Feedback from the participants of the Animation Production Day, a mutual event by FMX and ITFS in cooperation with Michael Schmetz Mediaconsult, was overwhelmingly positive. The third edition of this financing platform had been considerably expanded in comparison with previous years and now included games, TV series and mobile content in addition to animated movies. The key to the event's unique success is that creatives meet with potential investors in pre-arranged individual discussions instead of public pitchings. At APD in Stuttgart this year, 60 European companies discussed a production volume of 140 million Euro. The organizers chose to focus on exclusiveness and concentration -- class instead of mass. And the concept is proving itself. Even in critical times, the difficult search for financers has lead to a disproportionately high number of happy endings. The mutual interest and openness on both sides of the business tables was tangible: "The discussions began at the Animation Production Day and will be continued. The producers here were excellently prepared with business plans and very professional. We encountered only win-win situations," commented for example the representative of the Commerzbank. Thanks to the overwhelming presence shown by the industry in Stuttgart, the founding of the newly created Alliance of German Producers could be announced at the APD's kickoff in the presence of Dr. Christoph E. Palmer.

fmx/09 is an event by Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg in cooperation with VES Visual Effects Society, AIAS Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, ACM Siggraph and 5D Conference. It is funded by the Ministry of State Baden-Wuerttemberg, the Ministry of Economic Affairs Baden-Wuerttemberg, MFG Baden-Wuerttemberg Public Film Fund & Public Innovation Agency for Information Technology and Media, the FFA German Federal Film Board, and the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. It is organized by the Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction at Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg, and NX Publishing.

For more information visit www.fmx.de.