16th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS)

An audience of 50,000, 1,500 accredited expert visitors and 500 films! The Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film (May 05 – May 10, 2009) is developing to become the most important and largest event for animated film. Since its launch in 1982, the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film has continued to support artistic animated film, young talented filmmakers and the animated film industry. The supporting program covers a huge spectrum from school and studio presentations, through showcases with famous animated film artists and the popular Best-of-Animation series, to screenplay workshops presented by top-class experts. During the open air programme, centrally located at the Schlossplatz in Stuttgart, the local population celebrates together with guests from the whole world of animated film.

The short film “La Maison en Petits Cubes”, which was awarded an Academy Award in the category “Best Animated Short Film” by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences February 22, has been selected for the International Competition at the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film 2009.

The American-Japanese martial arts sequel “Afro Samurai: Resurrection” will be celebrating its European premiere. “Coraline” by Nightmare before Christmas director Henry Selick who will be a guest at the Festival and the cheeky Spanish animated adventure “The Missing Lynx” by Manuel Sicilia and Raul Garcia are two outstanding films which will be shown as German premieres. This lively animal hunt which recently won the “Goya”, the Spanish film award, was co-produced by Hollywood star Antonio Banderas (“The Legend of Zorro”).
“Bolt” director Chris Williams, Paul A. Felix (art director) and Adolph Lusinsky (look and lighting director) will be providing an insight into the production of the film at the Disney lectures.

Animation Coproduction Forum Eastern Europe
The Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film will be holding the Animation Forum Eastern Europe for the second time in cooperation with the Robert Bosch Foundation. The Forum’s main objective is to promote coproductions between German and Eastern European filmmakers and talents.

A SELECTION FROM THE SUPPORTING PROGRAM
Cheers! 100 years of German animated film
“Prosit Neujahr” (Happy New Year!) produced by Guido Seeber in 1909 was the first German animated film. To celebrate 100 years of German animated film, the Festival of Animated Film is showing an in-depth retrospective spanning the history of German animated film from its beginnings to the present day.

In the In Persona series, renowned, artistically outstanding animated filmmakers from all over the world will be giving a personal insight into their work and working methods. The Japanese animation legend, Keiichi Tanaami, one of the most important German representatives of artistic animated film, Helmut Herbst, and also Chris Shepherd and Suzanne Pitt are just some of those who will be there.

Internationally known, innovative animation studios will be presenting their working methods and films at the Studio Presentations as well as providing an exclusive preview of new exciting projects. In 2009 Walt Disney Animation Studios, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Dreamworks and Film Tecknarna are just some of the studios invited to participate.

The Festival will be showing the programmes of selected German and international film and art schools at the School Presentations. The participating schools include the Kyoto University of Art and Design, the ENSAD in Paris and The Animation Workshop from Viborg.

The Festival will close on May 10 with an award ceremony at 20:00 in the biggest cinema in town, the Gloria 1. All winners will be honored on stage and the audience will have the chance to see short clips from all awarded films. We invite all attendees of fmx/09 to join us for the award show!