ITFS / FMX Wrap the successful digital debut from the animation production days

The fourteenth edition of Animation Production Days (APD), which took place this year as a purely digital event, concluded on Friday afternoon, successfully bringing together animation players from around the world to discuss tomorrow's hits.

A total of 123 participants from 21 countries registered for the APD Digital Edition. The selected animation projects and possible collaborations were discussed in about 600 individual pre-programmed video meetings from 5 to 8 May through a specially configured online tool. APD is a joint venture of the Stuttgart International Animation Film Festival (ITFS) and FMX - Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Immersive Media, APD is the leading commercial platform for animation in Germany.

Dieter Krauß, commercial director of Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH (FMF), the organizers of ITFS, was delighted with the success: “It was a great feat to reorganize APD as a digital event so quickly! Our sincere thanks to our colleagues Marlene Wagener and Amelie Mack for this commitment! "

FMF Artistic Director Professor Ulrich Wegenast added: "I am very pleased that the animation production days have been so well received in their new digital form. This approach could be an opportunity for APD to develop a hybrid event. in the future ".

In early March, 50 of the submitted projects were selected for presentation at the 2020 APD. On March 13, when the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the event in Stuttgart, 160 professionals had already registered to participate.

“It actually became clear to us that we had to try and get a digital version up and running. An important part of the preparatory work had already been done and, for many animation producers, APD is a key event to advance the development of their projects. As one-to-one meetings are at the heart of APD, we are focused on making them possible digitally, ”said Marlene Wagener, Head of Animation Production Days.

“With this year's digital edition of APD, we feel we have found a suitable format for a time of crisis, but we hope to be able to meet again in person next year. Because without personal contact, we will not be able to produce personal films in the long term, "said Andreas Hykade, president of the FMX conference.

Participants in the APD were also surprised and pleased with the results of the quickly reconfigured event:

"I never imagined that a digital edition with one-on-one video encounters could work as efficiently as it did. However, I'm looking forward to meeting again in person during an analogue edition in 2021." - Stefan Pfäffle, Deputy Director of fiction, acquisitions and co-production, KiKA (Germany)

“Electronic meetings are almost as effective as face-to-face meetings, which is the trademark of APD. We had many fantastic speeches and many laughs. ”Thomas Borch Nielsen, CEO and producer, Nice Ninja (Denmark)

APD plans to return to Stuttgart in 2021. www.animationproductiondays.de/en

The online edition of ITFS is taking place now on OnlineFestival.ITFS.de.