The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (itfs.de/en) will welcome around 85,000 visitors to Das neue Herz Europas between April 26 and May 1 this year, and details of the program are beginning to be sketched in. The festival and its partner events, the FMX conference and Animation Production Day, are set to once again offer the latest in artistry, technology and industry resources.
Highlights of the 2016 schedule include:
+ Studio presentations from LAIKA, Psyop, Studio Soi, A. Film, Copenhagen Bombay, and more.
+ Special Guests including Eric Shaw, Nick Cross, Ron Diamond, Raul Garcia, Spela Cadez and Marianne Khoury.
+ International and German premieres in the feature film and series competitions, in cooperation with MIPTV, MIP Junior and Cartoon Forum.
+ Feature country Denmark will offer studio presentations, workshops and a retrospective program.
+ Meeting opportunities at Animation Production Day and APD Conference, this year focused on animated documentaries in cooperation with Documentary Campus.
+ Animated Video Market, where you can watch all films submitted to the festival.
+ Screenplay workshops exploring VR storytelling, animated learning tools, graphic novels and more.
+ Game Zone activities include presentations, talks and the Games Award.
+ Meet & Greet with 2,500 attending professionals at the Animation Lounge, at various parties and receptions or in between sessions.
Early Bird accreditation rates are available until March 10 online.
