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Red Gaia
Udesh Chetty · South Africa
Since 2021 · Now monthly · Hollywood

The Original Independent AI Film Festival.

“It’s like an Academy Awards but for AI films — now monthly.”

— Ron Maggi, Actor
Best AI Short
Manas
Yihang Yang & Peize Wang · China
August 15 · Winner

This is what wins here.

Judged blind, screened one at a time, discussed on stage the same afternoon.

August 15 · Winners

Five films. One afternoon in Hollywood.

Chosen from a blind judging round. Press Review on any poster for the full jury review.

Brother poster
Makoto Aminaka
Makoto Aminaka
Director · Japan
Brother
Best Story
Brother
Dir. Makoto Aminaka · Japan · 2026 · 12 min · World Premiere
Jury: Best Story

What can a young boy and a gorilla tell us?

Brother tells a heartfelt story about friendship, compassion, and environmental responsibility through the bond between a young boy and a gorilla. The film has genuine warmth and sincerity, making its emotional core resonate. Its simple storytelling and hopeful message leave a lasting impression, giving the film a quiet charm that rises above its imperfections.

Even poster
Chansoo Park
Chansoo Park
Director · South Korea
Even
Best Thriller
Even
Dir. Chansoo Park · South Korea · 2026 · 6 min
Jury: Best Thriller
Audience: Best Film · Most Surprising

What might happen if you accidentally scratch the car next to you?

EVEN is a clever, wordless thriller that transforms a minor everyday incident into an entertaining exercise in suspense and dark comedy. The film builds tension with confidence, using its confined setting and escalating car chase to keep the audience engaged while maintaining a sharp sense of humor throughout.

Its simple premise is executed with precision, proving that an effective story does not require dialogue to captivate an audience. Well-paced, inventive, and genuinely fun, EVEN is an accomplished short that delivers both suspense and entertainment.

Lessons In Life poster
Pete Veijalainen
Pete Veijalainen
Director · Finland
Lessons In Life
Best Message
Lessons In Life
Dir. Pete Veijalainen · Finland · 2026 · 9 min · World Premiere
Jury: Best Message
Audience: Best Message

What lessons await us through everyday human experience?

Lessons In Life successfully combines reflective narration with visual storytelling to explore the challenges, disappointments, and unexpected lessons that emerge through everyday human experience. While the film occasionally approaches familiar self-help territory, it avoids becoming overly didactic through its strong execution and grounded perspective.

Manas poster
Yihang Yang, Peize Wang
Yihang Yang, Peize Wang
Director · China
Manas
Best AI Short
Manas
Dir. Yihang Yang, Peize Wang · China · 2026 · 15 min
Jury: Best AI Short · Best Documentary
Audience: Best Use of AI

What can we learn from the Kyrgyz culture in southwestern China?

Manas is a beautifully crafted short that seamlessly blends myth, tradition, and adventure into a compelling cinematic experience. Rooted in Kyrgyz culture, the film captures the powerful relationship between humans, nature, and the enduring bond between generations. The cinematography is outstanding, making full use of its landscapes and action sequences, while the direction and performances bring authenticity and emotional weight to the story. The balance between folklore and reality feels natural, allowing the mythology to enrich rather than overwhelm the narrative. Every visual choice serves the storytelling, creating a film that is both culturally distinctive and universally engaging.

An accomplished work that is highly entertaining and demonstrates confident filmmaking across every department.

77 Hours poster
Vahid Mahdavi
Vahid Mahdavi
Director · United Kingdom
77 Hours
Best Hybrid AI Film
77 Hours
Dir. Vahid Mahdavi · United Kingdom · 2026 · 70 min
Jury: Best Hybrid AI Film · Best Narrative Feature

77 Hours is an exceptional hybrid feature that demonstrates remarkable confidence in every aspect of filmmaking. The direction is assured, the performances are compelling and emotionally authentic, and the cinematography sustains an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty throughout. Rather than relying solely on the historical tragedy that inspired it, the film succeeds because it remains deeply focused on its protagonist's psychological and emotional journey, creating an experience that is both intimate and profoundly affecting.

The seamless integration of AI-assisted techniques with traditional filmmaking never overshadows the story but instead strengthens its visual language. Every creative choice serves the narrative, resulting in a film that is immersive, emotionally resonant, and technically accomplished. 77 Hours stands out as a powerful example of how AI can support meaningful cinematic storytelling without compromising its humanity. An outstanding achievement.

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From the room

A carpet, a camera, a microphone.

Interviewed on arrival. On stage after your film screens — in the room, or live on screen from anywhere in the world.

A filmmaker interviewed on the red carpet
On the carpetEvery filmmaker interviewed
Michael Eng interviewed at the step and repeat
Michael EngFilmmaker · United States
Katya Romanovskaya on stage
Katya RomanovskayaPanelist · Gonka 2049
A crew filming an interview at the backdrop
The crewBoom, gimbal, monitor
Tarek Fahmy on stage
Tarek FahmyLive Q&A on stage
Rosaline Oketola on the red carpet
Rosaline OketolaOn the red carpet
Annetta Jabari on stage
Annetta JabariLive Q&A on stage

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Filmmaker voices

What the filmmakers say.

Eighty-five percent of the room is filmmakers and industry. This is built for the people making the work.

Arthur Machado

“The format is super engaging, it allows for discussions between the filmmakers and the audience after each film is screened. I got huge value out of it by connecting with extremely talented and creative filmmakers from all around the world, and getting real-time feedback from the artists and the audience.”

Arthur MachadoDirector, Modello Linguistico Divino · Brazil/New Zealand
Mila Albertson

“As a film professional, I drove 75 miles to see this festival, and it was worth it. Fantastic films, all of them, and it was fascinating to discuss each film interactively together with a panel of such wonderful international filmmakers and an engaged audience.”

Mila AlbertsonEditor & writer · US
Ron Maggi

“We had cutting-edge AI filmmakers from all over the world on Zoom discussing the tools they used and their motivations. The interaction between these filmmakers alone was worth the price of admission, but even the films themselves are really amazing.”

Ron MaggiActor · US
Andres Aloi

“Now that AI tools have democratized creativity, curation is more important than ever. During the festival, I was amazed at the quality of the selected films, and excited to interact with such talented creators via Zoom. As such, taking home two major awards was certainly an honor.”

Andres AloiDirector, The Abyss · Argentina
Gerardo Escudero Samara

“It was amazing. I do believe that the best AI films in the world right now were carefully selected for this. The screenings and selection were top notch.”

Gerardo Escudero SamaraAuthor & filmmaker, Robofauna · Panama
Jaron Stokes

“The discussions between the filmmakers were enlightening — filmmakers were critiquing each other’s works and discussing how they were made. The films were out of this world.

Jaron StokesArtist & model · US
Jonathan Perry

“It usually takes a year, hundreds of crew, and a medium budget to make a short film professionally. My film Railbound took us six weeks, around thirteen talented crew, and a quarter of the budget.”

Jonathan PerryCo-director, Railbound
Anina Net

“Artificial intelligence is not a threat, but an essential creative accelerator.”

Anina NetActress & fashion technologist
Jodie Heenan

“It’s leveling out the gatekeepers and opening it up for a lot more people to have exposure and opportunities in creative media.”

Jodie HeenanAI director & artist · Australia

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Bert Holland and Scott Newman on stage with an award
Next festival · Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory

September 12.

Vol. 26 · AI International Film & Music Video Awards. Red carpet, welcome reception, screenings one at a time, unscripted Q&A after every film.

Days
Hours

● Previous festivals have sold out — booking early is advised

The jury

Judged blind. Every single time.

“We do not look at the name of the filmmakers, we do not look at the country they are from, we do not look at any synopsis. We watch only the film.

— Bert Holland, Founder & Executive Director
Fermin Branger and family on the red carpet
Submit · Deadline September 21

No connections. No agent. No problem.

No festival circuit connections. No agent. No festival in your country. None of it matters here, because none of it reaches the jury.

Regular deadline September 21 · screens October 10

Filmmakers from seven countries joining the festival live on screen
Where we are different

Not a playlist. A room.

A frame from the festival reel
Two minutes from the last one

This is what the films look like.

Winners from the August 15 festival in Hollywood.

A panel on stage with the audience in silhouette
The format

No PR filters. No scripted panels.

Audience awards. Jury awards. A red carpet. An afterparty. The conversation is real, and the room is full of the people who actually make this work.

85%of the room is filmmakers and industry
Voices from the stage

Serious people, serious questions.

Copyright, craft, labour and consent — argued on stage, not settled in a press release.

Copyright & Law Scott Mortman

“When you use somebody's data, images, or voice to build your model and don't compensate them for it, I don't know what else you call it other than stealing.

Scott MortmanAI Law & Ethics Professor · Purdue Global · SAG-AFTRA negotiations
The Tool Boris Eldagsen

“AI is like the tool I always have been waiting for, because the only limit now is imagination.”

Boris EldagsenPromptographer, lecturer, writer & director · “TECH-BRO VOMIT IN HD”
The Vision Zoubeir JLASSI

“AI is just a tool. It's powerful, yes, but it cannot replace your creativity, your sensitivity, your perspective. Don't wait for the producer to open the door for you.”

Zoubeir JLASSIGraphic designer & filmmaker · Director, “A Breath Apart” · Tunisia
Democratization Michael Cole

“I feel like AI is just moving in a direction where it's open to everybody. It's sort of trying to democratize what anybody can create.”

Michael ColeMotion designer & AI filmmaker · Director, “We Will We Will Prompt You”
Economics Stephen Gibler

“AI gives us open opportunity for filmmakers to spend $500,000 to make something that looks like $30 million. Kind of a District 9 type level quality.

Stephen GiblerProducer & Co-Head of AI, Sawhorse Productions
Craft Andy O.

“Making a movie still takes a lot of work. But maybe it doesn't take millions of dollars?

Andy O.OpenAI forum leader, AI product manager & designer
Regulation Rachel Greenhoe

There will be regulation. It's going to be written in blood. AI is a problem that is not going to be solved without enormous amounts of fraught regulation.”

Rachel GreenhoeScreenwriter & Actress
The Future Simone Bocchino

Hollywood and other major players are watching us. What's happening now is a very interesting rise in new generations of storytellers: people working with essentially no budget, creating amazing movies using AI.”

Simone BocchinoAward-winning AI artist & music producer · Director, “King Kong”

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Press

What the press has said.

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A Japanese national broadcast crew filming at the festival
Watch on demand

Every winner, since 2021.

The whole archive streams free on our channel — five years of award-winning AI cinema from 70+ countries.

One organization

Six initiatives.

AI International Film Festival AI International Music Video Festival AI International Micro-Drama Festival AI International Advertising Festival AI International Winners Guild AI International Creator Guild

The Winners Guild is a community of winning AI filmmakers for mutual benefit. The Creator Guild is open to everyone who has ever submitted.

A performer outside the venue in Hollywood
About

A 501(c)(3) for the conversation AI is forcing.

Since 2021: 25 events, 2,600+ filmmakers, 70+ countries — and an in-person home in Hollywood for filmmakers, technologists and the culturally curious.

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Submit · Sep 21 Tickets · Sep 12