APD Profile

Animation Production Days (APD) is the most important co-production and financing market for animation in Germany. It brings together co-production, financing and distribution partners for animation projects in efficient one-to-one meetings and offers focused debates and lectures on current challenges of the industry with the APD Conference.

APD is a curated business platform for the European and international animation industry with approximately 180 participants each year. Animation producers from over 20 countries present their projects from the fields of film, TV series, games, cross-media and XR to potential co-production partners and investors in pre-planned one-on-one meetings. Each year, around 50 projects are selected from a growing number of submissions for presentation at APD, many of which are still at an early stage of development. Eight of the selected projects are chosen as part of the APD Talent Programme, which gives European newcomers the opportunity to present their projects in a professional environment.

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and FMX – Film & Media Exchange, whose programmes present and discuss the entire spectrum of creative forms of expression and technological innovations in animation media and related disciplines, take place at the same time as Animation Production Days. This very special combination of film festival, congress and co-production and financing market has seen the three events develop into a platform that is unique in Europe. Today the “Stuttgart Animated Week” attracts up to 6,000 industry representatives to Stuttgart every year.

APD is a joint venture of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and the FMX – Film & Media Exchange. APD is organised by the Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH in co-operation with Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH.

Who can participate

  • European producers with a fresh, innovative project for which they are looking for co-production partners and investors
  • Production companies and studios looking for projects in which they can participate
  • Representatives of broadcasters, streaming platforms, distributors, publishers, world sales agents and investors looking for innovative animation projects
  • National and international funding institutions for film, television and digital media
  • Young European talents who would like to apply for the APD Talent Programme

What type of projects can be submitted?

  • TV series, TV specials, feature films
  • games, mobile content, crossmedia and extended reality (VR, AR, MR) animation projects
  • short film projects, but only if they can be further developed into other formats
  • projects should be at concept and development stage
  • they should be suitable for and open to European co-productions
  • they should have potential for IP (Intellectual Property) development and for European and international distribution

We are particularly looking forward to receiving projects that convincingly integrate topics such as diversity and ecological sustainability, both in terms of content and in their development and realisation.