Juror Bendazzi describes the Stuttgart Festival as, "one of the great animation festivals in the world!"

While we're sitting in the blazing noon sunshine, over mineral water and coffee, I'm interested to find out her views about the Stuttgart Festival and the awards, in particular its main prize. She considers that in its selection for the competition, Stuttgart chooses the more artistically orientated animations than other festivals generally do -- which is a good thing, she adds, and more to her own aesthetic taste and direction. In terms of the awards and prizes at the Stuttgart Festival, there were at least 10 films in the international competition that the jury considered very good in different ways and on the same level, but only one could win. In this context, the important criterion for the international jury was to consider how an award would benefit the filmmaker.

She points out that the animation world is a small community, and considering what a director may do next in their work and development is very important. By this consideration, an agreement was easily reached by the jury. Pessoa regards the winning animation as, "a wonderful film, artistically strong."

Change of location, and to the festival Café le Theatre. Here I could talk to the renowned animation critic and historian Giannalberto Bendazzi (Milan, Italy) who is also member of the Jury for the international competition. He is professor of history of animation at the Università degli Studi di Milano, and author of the book, Cartoons, 100 Years of Cinema.

He describes the Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart as, "one of the great animation festivals in the world!" His regard for the festival is echoed by his appreciation of the high standard of the competition films this year, and he suggests that at least 15 films would be deserving of prizes, or even more. Each film conveys a particular quality, while the themes and subjects of the animations differ greatly. One "never can compare quality with quality" he explains, as distinct from merely a personal reaction of liking or disliking something. Actually, he would have been happy with 10 prizes!

The festival, actually 25 years old, has been annual since this year.

However, it was not difficult to reach a decision for the main winner, because the jury was harmonious and shared the same philosophical viewpoints. Bendazzi felt that the winning animation is, "extremely sincere so you feel that there is a real inspiration and a real human being behind it." A particular quality is that the film "doesn't try to please you, it tries to tell you something."

Are there any particular trends evident in animation currently? Bendazzi doesn't believe so, but observes that the general state of health of "high level animation" in the context of the independent festivals or "high culture" animation (distinct from popular culture) is very good at the moment; in fact, he considers that since the 1960s when the first animation festival was established in France, independent animation, at the moment, is flourishing worldwide.

The 14th Trickfilm Festival Turns 25 Years
Established as one of the largest animation festivals in the world, the Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart, turned annual in its 14^th edition. Actually, it has also turned 25 years!

To gain an understanding about the festival's background and development I have the opportunity to chat with Ulrich Wegenast, the festival's artistic director since 1996 and designer of the film programming.

This animation festival started 25 years ago in the 1980s as a small festival of student films and shorts, in just one cinema. This aspect is still evident by the importance of the student films in competition and the strong link to the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg in the region. The focus on the artistic animated film (as animation for adults, not just for kids) and the student animations in the main competitions provides the nucleus for the festival, Wegenast explains: "Also in terms of audience," as the competition programs are actually the best attended screenings.

The starting point for the animation festival since its beginning, is "the artistic animated film" or der künstlerische Animationsfilm. This has contributed to the festival's success, both critically and in audience terms. The budget for the festival is now in the upper range of a six-figure Euro amount, indicated Dittmar Lumpp, the festival's managing director.

During the 48H-3D-Jam Red Girl Session, six teams of animation students compete to create 30-second animations in 3D CGI, within 48 hours. The animators set up and work in an area open to the public and festival visitors.

An increase in animation production worldwide seems evident by the increased entries of films to the festival each year. As apparent by the diverse range of animations, the festival's aim is to widen its programs even further to represent animation a whole: shorts, student, more features, tricks for kids, as well as animated series and applied animation, and to reach new audiences.

The festival is also developing a project and business platform, to initiate new content and projects in animation. For example, the Film & Media Festival Association also runs other events, such as the German Corporate Film Award, the Short Film Documentary Conference, and the Short Film Biennale in Ludwigsburg, and produces a "Best of Animation" program, which tours to different regions and other cities, making the festival visible throughout the year. The aims have indeed become all encompassing. The cooperation between the festival and the fmx is very important, facilitating communication and exchange for the industry and professionals on a much larger scale than previously possible.

Festivals are mainly about networking, says Wegenast, and also for politicians and the audience to see that there is a worldwide culture, where globalization also means an exchange of ideas and aesthetics, not just a commercial exchange, and on a higher level it means, "an understanding of each other; it's a humanistic approach."

Are there any particular trends evident in animation currently? Wegenast considers that over the last five years or so there has been a hybridization of animation where different aesthetics merge; there is no longer a strict ideology about computer animation; it's becoming very organic where animators can concentrate on the artistic/aesthetic and narrative/storytelling aspects; yet through the contemporary technology and processes animation allows for a quicker reaction, to create films faster or on the spot, and there is the increased necessity for greater interaction not only in the business sense but in knowledge transfer.