ITFS 2026 Heads Back to Stuttgart with a Lotte Reiniger Silhouette Tribute
Skwigly
The 33rd Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) will take place from 5 to 10 May 2026. With a curated programme of international and national competitions, thematic film series, and interactive formats, the ITFS will once again make the city of Stuttgart the central meeting place for animated films, filmmakers, and audiences. A special focus in 2026 will be on films using the silhouette technique, complemented by the specific expansion of offers for children, young people, and families under the title Young ITFS.
Focus 2026: Silhouette – Tribute to Lotte Reiniger
With its focus on silhouette, the ITFS pays 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, Lotte Reiniger’s film THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED premiered in Berlin. The silhouette film is considered to be the world’s oldest surviving feature-length animated film.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed animation Lotte Reiniger
Lotte Reiniger is considered a pioneer of silhouette film. Her moving life story shows what a strong woman she was. She fled from the Nazis and lived and worked in London, Paris, Rome – and ultimately in Baden-Württemberg. Her work thus deservedly takes centre stage in a special programme focus on this year’s ITFS.
The aim is to highlight Baden-Württemberg’s cultural film heritage and demonstrate its continuing relevance. Furthermore, the ITFS enables open participation and access to art and culture through a wide range of offerings – including silhouette animation and beyond.
The great thing about a festival like the ITFS is that it provides a platform for international animated films that are rarely seen in Germany, thereby creating a new space for aesthetic education and internationality. This broader perspective is indispensable because it sharpens perception, strengthens empathy, and broadens perspectives.
Heike Mozer, Managing Director of Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH
Young ITFS: Animated Films for Children, Young People, and Families
Under the title Young ITFS, the festival brings together programmes and activities for children, young people, families, and educational institutions. These include:
- ITFS Tricks for Kids Competition: Current international short films in four age-appropriate programmes selected by a jury of experts. Moderated film discussions, German live voice-over, and a children’s jury bring the cinema experience to life and encourage open exchange.
- Young ITFS Films: Curated feature films, short films, series, and exclusive premieres for families and young film fans – in the cinema and at the Open Air Schlossplatz.
- Young ITFS Explore: In free come-and-go activities and workshops on animation and games, children create their own animated films, characters, and ideas – playfully, creatively, and as a team.
- Young ITFS Educate: Targeted formats for schools and daycare centres in the form of educational short and feature film programmes, workshops, and class room materials – age-appropriate from kindergarten to high school.
Young ITFS sees itself as an invitation not only to watch animated films, but also to actively experience them, question them, and get creative.
With our animated films and workshops, we combine teaching about artistic forms of expression with critical engagement with media and lots of fun watching, discovering, and doing things ourselves. We see our educational offerings as part of our socio-political mission, as well as an opportunity for democratic participation in the festival – because culture is important to us as a society and that we can actively shape.
Annegret Richter, Artistic Director of Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH