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.”

The post New Trailer walks FMX 2026 home first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The legendary FMX conference will celebrate its 30th edition from May 5 to 8, 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in 1994 by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, FMX has evolved from a student event into one of (or even THE) the world’s leading gatherings for professionals in animation, visual effects, realtime graphics, and digital media.

The 2026 edition runs under the theme “The Road Ahead”, a nod to both the conference’s anniversary and the industry’s perpetual motion. According to FMX organisers, the event will explore transformation in creative production, from AI-driven workflows to new collaborative models, all while honouring three decades of digital artistry and technical ingenuity.

From “Jurassic Park” to Generative Pixels

The first FMX took place in the wake of Jurassic Park’s CG revolution and just before Toy Story hit theatres. Thirty years later, the creative toolbox has shifted from Silicon Graphics workstations to neural networks, but the mission remains: connect artists, engineers, and educators in a space where future workflows are debated and occasionally demystified.

FMX’s organisers call this anniversary “an opportunity to honour the past, survey the present, and discuss the future of digital media creation.” The quote of choice for 2026 comes from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “Our task is not to predict the future, but to make it possible.” In other words: no crystal balls—just solid pipeline design.

On Site, Online, and Still in Stuttgart

FMX 2026 continues the hybrid format introduced in recent years: three days on site in Stuttgart’s Haus der Wirtschaft, followed by one exclusive online day for remote sessions. The organisers promise “brand-new and first-hand tech and innovation” as well as discussions around AI, global production pipelines, and sustainability in digital media—though detailed programme announcements are still pending at press time.

If past editions are any indication, attendees can expect a mix of production breakdowns, realtime showcases, and a steady supply of caffeine-fuelled networking. Also, if you plan to attend: book your hotel early. By the time the keynote titles are announced, Stuttgart tends to run out of beds.

A History in Motion

From Jurassic Park to Avatar, from Toy Story to Fortnite, FMX has mirrored the evolution of film and interactive media. It has hosted artists and technologists from across the world, reflecting how postproduction and visual storytelling have adapted to every new wave of technology.

The 2026 key visual, titled “Bus Buddy”, comes from the FMX trailer produced by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, another annual tradition that gives the event its visual identity. The trailer itself will be unveiled on FMX’s online channels soon.

Save the Date, Seriously

FMX is a calendar fixture for many in postproduction, VFX, and realtime graphics. Hitting its 30th anniversary is both a reason to celebrate and a reminder that, yes, we’ve all been rendering frames for quite a while now.

So: mark your calendars, Stuttgart, May 5–8, 2026, and prepare for another round of technical talks, production insights, and the occasional philosophical debate over whether Pixels can actually “have a soul”, and if “color is real” while standing atthe Schlesinger or Maritim Bar. Just random examples.

And if the last three decades of FMX have taught us anything, it’s this: the tools will keep changing, but the coffee machine will always be there.

The post FMX Turns 30 in 2026 first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.