The Institute for Intelligent Interaction and Immersive Experience (IIIX) at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences regularly produces innovative student projects at the intersection of technology, design and application. A current example of this is the AI-generated short film "A Pug's Date" by Theresa Probst, which was created as part of her bachelor's thesis. The film was developed in cooperation with the Filmboard Karlsruhe and serves as the official trailer for this year's INDEPENDENT DAYS | 25th Karlsruhe International Film Festival.
Studying with Creative AI
"A Pug's Date" shows how artificial intelligence can be used for creative projects in higher education: Theresa Probst uses the AI trailer to tell the story of Otto the pug, who sets off on a date with pug lady Karlina - the festival's iconic award trophy. The urban environment is consistently staged from a dog's perspective: streets, cars and people appear oversized and potentially dangerous. Despite all the obstacles, Otto and Karlina pursue their goal unwaveringly: to go to the INDEPENDENT DAYS to see a movie together.
The roughly two-minute trailer has no dialogue and relies entirely on visual storytelling. AI serves as a creative tool to develop visual worlds, animations and atmosphere - an approach that is exemplary for many projects at IIIX.
The IIIX as a space for innovative projects
The film is part of a growing number of student projects at IIIX that test new technologies in an experimental and practical way. In the past, for example, the AI-supported game "Alice in Interactiveland" was developed, which enables an immersive gaming experience on a 180° screen. The VR installation "Enter the Hindenburg", which was created in cooperation with the Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen, also shows how immersive technologies can be used for education and cultural mediation. Projects such as "A Pug's Date" build on these works and illustrate how the IIIX offers students space to develop their own ideas, try out new technologies and translate them into concrete applications.
Premiere at the INDEPENDENT DAYS
"A Pug's Date" will celebrate its world premiere on April 17, 2026 at 2:30 pm at the Schauburg Karlsruhe Filmtheater as part of the INDEPENDENT DAYS. INDEPENDENT DAYS is one of the established platforms for independent filmmaking and will present a diverse program of short and feature-length films from all over the world from 15 to 19 April 2026. The festival offers young filmmakers in particular space for creative, experimental works and also sees itself as a meeting place for exchange, discussion and new impulses around film and media. This year, the film festival is particularly showcasing the potential of combining film and artificial intelligence.
The IIIX is also represented: Prof. Dr. Matthias Wölfel, spokesperson for the institute, is part of the jury for the AI and VR prize.
Film, research and practice
"A Pug's Date" once again demonstrates how research, teaching and creative practice come together at the IIIX. The trailer is not only an entertaining contribution to INDEPENDENT DAYS, but also an example of how students use current technologies in their work to develop new forms of storytelling. We congratulate Theresa Probst on creating the official trailer for INDEPENDENT DAYS as part of her bachelor's thesis and on achieving such high visibility with her project. At the same time, we are delighted to be working with INDEPENDENT DAYS once again and would like to thank the Filmboard Karlsruhe for the successful cooperation.