The new ITFS management duo Annegret Richter and Heike Mozer proclaimed a festival of short distances, with the city centre transformed into a creative meeting place, thanks to festival cinemas, free open-air events, the GameZone and the new Festival Centre (over 250 visitors each day). More than 500 industry guests attended the festival, an increase of 25 per cent on previous years, with 40 per cent coming from abroad.
The event kicked off on 23 April with the Opening Ceremony, where the first seven films in the International Competition were screened. Among them, Mee and Burd (UK) won the ITFS Audience Award. On the following days, out of a total of 138 short and feature films, the Grand Prix Award was won by 27 (France-Hungary), while in the kids’ category, the Award for the Best Animated Children’s film went to #doudouchallenge, and the audience’s favourite to The Mystery of Missing Socks.
For four days, FMX – Film & Media Exchange, according to its motto, provided a space at Haus der Wirtschaftfor Connecting Ideas with 271 speakers, more than 3650 participants, spectacular presentations, intensive workshops and lively networking. On the first and second floors, it was possible to meet several animation schools and companies. Many sessions on Animation, Visual Effects, interactive and immersive media, AI, were packed, and long lines formed for presentations like The Sound of Dune 2.
Common themes shared by FMX and ITFS were the work of women in the animation industry, and a focus on Ireland, with a cinematic offer complemented by a wide-ranging programme with artist talks, workshops, panels and much more.
In 2025, the 33rd ITFS is planned for 6-11 May, and the 29th edition of FMX will take place from 6-9 May.
