What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Andrew Boer: We actually created this film originally as a part of a 48 hour hackathon style film contest (Soulscape 2026) and won the competition with it. The prompt was “what world will you build”. We focused on the worlds that are built by parents for their children, and the importance of building a world you would want to live in yourself. How did working with AI

What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Marc Wacholz: Growing up in East Germany, I was fortunate enough to discover science fiction from both sides of the Iron Curtain. Watching the first "StarTrek" movie or "E.T." in an East German theatre at an early age, and reading GDR and Soviet science fiction, made a deep impression on me. But especially in cinema, East Germany (and even the Soviet Union)produced relat

Denias Nevin's 'Mirror Assignments' is a Runner-Up in the Music Category. What was the original creative spark behind your song and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Denias Nevin: This song was deeply personal to me. I wouldn’t call it a spark necessarily, more of a deep longing to tell anyone that feels like they have no one, that they are not alone. It’s for all the people that feel invisible. Like they don’t matter. Like no one cares. It’s a message that an

The Curse by OWL is a Runner-Up in the Animation Category. What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? OWL: I've always enjoyed blending a somewhat childlike world with dark stories. This is a story that had been brewing in my mind for some time, and the main limitation was being able to tackle it with traditional methods. AI undoubtedly gave me this opportunity, which I wouldn't have been able to achieve otherwis

"Kev" has received a Winner Award in the Doc/Mockumentary Category. What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Mike Bennion: I tell all my stories in AI as I havent got the budget to shoot them for real. This one started as creating interesting faces in Midjourney that weren’t generic. Then it sat on my computer for ages as I didn’t know what to do with it. When I relooked at it later, it felt as though Kev had

Heartbreaker has won the Music Video Category. What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Jagger Waters: "Heartbreaker" is a music video I created for a very cool musician named Hyland Church. Listening to what he wanted the video to feel like and learning how to balance that with my own creative vision brought the spark to life. That's the client-artist relationship part of this process that remains unchanged. A

What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Talya Lotan: The City Between Them has roots that go back many years, long before AI entered my creative life.I began my career as a conventional film editor, working on historical documentaries and television productions. One of the stories that fascinated me most involved the relationships that developed between British policemen and officers serving in Mandatory Pales

What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Katherine Rodriguez: We had been sitting on the script for Flea for a while, but didn’t go further because of the workload and time commitment it would take. Thanks to AI, we were able to bring this story to life with two weeks and a two person team. How did working with AI change your role as a filmmaker, artist or storyteller during the process? Katherine Rodriguez: I

Atlas i3 has won the Long Form Category. What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Georgely Tóth: The original spark was not the story or the film itself, it was the technology that inspired me. I had an earlier story, which gradually evolved as I became more familiar with the language and possibilities of AI filmmaking. How did working with AI change your role as a filmmaker, artist or storyteller during the

What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Andre Surya: DINDA was actually my first serious AI short film, created around nine months ago. I chose horror because Indonesian audiences really love horror stories, and I personally love the genre too. At the same time, I felt horror was a good and “easy enough” starting point for me to practice AI filmmaking seriously. My main goal was not only to make a scary short

What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Mehdi Saqi: The original idea came from imagining what happens inside an AI video model. I loved the thought of turning it into a real workplace, where a film crew is trying their best to respond to our requests. Using AI to tell this story was a no brainer, since the story itself takes place within the AI world, and is packed with easter eggs on AI pop culture. How did

The Chip Critic has received a Winner Award in the Animation Category. What was the original creative spark behind your film, and why did you choose to tell this story using AI? Varun Sharma: I used to work part-time as an assistant store manager at 7-Eleven. The film was sparked by common scenarios I experienced there; I wanted to integrate that humor and the practical, day-to-day life situations that people can easily connect with. How did working with AI change your role a

What did AI enable you to do in your film that would have been impossible—or unimaginable—without it? Eunjoon Lee: Working with AI on...

What did AI enable you to do in your film that would have been impossible—or unimaginable—without it? Matt Zien: Typing “Neolithic man...

What did AI enable you to do in your film that would have been impossible—or unimaginable—without it? Ran Naor: AI allowed me to create a...

What did AI enable you to do in your film that would have been impossible—or unimaginable—without it? Giovanni Abitante: I brought...

What did AI enable you to do in your film that would have been impossible—or unimaginable—without it? Ryan Patterson: I hear a lot of...

What did AI enable you to do in your film that would have been impossible—or unimaginable—without it? Bottomline: AI gave us the freedom...

What did AI enable you to do in your film that would have been impossible—or unimaginable—without it? Elisabeth Guthmann: AI allowed me...

What did AI enable you to do in your film that would have been impossible—or unimaginable—without it? Mark Wachholz: As a sci-fi novel...