26/04/2007

From April 26-May 1, the 14th Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film will transform the southern German town into the European animation capital.

No less than 500 titles will screen in five competition sections (which will award prizes worth a total €42,500) and parallel sections.

The 160 films in official competition were selected from among over 1,600 submissions. "The move from a biennial to an annual festival has worked very well. In 2007 we have had more submissions than in the previous year – which shows that the animation film sector is booming," stressed Ulrich Wegenast, artistic director of the festival.

The other competition categories are: Young Animation, Tricks for Kids, Animovie and Animated Series. The parallel Panorama section provides an overview of the latest trends in animated film while other sections are more retrospective in nature, such as The Best of Animation, which features a selection of animated films from the last decade, and the Under Commission section, which offers an insight into commissioned animation.

The In Persona section will host meetings and workshops with well-known animators. Other events include discussions, exhibitions and additional workshops for the young and not-so-young, as well as the Animation Production Day (April 30-May 1) for industry professionals.

This year the festival will be presenting a new award for Best German Screenplay. The winner will be chosen from 30 entrants on April 28 and awarded prize money of €5,000 by the German Evangelical Church.

(Translated from French)