THE JANUARY 25 2025 FILM FESTIVAL

HOLLYWOOD, CA —In a creative landscape shadowed by doubt, imitation, and digital perfection, the AI International Film Festival continues to point the way.

On Sunday, January 25, the festival will stage two festivals back-to-back at the Los Feliz Theatre, 1822 N. Vermont Ave. Both the AI International Film Festival and the AI International Music Video Festival.

These are the Filmmakers of Tomorrow. "Like an Academy Awards but for AI-related Films, now monthly." -R. Maggi, director, writer, actor

“It’s a faster and rapidly expanding world,” said festival founder Bert Holland, “but speed doesn’t trump meaning. These filmmakers prove that the most advanced technology on earth is still the human, and the human has a message.”

“The Prompt Floor - Episode I” - Mehdi Saqi - Morocco - 2025 - 9 min

The Prompt Floor – Episode I is a sharp, playful mockumentary that takes the audience inside the absurd inner workings of an AI video model, reimagined as a dysfunctional film set. The concept is fresh, clever, and immediately engaging, turning something technical into something genuinely cinematic and funny.

The execution works beautifully. The writing is tight and self-aware, the performances are well-calibrated, and the direction clearly understands comedic timing. What really lands is the central “problem” the AI crew must solve, it’s both ridiculous and smart, poking fun at prompt culture without becoming smug or explanatory.

Overall, it’s hilarious, well-crafted, and conceptually sharp. A rare piece that feels current without being disposable. This one sticks the landing—and leaves you wanting the next episode.

“The Trade” - Michael Andrew Eng - United States - 2025 - 3 min

The Trade presents a simple exchange between a human merchant and a robot, building a quiet, believable world around the idea that value, desire, and satisfaction are not exclusively human traits. While the concept itself is familiar within speculative fiction, the execution is remarkably effective.

The film’s strengths lie in its detailed world-building and understated storytelling. The environments feel lived-in, the pacing is controlled, and the dialogue and voice work are natural and well-calibrated. The relationship between characters unfolds with clarity and restraint, allowing the audience to engage without excessive exposition. Technically, the film is polished, cohesive, and confident in its choices.

“Before Mount Rushmore: The Story of Spotted Tail” - Aaron Liberman - United States - 2025 - 5 min

Before Mount Rushmore is a powerful cinematic tribute to Siŋté Glešká (Spotted Tail), a figure whose legacy deserves far wider recognition. The film tackles necessary history with care and responsibility, and it succeeds in honoring its subject rather than appropriating him.

The execution works very well...especially in the first half. The poetic narration, measured pacing, and restrained visual language come together to create genuine emotional impact. This opening section understands cinema: it trusts mood, voice, and symbolism to carry meaning, and it does so with respect and clarity. The writing is particularly strong, grounding history in feeling rather than exposition.

“Arnaldo Had An Ideia” - Ricardo Mordoch, Dan Moraes - Brazil - 2025 - 5 min

Arnaldo Had an Idea presents a tragicomic meditation on inspiration, obsession, and the fleeting nature of ideas, set against the textured backdrop of Casablanca. While the premise itself is familiar, the execution is sharp, cohesive, and confident. Strong narration and precise storytelling drive the film forward with humor and clarity, transforming a simple concept into an engaging cinematic experience. The film connects effortlessly with the audience, balancing wit and insight while maintaining a consistent tone throughout.

This is a case where craft elevates concept. The writing is excellent - clear, playful, and self-aware - and the execution fully supports it. Timing, narration, visual rhythm, and narrative escalation are all working in harmony. The film understands exactly what it wants to say about ideas: how intoxicating they are, how fragile, and how impossible they can be to hold onto. Nothing feels wasted or underdeveloped, and the humor never undercuts the intelligence of the piece. It’s entertaining without being shallow, smart without being pretentious. A very solid, complete work.*

“Expiration Day” - Eike Swoboda - United States - 2025 - 25 min

Expiration Day delivers a tightly constructed sci-fi survival story set aboard a cryogenic spacecraft, where a lone officer must confront an AI system that has scheduled her termination. While the premise is familiar within the genre, the execution is sharp, engaging, and consistently well-crafted.

The film’s strengths are numerous. The writing is clear and witty, the central performance is strong and grounded, and the world-building is polished and immersive. The futuristic setting feels cohesive and believable, striking a clean balance between dystopian tension and visual clarity. Pacing is effective, and the narrative maintains momentum without losing emotional focus.*

“REEF 1000” - Solo Avital - United States - 2025 - 10 min

REEF 1000 presents a quietly radical vision of how environmental repair might emerge from human connection, inclusion, and thoughtful use of AI. What begins as a small, almost incidental problem, a broken coffee machine in a café run by staff with Down syndrome, unfolds into a credible and deeply moving chain of events that leads to the restoration of the Dubai coral reef. While the premise could easily tip into sentimentality or implausible optimism, the film avoids both.

The execution is exceptionally strong. The director maintains a human-centered focus throughout, grounding technological possibility in relationships, care, and dignity rather than spectacle. World-building is confident and coherent, and the emotional arc is earned rather than imposed. The film offers hope without denying complexity, and optimism without erasing struggle.

“mud” - TEDRA - United States - 2025 - 3 min

MUD presents a psychologically grounded horror story about a man seeking spiritual peace who is forced to confront what he has buried, literally and emotionally. While the concept is distinctive, the execution is confident and immersive. Strong narration and tactile visual storytelling draw the audience directly into the character’s internal struggle, creating a visceral experience that unfolds with clarity and intention. The film maintains a steady arc, allowing tension and meaning to surface organically through image and atmosphere.

This film is effective because it is embodied. The sensory quality is striking where the dirt, the weight, the confinement feels real, and that physicality anchors the horror emotionally. The storytelling is strong, and the audience connection is immediate and sustained. The gore is extremely well executed and the directorial vision is clear, controlled, and purposeful. To the scardy cats out there: hold on tight, you’re in for a ride!

“Wonderful World?” - Shir Grinblat - 2025 - 10 min

Wonderful World? presents a sensitive exploration of post-traumatic stress through the contrast between a polished, cheerful exterior and the unresolved memories of war beneath it. While the subject is heavy, the film approaches it with clarity and care, using animation to balance accessibility with emotional weight. The narrative effectively communicates the inner fracture of its protagonist, allowing difficult themes to surface without becoming overwhelming. The film’s intention to raise awareness and invite empathy comes through clearly.

"SUMMER 1990” - Loïs Levy - Germany - 2025 - 8 min

Summer 1990 presents a tender coming-of-age love story shaped by memory, time, and unspoken promises. While the premise is familiar, the execution is confident and emotionally grounded. The film maintains a consistent visual and tonal language, allowing the relationship between the two characters to unfold with clarity and restraint. Strong writing and narration guide the audience through past and present without relying on sentimentality, resulting in a story that feels intimate, relatable, and quietly affecting.

This is very good storytelling. The director shows strong control, keeping a potentially cliché narrative from slipping into predictable emotional shortcuts. The imagery avoids nostalgia-for-nostalgia’s-sake, and the emotional weight feels earned rather than manufactured. Performances, pacing, and structure work together smoothly, allowing the audience to connect without being pushed. The film’s simplicity is its strength, it trusts the story and the viewer. Nothing feels overexplained, and nothing feels missing. A mature, well-balanced piece.

“My Boyfriend is a Superhero!?” - Hooroo Jackson- United States - 2025 - 100 min

My Boyfriend is a Superhero!? presents an ambitious experiment in “multifold cinema,” inviting the audience to choose its protagonist while exposing the mechanics of AI-driven filmmaking. While the concept is bold and genuinely new, the execution is impressively confident. The film features sharp dialogue, smooth performances, and an intoxicating, high-velocity edit that blurs fiction and non-fiction, weaving contemporary reality with speculative narrative.*