The new trailer for FMX 2026, created by students at the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg’s Animationsinstitut, pitches the upcoming milestone 30th-edition of the conference with a sense of optimism and transformation. The trailer’s standout visual? A bus growing legs.
Director Julian Mehn says the goal was to “create a sense of connection”, the core spirit of FMX, by showing something unexpected happen in an everyday moment. With the walking bus, hovering rocks, and raindrops alluding to previous films such as “Shape of Water” and “Avatar”, the team intended the trailer as a tribute to their creative inspirations. The final shot doubles as the “key visual” for FMX 2026. The filmmakers consciously steered away from visual darkness. Instead, they aimed for a sunrise-lit world that feels hopeful and inviting, capturing what they imagine as a “road ahead” toward future possibilities.
Because of time constraints, the team kept production pragmatic: they parked an actual bus in the Filmakademie yard for a week, shot its interior, and scanned the vehicle to rebuild it digitally for the animated transformation. According to Mehn, even unexpected weather, a surprise snowfall , stood in contrast to their intended summer night setting. The trailer’s audio was recorded live with an orchestra in Sofia, described by the team as a labour of love from many contributors. Mehn and crew hope the trailer will put the industry and community “in the mood” for FMX’s conference sessions.
FMX 2026 in context
FMX (short for Film & Media Exchange) is widely and rightfully regarded as Europe’s most important conference for animation, VFX, games, interactive and immersive media. Each spring, international professionals and students gather for FMX’s mix of presentations, panel talks, workshops, master classes, and company showcases. The “FMX Forum” complements the main conference with a marketplace, a recruiting hub for studios looking for talent, and a “School Campus” where media schools present their programmes and student projects, making FMX a major industry crossroads.
For 2026, FMX marks its 30th edition. According to what the Animationsinstitut announced with the trailer, part of the event’s spirit will involve a nod back to its roots and perhaps a forward-looking “road ahead.”
