1981). Reiniger is considered the inventor of the feature-length silhouette animation film ("The Adventures of Prince Achmed", 1926 – the world's oldest surviving feature-length animated film). A retrospective, special programs, and workshops will introduce Reiniger's work and the silhouette technique to new generations.
Stuttgart Animated Week — The Entire Industry in May
The ITFS is part of the Stuttgart Animated Week, which takes place concurrently with the festival week, combining the film festival, industry conference (FMX — Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Immersive Media), and animation market (Animation Production Day) into one of Europe's most important animation events. This makes Stuttgart the hotspot of the international animation industry for a week.
ITFS — edition 2026
ITFS 2026 — The 33rd Edition
From Tuesday, May 5th to Sunday, May 10th, 2026, the 33rd edition of the International Animation Film Festival Stuttgart will take place. Several hundred curated animation films from around the world – short films, feature films, abstract avant-garde films, and commercial mainstream productions – will be shown in various competitions and special programs. The 2026 trailer film is "KEY", created by animation students.
The free Open-Air Cinema at Schlossplatz makes the festival accessible to a broad audience – Stuttgart residents and tourists can enjoy a selection of festival highlights under the open sky free of charge. The city center cinemas Atelier am Bollwerk, EM Innenstadt-Kinos, and Metropol will present the curated competitions and program series.
Programme ITFS 2026
ITFS Program May 5–10, 2026
- Open-Air Cinema Schlossplatz – Wednesday to Sunday, daily from 4 PM, free. Program selection from festival highlights, special screenings, classics, family program.
- Competitions in the City Center Cinemas:
- International Competition (Short Film)
- Feature Film Competition
- Children's Film Competition
- AniMovie (Family and Mainstream Program)
- AniMatch (Industry Competition)
- Young Animation (Students)
- Focus 2026 — Silhouette Animation and Lotte Reiniger: Retrospective, special screenings, workshops
- Game Zone – Animation, games, immersive media to try out
- Workshops and Masterclasses for students, children, families
- FMX Industry Conference in parallel – Animation, Effects, Games, Immersive Media
- Animation Production Day – Industry Market
- Awards Ceremony – Prize money up to €90,000 distributed across the competitions; several categories Oscar-qualifying
Full program and tickets: itfs.de. Open-air program: itfs.de/news/open-air-2026.
Highlights ITFS 2026
- 33rd Edition – Germany's largest animation film festival
- Open-Air Cinema Schlossplatz Wed–Sun daily from 4 PM – free
- Focus on Silhouette Animation and Lotte Reiniger 2026
- Up to €90,000 in prize money, several Oscar-qualifying competitions
- Game Zone, workshops, family program
- Parallel FMX Conference and Animation Production Day
Prices ITFS 2026
Open Air Schlossplatz is free. Cinema tickets approx. €10–€14. Festival passes are cheaper. Accreditation for industry professionals is available for a fee. Advance booking via itfs.de.
Practical information — ITFS
Getting There
Train: Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) – from there, a 5-minute walk to Schlossplatz. U-Bahn (subway) stop Schlossplatz.
Airport: Stuttgart Airport (STR) – 30 minutes by S-Bahn (urban rail) to the city center.
Car: Public transport recommended – the city center is busy during the festival.
Addresses: Schlossplatz (Open Air, free access). City Center Cinemas: Atelier am Bollwerk, EM Innenstadt-Kinos, Metropol – all in Stuttgart-Mitte.
Admission and Tickets
Open Air Schlossplatz: free.
City Center Cinemas: Single tickets per program approx. €10–€14, festival passes are cheaper. Accreditation for industry professionals available for a fee. Advance booking via itfs.de.
Organizer
Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart e.V. (ITFS). More information: itfs.de.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place ITFS
Schlossplatz und Innenstadtkinos Stuttgart-Mitte
Schlossplatz, 70173 Stuttgart