STUTTGART INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
OF ANIMATED FILM (ITFS)

It’s not a Trick. It’s Animation!

May 5–10 2026

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) is one of the leading festivals for artistic animation. With around 70,000 visitors each year, it is among the largest film festivals in Germany in terms of audience attendance and the second-largest animation film festival in Europe. Since its founding in 1982, ITFS has developed into a key meeting point for the international animation industry, the emerging creative scene and a broad regional audience.

Each year, the festival transforms Stuttgart’s city centre into a hub of animation for one week. Competitions, curated film programmes, talks and interactive formats present the full spectrum of animated filmmaking – from artistic short and feature films, which are increasingly rare in commercial cinemas, to innovative games.

Focus on Silhouette Film

With this years’ focus, we pay tribute to the pioneer of animated film Lotte Reiniger and her style-defining animation technique. The occasion is this year’s anniversary: 100 years ago, on 2 May 1926, her film THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED premiered in Berlin – to this day, it is considered the world’s oldest existing feature-length animated film. Learn about this fascinating animation technique, important contemporary representatives and current developments at ITFS 2026.

ITFS is organised by Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH on behalf of its shareholders: the City of Stuttgart, Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart and the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (representing the State of Baden-Württemberg).