The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film will be taking place annually from now on
In their meeting on February 3rd 2006 the partners of the Film- und Medienfestival GmbH (FMF) laid important groundwork for the FMF. Under the new management of Dittmar Lumpp and Ulrich Wegenast the activities of the Film- und Medienfestival GmbH can be expanded thanks to a significant increase in subsidies from the City of Stuttgart, the Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart and the City of Ludwigsburg.

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film will from now on be taking place annually instead of every two years. "This will enable the Festival to strengthen its position in the industry even further," said Dr. Susanne Eisenmann, Mayor of Stuttgart responsible for cultural affairs. " In addition, the FMF will be responsible for organizing the German Industrial Film Prize, which is already well-established in Ludwigsburg. The artistic director of the Baden-Württemberg Film Academy and chairman of the Board of the FMF, Prof. Thomas Schadt, believes that increasing the partners’ contributions will result in "development potential for the European Short Film Biennale, which is also organized by the FMF, and for other activities taking place near the Film Academy."

The managing directors of the FMF, Ulrich Wegenast und Dittmar Lumpp, emphasized the position of the FMF in both a regional and international context: "Thanks to the partners increasing their contributions, the Film- und Medienfestival GmbH is currently in the rare but fortunate position of being able to expand the events and festivals further and therefore play a crucial role in strengthening the media region of Stuttgart. Organizing the Festival of Animated Film annually will also lead to a considerable increase in the visibility and presence of the event on an international level."