Animation Production Days (APD)
Animation Production Days (APD) is Germany's leading animation co-production and financing market, held annually in Stuttgart as a joint venture of ITFS and FMX within Stuttgart Animated Week, curating ~50 projects and ~180 participants from 20+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersStuttgart, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Animation Production Days (APD) does
Animation Production Days (APD) is an annual co-production and financing market for animation projects, held in Stuttgart, Germany and organized by Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH, a non-profit gGmbH. Founded in 2007, APD operates as a joint venture of ITFS (Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film) and FMX (Film & Media Exchange) and forms the professional financing component of the broader Stuttgart Animated Week, which attracts up to 4,000 industry professionals annually. Each edition curates approximately 50 animation projects from more than 20 countries and convenes around 180 participants, including animation producers, broadcasters, film funds, distributors, and investors, in pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings coordinated via the Meeting Mojo scheduling tool.
The core product is the three-day co-production market, supplemented by an industry conference (focused debates and lectures), the APD Talent Programme, the digital APD Catalogue (produced as an e-catalogue since 2020), Roundtable and Talent Speed Pitch sessions, and the Trickstar Business Award. APD is not a technology company: its operations rely on third-party SaaS tools, including FIONA (festival management), Meeting Mojo (one-to-one scheduling), Stripe (payments), Zoom, Brevo/MailChimp (newsletters), and standard social media and analytics platforms. There is no proprietary software stack.
APD's revenue model is a hybrid of registration fees from professional participants and institutional co-funding. The event is co-funded by the EU's Creative Europe Media Programme (confirmed for 2025 and 2026), the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Art (MWK), MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg, and FFA. Registration fees are not publicly disclosed but are quote-based. The 21st edition is scheduled for 27-29 April 2027. Leadership is provided by Managing Directors Heike Mozer and Annegret Richter at the parent gGmbH, with Head of APD Marlene Wagener leading an ~8-10 person core organizing team that includes three curators.
Animation Production Days (APD) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Animation Production Days (APD)
- Legal name
- Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH
- Website
- https://animationproductiondays.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Animation Production Days (APD) is Germany's leading animation co-production and financing market, held annually in Stuttgart as a joint venture of ITFS and FMX within Stuttgart Animated Week, curating ~50 projects and ~180 participants from 20+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Animation Production Days (APD) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animation Co-Production and Financing Market
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional & Certification Expos Organizers (THAHABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Engineering & Technology Congresses (THAHAJAE)
Keywords
Where Animation Production Days (APD) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stuttgart
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Animation Production Days (APD) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Event Participation Fees: Revenue generated from participant registrations for the co-production market, including project submitters, producers, studios, and investors. Participation requires registration on the APD website.
- EU and Regional Funding: APD receives co-funding from Creative Europe Media Programme of the EU for 2025 & 2026, as well as support from Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Art (MWK), and MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg.
- Sponsorships and Partnerships: Support from organizational partners including Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH, Danish Film Institute, SLKS, and cooperation partners such as Animation Germany, CARTOON, and others.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Participant registration for co-production market |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Animation Production Days (APD) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Animation Production Days (APD) organizes an annual 3-day co-production and financing market in Stuttgart, Germany, that brings animation producers, studios, and project creators together with financing, co-production, and distribution partners through pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings. Approximately 50 animation projects are selected and presented per edition to around 180 industry professionals from over 20 countries, supported by a conference program with industry debates, networking meals, a digital catalogue, and a talent programme. APD is a joint venture of ITFS and FMX, organized by Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH as part of the Stuttgart Animated Week.
Product overview
Animation Production Days (APD) is Germany's most important co-production and financing market for animation, organized by Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH as a joint venture of ITFS and FMX. The core offering consists of the APD Co-Production Market, which facilitates one-to-one meetings between animation project creators and potential investors, supplemented by the APD Conference featuring industry-focused debates and lectures. The event is part of the Stuttgart Animated Week, a unique combined initiative with ITFS (Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film) and FMX (Film & Media Exchange). Additional programme elements include the APD Talent Programme supporting emerging creators, the digital APD Catalogue published since 2020, Roundtable & Talent Speed Pitch sessions, and the Trickstar Business Award. The event selects approximately 50 projects per edition and welcomes around 180 industry professionals from over 20 countries annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- APD Co-Production Market Annual co-production and financing market for animation projects in Germany, bringing together co-production, financing, and distribution partners through efficient one-to-one meetings. Approximately 50 projects are selected per edition and presented to ~180 industry professionals from 20+ countries.
- APD Conference Focused debates and lectures on current challenges of the animation industry, providing industry insights through presentations and panel discussions for registered participants.
- APD Talent Programme Program supporting the next generation of creative talent in animation, providing spaces for exchange, knowledge-sharing, and networking for emerging creators.
- Stuttgart Animated Week Combined event bringing together ITFS (Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film), APD, and FMX (Film & Media Exchange) simultaneously, creating a unique combination of festival, conference, and co-production market attracting up to 4,000 industry professionals each spring.
- APD E-Catalogue Digital catalogue listing selected projects and participants, replacing the printed format since 2020 and providing registered participants with curated project information.
- Trickstar Business Award Business award integrated into the APD programme recognizing outstanding animation business projects.
Companies that use Animation Production Days (APD)
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Animation Production Days (APD) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
Animation Production Days (APD) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- ITFS (Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film)coreAPD is a joint venture of ITFS and FMX. ITFS provides the festival component of the Stuttgart Animated Week, contributing animation film programming and audience engagement.
- FMX (Film & Media Exchange)coreFMX is the conference and professional exchange component of the joint venture. It provides industry conference programming and networking for the combined Stuttgart Animated Week.
- Film- und Medienfestival gGmbHcoreThe organizing entity that runs APD, ITFS, and FMX. Responsible for event management, operations, and administration of all three events.
- Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbHcoreCooperating partner providing institutional support. The Animationsinstitut at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg is involved in talent development and has produced projects featured at APD (e.g., SONG OF A TOAD trailer 2025).
- Landesmuseum WürttembergcoreMain venue for APD events. Located centrally in Stuttgart, easily accessible by public transport. Uses green electricity and is barrier-free.
- Danish Film InstitutesupportingSupporting partner providing support for Danish animation industry participation and projects at APD.
- CARTOON (European Association of Animation Film)supportingCooperation partner representing the European animation film industry, providing networking and promotional support.
- Animation GermanysupportingIndustry association cooperation partner representing German animation studios and professionals.
- DOK LeipzigsupportingDocumentary film festival cooperation partner providing cross-industry promotional support.
- Meeting Mojo LimitedsupportingMeeting scheduling tool provider used for APD's one-to-one meeting coordination. Based in Oxford, UK.
- Stripe Payments EuropesupportingPayment processing service provider for participant registration and event transactions.
- FIONA Festival ManagementsupportingWeb-based festival management database used for participant registrations, invitations, correspondence, and access control.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Animation Production Days (APD) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Series Mania Forum: European forum for series content co-production held in Lille, France. Comparable matchmaking format for producers and financiers, though focused on live-action series rather than animation.
Regional players
- Kidscreen Summit: Major children's content market in Miami covering animation, live-action, and digital kids' media. Comparable deal-making event with curated meetings, though broader than animation-only and US-centric.
- Berlinale Co-Production Market: Berlin Film Festival's co-production market for live-action features and series. Comparable business model (curated project selection, pre-scheduled meetings), but serves general film rather than animation specifically.
Broad incumbents
- European Film Market (EFM): Berlin's broader film sales and distribution market running alongside Berlinale. Comparable B2B market function for content acquisition and co-production, but serves all film genres rather than animation specialization.
Direct peers
- Cartoons on the Bay: Italian animation festival and industry event with pitch sessions and co-production opportunities. Comparable as a regional European animation market targeting producers and broadcasters seeking content deals.
- MIFA - Annecy International Animation Film Market: The business arm of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, running pitch sessions, meetings, and a marketplace for animation projects. Comparable as a curated animation deal-making market attached to a flagship festival.
- Cartoon Movie: European animation co-production forum held in Toulouse, focused on animated feature films in development. Direct competitor for animation producers seeking financing partners, with similar pitch-and-meet format and curated project selection.
- FMX - Film & Media Exchange: Stuttgart-based conference on animation, VFX, and digital media production. Already a joint-venture partner under Stuttgart Animated Week, but operates as an adjacent professional event serving the same animation ecosystem with conference programming.
- ITFS - Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film: Stuttgart's annual animation film festival and joint-venture partner under Stuttgart Animated Week. Comparable as a curated animation industry event serving producers, broadcasters, and audiences in the same geographic ecosystem.
Others
- Sunny Side of the Doc: Documentary industry market in La Rochelle, France, with similar pitch-and-meet format for project financing. Comparable market organizer model for a different content vertical, useful as a structural parallel for APD's operations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Animation Production Days (APD) social profiles
Digital presenceAnimation Production Days (APD) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Animation Production Days (APD) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Animation Production Days (APD) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Animation Production Days (APD) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Animation Production Days (APD)
What does Animation Production Days (APD) do?
Animation Production Days (APD) organizes an annual 3-day co-production and financing market in Stuttgart, Germany, that brings animation producers, studios, and project creators together with financing, co-production, and distribution partners through pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings. Approximately 50 animation projects are selected and presented per edition to around 180 industry professionals from over 20 countries, supported by a conference program with industry debates, networking meals, a digital catalogue, and a talent programme. APD is a joint venture of ITFS and FMX, organized by Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH as part of the Stuttgart Animated Week.
Is Animation Production Days (APD) a public or private company?
Animation Production Days (APD) is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Animation Production Days (APD) founded?
Animation Production Days (APD) was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Animation Production Days (APD) based?
Animation Production Days (APD) is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Animation Production Days (APD) make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Event Participation Fees are the primary driver. The others are EU and Regional Funding and sponsorships and Partnerships.
Who are Animation Production Days (APD)'s main competitors?
Series Mania Forum is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Kidscreen Summit and Berlinale Co-Production Market. European Film Market (EFM) is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Cartoons on the Bay, MIFA - Annecy International Animation Film Market, Cartoon Movie, FMX - Film & Media Exchange and ITFS - Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film. Sunny Side of the Doc is listed as an others.
Does Animation Production Days (APD) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Animation Production Days (APD).
What industry is Animation Production Days (APD) in?
Animation Production Days (APD)'s product category is Animation Co-Production and Financing Market. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHABAD, Professional & Certification Expos Organizers, with a secondary code of THAHAJAE, Engineering & Technology Congresses. Its NAICS code is 5121 and its SIC code is 7819.